KeePass vs Pleasant Password Server (2026): which should you pick?

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 Pleasant Password Server if

• Fits if you want KeePass users sharing one vault on your own hardware
• Works for regulated or air-gapped setups that cannot use a hosted vault

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you have no one to run a server, because there is no hosted version
• Not for you if you are one person: the price table starts at 5 users, so the floor is $55
• Pricey if you need more than Community, as Enterprise is $85 per user and Enterprise+SSO about $120
• Watch out: you get one year of upgrades, then pay for more, which the page puts under half the licence cost
• Tight if you want more than 15 users on the cheapest tier, which is not offered above that

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.

Pleasant Password Server

• Licenses include one year of upgrades; later upgrades and support are a separate plan costing under 50% of the license.
• The administrator counts as a user, and the price table starts at 5 users.
• The Community tier is not offered beyond 15 users in the price table.
• You host and maintain the server; there is no hosted version on the pricing page.

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.

Pleasant Password Server

Self-hosted deployment

Runs on infrastructure you control, including on-premises, private cloud, hybrid and air-gapped setups, with a perpetual-use license.

KeePass and Password Safe clients

A KeePass client for Windows is included, giving a familiar KeePass interface with multi-user support.

Role-based access

Administrators set access on single passwords or folders, group users into roles and enforce client policies.

Many ways in

A web client, a browser autofill extension, macOS and Linux clients, and Android and iOS apps.

Multi-factor sign-in

Supports authenticator apps (TOTP), biometrics, YubiKey, RADIUS and email codes, and can generate TOTP codes for stored entries.

Choice of database

The server can store data in SQLite, PostgreSQL, MSSQL or Azure SQL.

KeePass

• Free$0

  Both editions, KeePass 1.x and 2.x, as an installer or a portable ZIP package, with the full source code.

Pleasant Password Server

• Community Edition$11

  per user, one-time; $55 for 5 users

  Lowest tier; offered for 5 to 15 users. Price per user falls with more users ($10.50 at 10).

• Enterprise Edition$85

  per user, one-time; $425 for 5 users

  Falls to $77 per user at 20 users. Includes one year of upgrades.

• Enterprise+$110.30

  per user, one-time, at 10 users ($1,103)

  Priced at $110.20 per user for 5 users as an introductory price; $102.30 at 20 users.

• Enterprise+SSO$119.90

  per user, one-time, at 10 users ($1,199)

  Enterprise+ with Universal SSO; $119.80 per user at 5 users, $111.90 at 20.

KeePass

No public discounts listed.

Pleasant Password Server

• Other savings

  90-day money-back guarantee

  The purchase page says a full refund can be requested within 90 days if the server does not meet your needs.