[opensourcedex]

KeePassXC is a free, open source password & secret management project written in C++ and released under a custom open-source licence. It has 28,843 GitHub stars, 1,910 forks and 910 open issues, and was last pushed 27 hours ago. On this registry it ranks #1 of 7 tracked projects in Password & Secret Management, with 5 head-to-head comparisons available. It gained 59 stars over the last 6 tracked days.

What is KeePassXC?

What it is

KeePassXC is a cross-platform, open-source password manager derived from the Windows application KeePass Password Safe. It runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux, storing sensitive data—such as usernames, passwords, URLs, notes, and file attachments—in a single, encrypted database file using the KDBX format (KDBX4 and KDBX3). The project is community-driven, hosted on GitHub, and maintained under the NOASSERTION license.

It solves the problem of secure, offline password storage without reliance on proprietary or cloud-dependent services. Users gain full control over their credentials while maintaining compatibility with the widely adopted KeePass ecosystem. Encryption remains local; data is never exposed outside the application, and the database file can reside anywhere—including local drives or cloud sync folders—without compromising security.

Key capabilities

  • Create, open, and save databases in KeePass-compatible KDBX4 and KDBX3 formats
  • Generate and store TOTP secrets and one-time passwords for two-factor authentication
  • Integrate with YubiKey and OnlyKey hardware tokens for challenge-response authentication
  • Auto-type credentials into applications and browser fields
  • Import databases from CSV, 1Password, Bitwarden, Proton Pass, and KeePass1 formats
  • Export databases to CSV, XML, and HTML formats
  • Provide browser integration for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Chromium, Vivaldi, Brave, and Tor Browser, including passkey support

Who uses it and how

  • Individuals managing personal credentials across multiple devices using local database files synced via third-party cloud services
  • Security-conscious users requiring offline-only password storage without internet-dependent backends
  • Privacy-focused teams or individuals using YubiKey or OnlyKey for hardware-backed database unlocking
  • Developers and sysadmins leveraging the CLI tool (keepassxc-cli) and Secret Service integration for automation and system-wide credential access

Getting started

Pre-compiled binaries are available from the official downloads page; Linux users may install via distribution package managers. Docker images are not mentioned. The QuickStart Guide and User Guide provide setup and usage instructions.

When to use it — and when not to

Use KeePassXC when full local control, offline operation, and compatibility with KeePass databases are required. Avoid it if seamless cloud synchronization, mobile apps, or collaborative sharing are priorities—KeePassXC lacks built-in sync or multi-device real-time collaboration. Self-hosting requires no external services beyond optional cloud storage for the database file, but users must manage backups, database rotation, and hardware token setup themselves.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

KeePassXC

OpenSSF Best Practices TeamCity Build Status codecov GitHub release

Matrix community channel Matrix development channel

KeePassXC is a modern, secure, and open-source password manager that stores and manages your most sensitive information. You can run KeePassXC on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. KeePassXC is for people with extremely high demands of secure personal data management. It saves many different types of information, such as usernames, passwords, URLs, attachments, and notes in an offline, encrypted file that can be stored in any location, including private and public cloud solutions. For easy identification and management, user-defined titles and icons can be specified for entries. In addition, entries are sorted into customizable groups. An integrated search function allows you to use advanced patterns to easily find any entry in your database. A customizable, fast, and easy-to-use password generator utility allows you to create passwords with any combination of characters or easy to remember passphrases.

Quick Start

The QuickStart Guide gets you started using KeePassXC on your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer using pre-compiled binaries from the downloads page. Additionally, individual Linux distributions may ship their own versions, so please check your distribution's package list to see if KeePassXC is available. Detailed documentation is available in the User Guide.

Features List

KeePassXC has numerous features for novice and power users alike. Our goal is to create an application that can be used by anyone while still offering advanced features to those that need them.

Core Features

  • Create, open, and save databases in the KDBX format (KeePass-compatible with KDBX4 and KDBX3)
  • All information is encrypted at rest and never exposed outside the program
  • Store sensitive information in entries that are organized by groups
  • Password generator
  • Search for entries
  • TOTP storage and generation
  • YubiKey/OnlyKey challenge-response support
  • Auto-Type passwords into applications
  • Browser integration with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Chromium, Vivaldi, Brave, and Tor-Browser
  • Support for passkeys using the browser integration
  • Entry icon download
  • Import databases from CSV, 1Password, Bitwarden, Proton Pass, and KeePass1 formats

Advanced

  • Database reports (password health, HIBP, and statistics)
  • Database export to CSV, XML, and HTML formats
  • TOTP storage and generation
  • Field references between entries
  • File attachments and custom attributes
  • Entry history and data restoration
  • Command line interface (keepassxc-cli)
  • SSH Agent integration
  • FreeDesktop.org Secret Service (replace Gnome keyring, etc.)
  • Additional encryption choices: Twofish and ChaCha20

For a full list of changes, read the CHANGELOG document.
For a full list of keyboard shortcuts, see KeyboardShortcuts.adoc

Building KeePassXC

Detailed instructions are available in the Build and Install page and in the Wiki.

Contributing

We are always looking for suggestions on how to improve KeePassXC. If you find any bugs or have an idea for a new feature, please let us know by opening a report in the issue tracker on GitHub, or join us on Matrix community channel or Matrix development channel, or on IRC in Libera.Chat channels #keepassxc and #keepassxc-dev.

You may directly contribute your own code by submitting a pull request. Please read the CONTRIBUTING document for further information.

Contributors are required to adhere to the project's Code of Conduct.

Generative AI

Generative AI is fast becoming a first-party feature in most development environments, including GitHub itself. If the majority of a code submission is made using Generative AI (e.g., agent-based or vibe coding) then we will document that in the pull request. All code submissions go through a rigorous review process regardless of the development workflow or submitter.

License

KeePassXC code is licensed under GPL-2 or GPL-3. Additional licensing for third-party files is detailed in COPYING.

Frequently asked questions

Is KeePassXC free to use?

KeePassXC is open source. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does KeePassXC do?

Cross-platform, secure password manager

What is KeePassXC written in?

KeePassXC is primarily written in C++. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc, and it has 28,843 GitHub stars.