KeePass vs KeePassXC
KeePass and KeePassXC answer the same question the same way: passwords in an encrypted file on your own device, with no account, no server and no company. Both are free, open source and have a legal contact in Germany, and both hold an ANSSI CSPN certification. KeePass is the Windows original from 2003 with plugins; KeePassXC is built and tested for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Choose KeePass if
you work on Windows, want the original project maintained by Dominik Reichl since 2003, a plugin architecture, a portable build that needs no installation, and the audit record around it.
Read the KeePass reviewChoose KeePassXC if
you want one client built and tested by the project itself on Windows, macOS and Linux, with passkeys, an SSH agent, YubiKey support and browser integration in the box.
Read the KeePassXC reviewKeePass and KeePassXC side by side
| KeePass | KeePassXC | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Dominik Reichl | KeePassXC Team (legal contact: Janek Bevendorff) |
| Headquarters | Germany | Weimar, Germany |
| Founded | 2003 | 2016 |
| Jurisdiction | No service, the file is yours | No service, the file is yours |
| Where the data sits | A file on your own device | An encrypted KDBX file on your own device; no KeePassXC cloud |
| Pricing | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 30 September 2026) | Free (open source, GPL v2 or later); no paid plan | Free (open source, GPLv3); no paid plan |
| Free tier or trial | Free | Free |
| Certifications and checks | ANSSI CSPN; EU-FOSSA audit; code analysis sponsored by BSI | ANSSI CSPN security visa (version 2.7.9, 2025) |
| Source code | Open source (GPL v2 or later) | Open source (GPL-2 or GPL-3) |
| Usually replaces | 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane | 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden |
| Position in our Password Managers guide | #7 of 9 | Listed, not ranked |
Both are listed in our European Password Managers guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where KeePass and KeePassXC differ
Across the five points below, KeePass has the edge on 1 point, KeePassXC on 2 points and 2 are a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Independent examination
Both have been examined from outside. KeePass lists an ANSSI CSPN certification, a code analysis of KeePass 2.x sponsored by Germany's BSI that found nothing rated medium or higher, and an EU-FOSSA audit by the European Commission. KeePassXC holds ANSSI visa ANSSI-CSPN-2025/16 for version 2.7.9 on Windows 10, valid to 17 November 2028, plus a 2023 code review of version 2.7.4.
No clear winner on this point.
Platforms
KeePass ships official installers and a portable build for Windows 7 to 11; its site says 2.x also runs on Linux and macOS and lists dozens of third-party ports for phones, most of them unofficial. KeePassXC says every feature is tested on Windows, macOS and Linux. On a Mac or Linux desktop, a client built by the project itself is the simpler route.
Edge: KeePassXC
Features in the box
KeePassXC's user guide covers passkeys, Auto-Type, a browser extension, an SSH agent, YubiKey challenge-response and KeeShare for shared groups, all without add-ons. KeePass offers Auto-Type with a global hot key, a portable mode and a plugin architecture, so extra functions come from a large list of third-party plugins. Built-in breadth favours KeePassXC; flexibility through plugins favours KeePass.
Edge: KeePassXC
Track record and licence
KeePass carries a copyright line from 2003 to 2026 under one author, Dominik Reichl in Metzingen, and is licensed under GPL version 2 or later; version 2.61.1 is current. KeePassXC dates its team to 2016, is released under GPLv3 and published a 2.8.0 beta in September 2026. On length of continuous maintenance by the same person, KeePass is clearly ahead.
Edge: KeePass
Sync, backup and sharing
Here the two are the same by design. Neither runs a cloud: KeePassXC says no data is stored on remote servers, and KeePass keeps its database as a local file. You sync the file through storage you already trust and keep your own backups; lose it without one and the vault is gone. Neither sells a support contract.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither KeePass nor KeePassXC fits
Both assume one person managing one file. A team that needs shared credentials on its own server is better served by Psono, open source and free for up to 10 users, or by Passbolt, an open-source credential platform built for IT teams that can be installed on your own infrastructure.
KeePass vs KeePassXC: questions
Both keep passwords in an encrypted file on your own device, with no service behind it. KeePass is the original Windows application by Dominik Reichl, available since 2003, extended through plugins. KeePassXC is a separate community project from 2016 with its own client for Windows, macOS and Linux and more features built in.
Yes. KeePass lists an ANSSI CSPN certification, a code analysis of KeePass 2.x sponsored by Germany's Federal Office for Information Security and carried out with mgm security partners, and an audit in the European Commission's EU-FOSSA project that found no security issues. The Commission also sponsored bug bounties in 2019 and 2020.
Yes. Both are free and open source, KeePass under GPL version 2 or later and KeePassXC under GPLv3, with no paid tier and nothing to upgrade to. There is no vendor in the commercial sense, so there is no support contract and no cloud; both projects accept donations.
KeePass names Dominik Reichl in Metzingen, Germany, as responsible for its website and copyright holder since 2003. KeePassXC describes itself as an international team and names Janek Bevendorff in Weimar, Germany, as its legal contact. Neither runs a service, so no provider ever holds your vault.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- KeePass awards and ratings page: ANSSI CSPN, BSI code analysis, EU-FOSSA audit and bug bounties (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePass download page: Windows installers and portable build, Linux and macOS support, third-party ports (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePass licence page: GPL version 2 or later, copyright 2003-2026 (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePass feature list: Auto-Type, global hot key, portable mode, plugin architecture (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePass contact page: Dominik Reichl, Metzingen, Germany (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePassXC home page: Windows, macOS and Linux testing, GPLv3, no remote storage (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePassXC security audits page: ANSSI-CSPN-2025/16 for 2.7.9 on Windows 10, 2023 review of 2.7.4 (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePassXC user guide: passkeys, Auto-Type, SSH agent, YubiKey, KeeShare, browser integration (checked 30 September 2026)
- KeePassXC team page: international team, legal contact in Weimar (checked 30 September 2026)
- Psono home page: self-hosted open-source option, free up to 10 users (checked 30 September 2026)
- Passbolt home page: open-source credential platform for IT teams (checked 30 September 2026)