# Codebook review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Password manager from Zetetic, free for personal use Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Codebook is a password manager for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows from Zetetic, the company behind the SQLCipher database encryption. The app is free for personal, non-commercial use, and an optional Codebook Cloud subscription adds automatic sync and secure sharing between devices and people. - **Category:** Password Managers - **Made by:** Zetetic, LLC - **Website:** https://www.zetetic.net/codebook/ - **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, iOS, Android - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want automatic sync, as that needs Codebook Cloud from $5 a month. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Codebook has a free plan, and paid plans start at $5 per month (Codebook Cloud sync subscription). - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **Free plan:** The Codebook app is free for personal, non-commercial use, with manual sync through Dropbox, Google Drive or desktop Wi-Fi. - **Free trial:** Codebook Cloud is described as free to try; the page does not state the length. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Codebook | $0 | The app on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows for personal use, with manual sync through Dropbox, Google Drive or Wi-Fi. | | Codebook Cloud | $5 per month, billing basis not shown, starting price | Automatic sync and secure sharing. Zetetic also lists a family plan; its price is not shown on the pages read. | | Codebook for Business | $5 per user / month, billed annually | Business license covering Codebook Cloud for every user; sold through sales, with volume discounts. | Read from https://www.zetetic.net/codebook/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Codebook before buying. ## Key features - **Flexible entries and fields:** Data is organized into categories, entries and fields with labels you define; field labels control behavior, such as opening a URL or dialing a number. - **Encrypted database:** Data is stored with SQLCipher, using AES-256-CBC with HMAC-SHA512 and 256,000 rounds of PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 for key derivation, per the vendor. - **Autofill and built-in authenticator:** Fills logins through Password AutoFill on Android, iOS and macOS, and generates TOTP verification codes for sites that use 2-step verification. - **Password review:** Checks passwords against online breaches through HaveIBeenPwned and flags weak ones; a random password generator includes a DiceWare option. - **Codebook Cloud sync and sharing:** The subscription service syncs automatically in the background and shares entries with trusted contacts and Family Plan members. - **Images and PDFs:** Stores image and PDF files, such as scans of passports or insurance policies, alongside password entries. ## Good for - People who want a free personal password manager with manual sync - Households that want shared entries through a family plan - Small businesses that need a licensed team password vault ## Worth knowing - Automatic sync and secure sharing need a paid Codebook Cloud subscription; free sync is manual. - Business use requires a business license; the free app is for non-commercial use only. - The Codebook Cloud price is shown only as starting at $5 per month, with no billing basis stated. - There is no native Linux app; the Windows version runs under Wine, and there is no browser extension. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Codebook is a password app from Zetetic that is free for personal, non-commercial use, with manual sync through Dropbox, Google Drive or desktop Wi-Fi. Automatic sync and sharing need Codebook Cloud from $5 a month, and there is no browser extension. - **Value for money: A.** Free for personal use, and a program anyone can download and run counts as free. Codebook Cloud starts at $5 a month, but you can skip it. - **Free plan and trial: B.** A person could live on the free app with manual sync. Business use needs a paid licence. - **Features: C.** Entries, an authenticator and password review. Automatic sync and sharing need Cloud, and there is no browser extension. - **Ease of use: B.** An installed app that you start using, with no store rating on record. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Dropbox and Google Drive sync. No native Linux app, and no browser extension. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Zetetic's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among password managers - Codebook's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 38 of the 49 other password managers we grade, and level with 4. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 38 of 49) and worst on features (C, above 0). - Its paid plans start at $5 a month, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 27 of the 29 others that charge start lower. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/password-managers ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** To replace Codebook you would be making a password vault, the last thing anyone should make for themselves. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 38 of the 49 other password managers we grade. It costs $60 a year. - You could not: A password vault, the last thing anyone should make for themselves. - You could not: Storing and serving files for other people. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## What people say - **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.8 out of 5 from 2,372 ratings in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id316817719 ## Works with Dropbox, Google Drive, HaveIBeenPwned **Tags:** Password manager, File sharing ## Alternatives - [KeePass](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keepass): Free, open-source password manager for Windows with plugins. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/codebook-vs-keepass) - [KeePassXC](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keepassxc): Free, open-source offline password manager for desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/codebook-vs-keepassxc) - [Enpass](https://toolgpa.com/tools/enpass): Password manager that keeps vaults in your own cloud storage. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/codebook-vs-enpass) - [1Password](https://toolgpa.com/tools/1password): Password manager for individuals, families and businesses. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/1password-vs-codebook) - [Strongbox](https://toolgpa.com/tools/strongbox): KeePass-compatible password manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/codebook-vs-strongbox) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.zetetic.net/codebook/ - https://www.zetetic.net/codebook/business/ - https://codebook.cloud/ - https://codebook.cloud/faq/ - https://www.zetetic.net/codebook/documentation/linux/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/codebook Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).