The Password Safe Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Password Safe in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Password Safe
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source password list designed by Bruce Schneier
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among password managers, read from Password Safe’s own pages.
Made by Password Safe project · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Password Safe’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Password Safe’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 38 of the 49 other password managers we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Password Safe, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is local only with no hosted sync, offered for Windows and Linux, and the home page does not describe browser autofill.
- 1
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.
- 2
It is free
Password Safe has no paid plan at all. Free, open-source software with no paid plans; the site accepts donations.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
Windows and Linux.
- 4
Master-password vault
One master password unlocks an encrypted list of user names and passwords, so only one needs to be remembered.
- 5
Autotype
A user quoted on the site praises autotype for entering credentials, and the project documents it in its guide.
- 6
Automatic backups
A user quoted on the site credits the automatic backup with saving their data.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 38 of 49
That is against the other password managers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Password Safe is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Password Safe at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Password Safe project
- Category
- Password Managers
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Password Safe is free to use.
Free open-source software with no paid plans, and the site only takes donations.
Free
$0
The complete application for Windows, with Linux packages linked from the site.
The free plan
Free, open-source software with no paid plans; the site accepts donations.
Read from pwsafe.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Windows and Linux
Free open-source password list designed by Bruce Schneier. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, password manager.
A master-password vault with autotype, backups and two-factor.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Password Safe is made by Password Safe project.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
38/49
Other password managers it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 37 of 49
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 49
- BEase of useAbove 31 of 49
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 49
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 38 password managers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Password Safe is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
KeePass, KeePassXC, KeePassDX, KeePassium and Enpass
The 5 tools Password Safe is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
KeePass
Free
Free, open-source password manager for Windows with plugins.
- Only KeePass lists a macOS app.
- 2.8GPA
KeePassXC
Free
Free, open-source offline password manager for desktop.
- Only KeePassXC lists a macOS app.
- Only KeePassXC lists a browser extension.
- KeePassXC also covers passkeys.
- 2.8GPA
KeePassDX
Free plan · from $10 one-time
Open-source Android app for local KeePass password and passkey vaults.
- Only Password Safe lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only KeePassDX lists an Android app.
- KeePassDX also covers passkeys.
- 2.8GPA
KeePassium
Free plan · from €19.99/yr
KeePass-compatible password manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Only Password Safe lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only KeePassium lists iOS and macOS apps.
- KeePassium can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.6GPA
Enpass
Free plan · from $23.99/yr
Password manager that keeps vaults in your own cloud storage.
- Only Enpass lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Enpass lists a browser extension.
- Password Safe is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Password Safe free?
Yes. Password Safe is free to use.
How much does Password Safe cost?
Password Safe lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Password Safe work on?
Password Safe is available on Windows and Linux.
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.
Who makes Password Safe?
Password Safe is made by Password Safe project.
What are the alternatives to Password Safe?
The closest alternatives to Password Safe in our directory are KeePass, KeePassXC, KeePassDX, KeePassium and Enpass.
How does Password Safe compare with other 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.
Is Password Safe good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Password Safe A for value for money. Password Safe has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Password Safe?
Password Safe is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Password Safe’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Password Safe project. Prices change, so check pwsafe.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Password Safe, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/password-safe
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Password Safe: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/password-safe
Know someone choosing between password managers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/password-safe/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded password managers after Password Safe, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Password Managers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 51 password managers we grade, compared
- Bitwarden Insider's GuideOpen-source password manager with a free plan and self-hosting3.8 GPA
- Apple Passwords Insider's GuideApple's free password and passkey app for iPhone, iPad and Mac3.4 GPA
- RoboForm Insider's GuidePassword manager and form filler with a single-device free plan3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Password Safe’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Password Safe is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Password Safe project. Prices and plans change: check pwsafe.org before you buy.