# Password Safe review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source password list designed by Bruce Schneier Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Password Managers - **Made by:** Password Safe project - **Website:** https://pwsafe.org - **Runs on:** Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want sync between devices, as none is hosted. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Password Safe is free to use. - **Pricing model:** 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 https://pwsafe.org/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Password Safe before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Windows users who want a free, local password list - People who prefer a small desktop app to a cloud vault - Users who follow Bruce Schneier's 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: A.** Free open-source software with no paid plans, and the site only takes donations. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Nothing is locked: no plan, no cap and no account. - **Features: C.** A 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: B.** An installed desktop app with nothing to set up and no store rating on record. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows and Linux only; the phone apps listed are separate projects. No integrations list. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/password-managers ## Keep it, 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. - You could not: A password vault, the last thing anyone should make for themselves. - You could not: A real app for Windows and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Password manager, Open source ## Alternatives - [KeePass](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keepass): Free, open-source password manager for Windows with plugins. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/keepass-vs-password-safe) - [KeePassXC](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keepassxc): Free, open-source offline password manager for desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/keepassxc-vs-password-safe) - [KeePassDX](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keepassdx): Open-source Android app for local KeePass password and passkey vaults. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/keepassdx-vs-password-safe) - [KeePassium](https://toolgpa.com/tools/keepassium): KeePass-compatible password manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/keepassium-vs-password-safe) - [Enpass](https://toolgpa.com/tools/enpass): Password manager that keeps vaults in your own cloud storage. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/enpass-vs-password-safe) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://pwsafe.org/ - https://pwsafe.org/relatedprojects.shtml Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/password-safe Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).