Password Safe review (2026): is it any good?
Free open-source password list designed by Bruce Schneier
Password Safe report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a free local password list on Windows
Password Safe is a free, open-source desktop password list from Bruce Schneier's design, with autotype and automatic backups. It is local only with no hosted sync, offered for Windows and Linux, and the home page does not describe browser autofill.
Who Password Safe is for
- Fits if you want a small, free vault on a Windows PC
- Works for people who prefer a local file to a cloud service
Who Password Safe is not for
- 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
Why Password Safe gets a 3.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree open-source software with no paid plans, and the site only takes donations.
- AFree plan and trialNothing is locked: no plan, no cap and no account.
- CFeaturesA master-password vault with autotype, backups and two-factor. No hosted sync and browser autofill is not described on the home page.
- BEase of useAn installed desktop app with nothing to set up and no store rating on record.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWindows and Linux only; the phone apps listed are separate projects. No integrations list.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the project own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Password Safe? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/password-safe#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/password-safe.svg" alt="Password Safe: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Password Safe stands among password managers
Password Safe'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).
Password Safe has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 50 password managers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Password Safe’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 38 of 49, level with 11
- AFree plan and trialAbove 37 of 49, level with 12
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 49, level with 31
- BEase of useAbove 31 of 49, level with 9
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 49, level with 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 38 password managers. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Password Safe, or make your own?
Keep it
Password Safe is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. 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.
What you could not
- A password vault, the last thing anyone should make for themselves.
- A real app for Windows and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Password Safe’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Password Safe?
Password Safe is free, open-source software that keeps a user name and password list in an encrypted file unlocked by one master password. It installs on Windows 7 and later, with Linux packages also linked from the site. The site credits security technologist Bruce Schneier with the design.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Password Safe pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Password Safe is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free, open-source software with no paid plans; the site accepts donations.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | The complete application for Windows, with Linux packages linked from the site. |
Read from pwsafe.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Password Safe before you buy.
Password Safe alternatives
- Password Safe vs KeePassDX
Free plan · from $10 one-time
- Password Safe vs KeePassium
Free plan · from €19.99/yr
- Password Safe vs Enpass
Free plan · from $23.99/yr
Common questions
Does Password Safe have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Password Safe is listed for Windows and Linux.
Does Password Safe have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Password Safe is listed for Windows and Linux.
Is Password Safe open source?
Yes. Password Safe is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.