KeeWeb vs Strongbox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, KeeWeb grades higher than Strongbox: 3.2 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
KeeWeb grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. Strongbox grades higher on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Strongbox
KeePass-compatible password manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Which one is for you
Pick KeeWeb if
- Fits if you already keep a KeePass file and want a nicer window onto it
- Works for people who store the file in their own cloud or server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want phone apps, as mobile browsers can only view and copy
- Watch out: there is no browser extension or autofill on the site
- Not for you if you want hosted sync, since KeeWeb does not host vaults
- Tight if you want paid support: it is one named author funded by donations
Pick Strongbox if
- Fits if your passwords already live in a KeePass file and you want them on an iPhone and a Mac
- Works for keeping the file where you choose, including on the device and nowhere else
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you also use Windows or Android, as Strongbox itself is Apple only
- Not for you if you want sharing and sync handled for you, because storage is yours to arrange
- Tight if you need to know what's free before you start, since the App Store listing doesn't say what Pro holds back
- Pricey if you go lifetime, at $99.99, four years of the $24.99 yearly price
- Watch out: the code is published but isn't open source by the OSI definition, and yearly Pro is listed at both $24.99 and $19.99
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAKeeWebVery good | 3.0GPAStrongboxVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe whole app is free with no trial or limits, which the site states. | BPro is $24.99 a year on the US App Store, about $2.08 a month, inside the lowest-priced quarter of this category. Monthly is $2.99, the category's middle. Lifetime at $99.99 is four years of the yearly price, and the listing never itemizes what Pro includes. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no plan, no cap and no account to open. | BThe app is free with what Strongbox calls a basic feature set, and the developer reckons most people find that enough, so you could live on it. The catch is that the App Store listing never says which features are held for Pro. There's an optional 90-day trial. |
| Features | CKeePass compatibility, tags, history and multiple files. It lists no autofill or extension. | BNothing the category expects is missing: KeePass and Password Safe files read and written, Face ID, Touch ID or a YubiKey to unlock, a duress PIN, passkeys, two-factor codes, a Have I Been Pwned check and a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. Storage is yours to pick, which also means yours to arrange. |
| Ease of use | BYou open a KeePass file and go, though a file and a sync location come first. No store rating on record. | A4.73 from about 4,100 App Store ratings, the top band here. You do pick where the database lives first, but it's a choice from a list, and cloud databases keep working offline. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac, Windows and Linux, with sync through Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or your own server. No native phone apps. | CApple only: iPhone, iPad and Mac. It stores to iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, WebDAV or SFTP, but on Windows, Linux or Android you'd need a different KeePass app to open the same file. |
| Best for | a free KeePass file editor in your browser or desktop | KeePass password files 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: KeeWeb and Strongbox. How we grade
Price against what you get
KeeWeb has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Strongbox starts at $2.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
Strongbox scores higher, and starts $2.08 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 KeeWeb for less, and 2 score higher than Strongbox 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
- KeeWeb is open source, according to its own site.
- Strongbox can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Strongbox also covers passkeys.
At a glance
| KeeWeb | Strongbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year (Pro, US App Store in-app price) |
| Free plan | The whole app is free, with no trial, demo version or limits, according to the site. | The app is free with a basic feature set on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The developer says most people find the free version adequate; Pro features are an optional upgrade. |
| Free trial | None listed | Optional 90-day free trial of all the Pro features |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Antelle | Phoebe Code Limited |
| Price read from | keeweb.info | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
KeeWeb
- There are no native iOS or Android apps; mobile browsers can view details and copy passwords only.
- Sync depends on your own Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or server storage; KeeWeb does not host vaults.
- No browser extension or autofill is listed on the site.
- It is a project with one named author and donation funding, not a company with paid support.
Strongbox
- Strongbox runs on Apple devices only; using the same database elsewhere takes another KeePass-compatible app.
- The App Store listing does not itemize which features are limited to Pro. It describes the free version as a basic feature set.
- The source code is published for inspection, but the developers say it does not meet the OSI definition of open source and do not accept contributions.
- Prices here are from the US App Store; the listing says an upfront purchase option is also described on the Strongbox website.
Key features
KeeWeb
- KeePass file compatibility
- Works with KeePass databases, so a vault can be opened here and in other KeePass-compatible apps.
- Cloud and server sync
- Opens files from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or your own server and syncs changes across devices automatically.
- Offline access
- Files are saved for offline use, including ones opened from Dropbox, and changes sync when the connection returns.
- Multiple files and one search
- Open several database files at once and search all entries from a single box, with regular-expression and field filters.
- History and tags
- Every change goes into entry history that can be rolled back, and entries can be organized with tags and color marks.
- Protected fields and password generator
- Fields can be hidden and are held in memory in a more protected way; the generator takes any length and symbol set.
Strongbox
- KeePass and Password Safe formats
- Reads and writes the open KeePass (KDB and KDBX 3.1 and 4) and Password Safe 3 formats, so an existing database can be opened and stays portable to other apps.
- Your choice of storage
- Databases can live in iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive, on a WebDAV or SFTP server, or only on the device, and cloud databases stay usable offline.
- Face ID, Touch ID and YubiKey
- Unlocks with Face ID or Touch ID, or with a PIN code that has a duress PIN option, and can protect databases with a YubiKey hardware token.
- Passkeys and one-time codes
- Supports passkeys and generates two-factor TOTP codes, which can be set up from a QR code or entered manually.
- Password audit
- Checks a database for weak passwords automatically and includes a 'Have I Been Pwned?' check for passwords found in breaches.
- Browser AutoFill extension
- The Strongbox AutoFill extension for Chrome, Chromium and Firefox fills usernames, passwords and authentication codes from your Strongbox databases.
Plans
KeeWeb
KeeWeb$0
Free and open source, with desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux and an online web app. Donations are optional.
Strongbox
Free$0
The basic feature set of the freemium app. The App Store listing does not itemize which features are reserved for Pro.
Strongbox Pro (Monthly)$2.99
per month (US App Store in-app purchase)
All the Pro features as an auto-renewing monthly subscription. A 3-monthly term is also mentioned in the listing.
Strongbox Pro (Yearly)$24.99
per year (US App Store in-app purchase)
All the Pro features, billed yearly. The listing also shows a yearly entry at $19.99.
Strongbox Pro (Lifetime)$99.99
one-time (US App Store)
A one-off purchase of Pro, either in the app or as the separate Strongbox Pro app, which supports Family Sharing.
Strongbox Zero$99.99
one-time (US App Store)
A separate app for local-only databases, built without any of the networking code.
Ways to pay less
KeeWeb
No public discounts listed.
Strongbox
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Pro for a one-off $99.99
Strongbox Pro (Lifetime) costs $99.99 once, as an in-app purchase or as the separate Strongbox Pro app, which supports Family Sharing. A macOS-only build is listed at $44.99.
- Annual discount
About 30% less on the yearly plan
Strongbox Pro is $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year on the US App Store. Twelve monthly payments come to $35.88, so the yearly plan costs about 30% less.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KeeWeb or Strongbox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, KeeWeb is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $2.08 a month when paid by the year for Strongbox. KeeWeb is free, and Strongbox starts at $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year (Pro, US App Store in-app price).
Which has a free plan, KeeWeb or Strongbox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both KeeWeb and Strongbox have a free plan.
Which platforms do KeeWeb and Strongbox run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only KeeWeb lists a web app and Windows and Linux apps and only Strongbox lists an iOS app and a browser extension. 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.