KeePassium vs Password Safe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Password Safe grades higher than KeePassium: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
KeePassium grades higher on features. Password Safe grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan 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 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
Pick Password Safe if
- Fits if you want a small, free vault on a Windows PC
- Works for people who prefer a local file to a cloud service
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want sync between devices, as none is hosted
- Skip it if you use a Mac, since only Windows and Linux builds are offered
- Too light for browser autofill, which the home page does not describe
- Watch out: the phone apps listed are separate projects, not the vendor's
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAKeePassiumGood | 3.0GPAPassword SafeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree open-source software with no paid plans, and the site only takes donations. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | ANothing is locked: no plan, no cap and no account. |
| Features | BKeePass database support, sync through your own storage, AutoFill, one-time codes, YubiKey, backups and history. Password audit and YubiKey are paid. | CA master-password vault with autotype, backups and two-factor. No hosted sync and browser autofill is not described on the home page. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up the storage that holds your database. | BAn installed desktop app with nothing to set up and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiOS and macOS only, with no Windows, Android or web version. | CWindows and Linux only; the phone apps listed are separate projects. No integrations list. |
| Best for | KeePass vaults on iPhone, iPad and Mac | a free local password list on Windows |
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: KeePassium and Password Safe. How we grade
Price against what you get
KeePassium starts at about $1.86 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Password Safe has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Password Safe starts $1.86 a month lower. Of the other password managers on the chart, 6 score higher than KeePassium for less, and none scores higher than Password Safe 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
| KeePassium | Password Safe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | €19.99 per year (Premium) | Free |
| Free plan | Free forever: one database, synchronization, Password AutoFill, Face ID or Touch ID unlock, OTP codes and file attachments. | Free, open-source software with no paid plans; the site accepts donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | KeePassium Labs | Password Safe project |
| Price read from | keepassium.com | pwsafe.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Password Safe
- The site offers Windows and Linux builds only; phone apps listed are separate projects.
- It is a local application with no hosted sync service described on the site.
- Browser autofill is not described on the home page.
Key features
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.
Password Safe
- Master-password vault
- One master password unlocks an encrypted list of user names and passwords, so only one needs to be remembered.
- Autotype
- A user quoted on the site praises autotype for entering credentials, and the project documents it in its guide.
- Automatic backups
- A user quoted on the site credits the automatic backup with saving their data.
- Two-factor authentication
- The site has a page on two-factor authentication among its main sections.
- Disk-on-key use
- The site has a section for running it from a USB drive.
Plans
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.
Password Safe
Free$0
The complete application for Windows, with Linux packages linked from the site.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KeePassium or Password Safe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Password Safe is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $1.86 a month for KeePassium. KeePassium starts at €19.99 per year (Premium), and Password Safe is free.
Which has a free plan, KeePassium or Password Safe?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both KeePassium and Password Safe have a free plan.
Which platforms do KeePassium and Password Safe run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only KeePassium lists macOS and iOS apps and only Password Safe lists Windows and Linux apps. 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.