KeePass vs KeePassium (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, KeePass and KeePassium share a 2.8 GPA, both have a free plan, and KeePass has no paid plan to buy, against about $1.86 a month for KeePassium.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
KeePass grades higher on value for money. KeePassium grades higher on features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
KeePassium
KeePass-compatible password manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Which one is for you
Pick KeePass if
- Fits if you're on Windows and want a free password manager with no account
- Works for carrying passwords on a USB stick, since it runs from one and creates no registry keys
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want passwords on your phone without fuss, as the mobile apps are unofficial ports
- Not for you if you expect sync to just happen, because there's no hosted service
- Too light for people who want Windows Hello or two-factor codes built in, since those need plugins
- Tight if you're on a Mac or Linux, where it runs through Mono rather than as a native app
- Watch out: KeePass 1.x is in maintenance only, and no passkeys or browser extension are on record
Pick KeePassium if
- Fits if you keep a KeePass database and use Apple devices
- Works for people who want to sync through their own cloud storage
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it is Apple only
- Tight if you keep more than one database, since the free version allows one
- Watch out: YubiKey support and password audit need Premium or Pro
- Watch out: prices on the maker's site are in euros, and the US App Store lists Premium at $19.99
- Watch out: with Intune, Password AutoFill is not supported and the managed edition runs on iOS only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAKeePassGood | 2.8GPAKeePassiumGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the GPL, for personal and company use alike, where paid password managers here start at $2.49 a month and sit at $2.99 in the middle. The author takes donations and that's it. | BPremium is EUR 19.99 a year, inside the cheapest quarter of password managers. Pro is a EUR 79.99 lifetime licence, under two years of the typical subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free: both editions, the installer, the portable ZIP and the full source code. No paid tier, no account and no cap to walk into. | AFree forever for one database, with synchronization, AutoFill, Face ID or Touch ID, one-time codes and attachments. One database is a cap few people reach. |
| Features | CThe database side covers AES-256 or ChaCha20, a master password, key file or both, Auto-Type to fill logins, and import from 35-odd formats. But its own FAQ shows the holes. No hosted sync, no passkeys on record, and Windows Hello unlock and two-factor codes come from other people's plugins. | BKeePass database support, sync through your own storage, AutoFill, one-time codes, YubiKey, backups and history. Password audit and YubiKey are paid. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and this one asks something of you. On Windows it runs without being installed, but Auto-Type sequences are yours to set up, half the conveniences are plugins, and a second device means keeping copies of the file in step by hand. | CNo store rating on record. You set up the storage that holds your database. |
| Platforms and integrations | CComputers only. Windows officially, with Linux and macOS running version 2.x through Mono, and the Android and iOS apps are unofficial ports by other people. No hosted sync, no browser extension and no integrations listed. | CiOS and macOS only, with no Windows, Android or web version. |
| Best for | a free password file you keep yourself on Windows | KeePass vaults on iPhone, iPad and Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: KeePass and KeePassium. How we grade
Price against what you get
KeePass has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. KeePassium starts at about $1.86 a month and scores 2.3.
KeePassium scores higher, and starts $1.86 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other password managers on the chart, none scores higher than KeePass for less, and 5 score higher than KeePassium for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- KeePassium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| KeePass | KeePassium | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | €19.99 per year (Premium) |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GPL, for personal and company use, with no fees. The author accepts donations. | Free forever: one database, synchronization, Password AutoFill, Face ID or Touch ID unlock, OTP codes and file attachments. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Dominik Reichl | KeePassium Labs |
| Price read from | keepass.info | keepassium.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
KeePass
- The official program is built for Windows. On Linux and macOS it runs through Mono, and the Android and iOS apps are unofficial contributed ports.
- There is no hosted sync service: you keep copies of the database in step yourself, for example through a cloud-storage folder.
- Extras such as Windows Hello unlock, one-time-password keys and additional ciphers rely on third-party plugins.
- KeePass 1.x is in maintenance only; the site says to use 2.x if in doubt.
KeePassium
- Apple platforms only: there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- The free version is limited to one database; YubiKey support and password audit need Premium or Pro.
- Prices on the maker's site are in euros; the US App Store listing shows Premium at $19.99.
- With Intune, Password AutoFill is not supported, and the managed edition runs on iOS only.
Key features
KeePass
- Encrypted database file
- All entries live in one database file encrypted with AES-256 or ChaCha20. The complete database is encrypted, including user names and notes, not only the passwords.
- Master password, key file or both
- A database opens with a master password, a key file or the two combined. KeePass 2.x can also lock a database to the current Windows user account.
- Auto-Type
- Types an entry's details into dialogs and web forms with a customizable sequence, and a global hot key finds the matching entry while KeePass runs in the background.
- Portable
- Runs from a USB stick without being installed, creates no registry keys and keeps its settings inside its own directory.
- Plugins
- A plugin architecture lets other developers add functions such as extra import and export formats, more encryption algorithms and additional key sources.
- Synchronization and import
- KeePass 2.x merges changes made in several copies of a database, including files reached over FTP, HTTP or WebDAV, and imports more than 35 formats out of the box.
KeePassium
- KeePass database support
- Reads kdb, kdbx3 and kdbx4 files using AES, ChaCha20, Twofish and Argon2, so databases move between KeePass apps.
- Sync with your own storage
- Works with offline files and with online databases, including two-way sync with almost any provider in the Files app.
- AutoFill and biometrics
- Fill logins in apps and websites with Password AutoFill, and unlock with Face ID or Touch ID.
- OTP codes and attachments
- Keeps time-based one-time codes, custom fields, custom icons and attached files inside the database.
- YubiKey support
- Premium can protect a database with a YubiKey over NFC or Lightning, using challenge-response that matches KeePassXC.
- Backups and history
- Each entry keeps its history, deleted entries go to a recycle bin, and each database is copied before saving.
Plans
KeePass
Free$0
Both editions, KeePass 1.x and 2.x, as an installer or a portable ZIP package, with the full source code.
KeePassium
Free$0
One database with sync, AutoFill, biometric unlock, OTP codes and attachments; donations are optional.
Premium€19.99
per year (price shown in euros)
Unlimited databases, YubiKey support, quick AutoFill, password audit and field references, on iOS and macOS.
Pro€79.99
one-time, lifetime license (price shown in euros)
The Premium features as a lifetime license, covering iOS and macOS with one purchase.
Business & Intune€36
per user / year (price shown in euros)
For managed environments: MDM configuration and Microsoft Intune support; volume discounts apply.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KeePass or KeePassium?
As of Nov 12, 2026, KeePass is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $1.86 a month for KeePassium. KeePass is free, and KeePassium starts at €19.99 per year (Premium).
Which has a free plan, KeePass or KeePassium?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both KeePass and KeePassium have a free plan.
Which platforms do KeePass and KeePassium run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only KeePass lists Windows and Linux apps and only KeePassium lists an iOS app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.