- Greatest total: Bitwarden
- Greatest for safety and knowledge safety: Keeper
- Greatest for offline password administration: Enpass
- Greatest for password storage: Proton Go
- Greatest free Home windows password supervisor: KeePass
- Greatest Home windows password supervisor for group collaboration: Passbolt
In the present day, most password managers are both closed-source, hybrid or open-source. Whereas closed-source password managers don’t publicly share their codes for customers to switch, open-source password managers do share their codes with a group of customers to revise or replace over time.
SEE: Brute Power and Dictionary Assaults: A Information for IT Leaders (TechRepublic Premium)
In the event you’re an open-source fanatic and run your PCs and desktops on the Home windows working system, you could discover certainly one of these open-source password managers reviewed on this article useful.
Prime open-source password managers for Home windows comparability desk
The desk under summarizes the important thing options that may be discovered on every open-source password supervisor for Home windows.
| Software program | Internet hosting | Encryption kind | Password sharing | Free model | Beginning Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden | Self-hosted, Cloud-based | AES-CBC 256-bit, PBKDF2 SHA-256 or Argon2. | Sure | Sure | Begins at $0 or lower than $1/month for paid model. |
| Keeper | Cloud-hosted | AES 256-bit, Elliptic-Curve cryptography (EC) | Sure | Sure | Begins at $2/consumer/month. |
| Enpass | Self-hosted, Cloud-based | 256-bit AES 256-bit, PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 on SQLCipher engine. | Sure | Sure | Begins at $1.99/ month. |
| Proton Go | Self-hosted | 256-bit AES-GCM, Argon2, OpenPGP, Elliptic-Curve Cryptography (ECC Curve25519) | Sure | Sure | Begins at $0 or $1.99/month for paid plan. |
| KeePass | Self-hosted | AES-256, ChaCha20 and Twofish | No | Sure | Fully free. |
| Passbolt | Self-hosted, Cloud-hosted | OpenPGP | Sure | Sure | Begins $0 or $49/month for Marketing strategy. |
Bitwarden: Greatest total
Bitwarden might be the best-known open-source password administration answer. Whereas the Home windows model isn’t essentially the most intuitive, its intensive assortment of options nonetheless makes it a best choice on our checklist.
SEE: Greatest Mac Password Managers (TechRepublic)
The Bitwarden Home windows app can simply combine with many single sign-on suppliers like Azure Lively Listing and Okta. Bitwarden permits you to usher in a full vault expertise out of your browser to your Home windows setting. You’ll be able to log in to as much as 5 accounts at a time, making it straightforward to change between private and work accounts at any second. One other widespread Home windows characteristic in Bitwarden is “unlock with biometrics,” which provides you easy entry utilizing Home windows Hiya with PIN, facial recognition or another {hardware} that meets Home windows Hiya biometric necessities.
Why we selected Bitwarden
Bitwarden earned its place as our best choice open-source password supervisor for Home windows customers as a consequence of its means to supply most password administration features whereas nonetheless remaining cost-effective. Bitwarden can be self-hosted or run within the cloud, making it a superb perk for particular person or enterprise utilization.
Pricing
Bitwarden has two pricing choices: Private and Enterprise.
The non-public plan has three packages:
- Free: $0.
- Premium: Lower than $1/month.
- Households: $3.33/month.
The marketing strategy has two packages:
- Groups: $4/month/consumer.
- Enterprise: $6/month/consumer.
Options
- Open-source safety.
- Safe password sharing.
- Passwordless SSO.
- Zero-knowledge encryption.
- Superior two-step login.
- Electronic mail alias integrations.
Professionals
- It has a free model.
- Could be self-hosted or cloud-based.
- Integrates with widespread SSO platforms like Okta and Azure Lively Listing.
- Conduct common third-party safety audits.
- Offers vault well being stories.
Cons
- No clear strategy to recuperate an account if the consumer loses the grasp password.
For extra info, learn our full Bitwarden overview.
Keeper: Greatest for safety and knowledge safety
Keeper is an open-source password supervisor that prioritizes safety with a zero-trust structure and 0 information to guard your info and forestall cybercriminals from accessing your knowledge.
SEE: How Do Password Managers Work and Why Do You Want One? (TechRepublic)
Keeper’s Home windows model provides many security measures, together with multi-factor authentication, SSO authentication, ‘BreachWatch’, conditional entry insurance policies, Quick IDentity On-line 2, WebAuthn {hardware} safety keys, passkeys and biometric login choices like Home windows Hiya. Keeper additionally provides SSO Join On-Prem, which is a self-hosted integration that requires a Home windows-hosted utility server.
Why we selected Keeper
We’re impressed with Keeper’s transparency in making each element of their encryption mannequin public.
Pricing
Keeper provides two pricing plans: Organizations and Private & Household.
Organizations plan has three packages:
- Enterprise Starter: $2/consumer/month.
- Enterprise: $3.75/consumer/month.
- Enterprise: Requires a quote.
Private & Household plan has two packages:
- Private: $2.92/month.
- Household: $6.25/month.
Options
- SSO Join On-Prem.
- Multi-factor authentication.
- Cloud Vault.
- Zero-knowledge encryption.
- BreachWatch.
Professionals
- Affords offline entry.
- Consumer-friendly interface.
- Has elliptic curve cryptography used to share secrets and techniques between customers for safe key distribution.
- Affords one-time share for role-based entry management permission.
- Has a zero-trust structure.
- Keeper integrates with all SAML 2.0-compatible identification suppliers, together with Google Workspace, Microsoft Azure, Okta and AD FS.
Cons
- SSO (SAML 2.0) authentication is simply out there within the enterprise.
- Has a sluggish buyer assist response time.
For extra info, learn the total Keeper overview.
Enpass: Greatest for offline password administration
With its user-centered method to password administration, Enpass is a superb choice in the event you want an offline password supervisor that may allow you to retailer knowledge regionally or in cloud environments like Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive or Google Drive.
SEE: Are Password Managers Secure to Use? (TechRepublic)
Enpass opts for a safer method by storing and syncing encrypted vaults on totally different cloud accounts, mitigating the danger of hackers accessing a centralized cloud filled with consumer knowledge. The instrument can even sync between units by way of Wi-Fi, sustaining your vaults totally offline. One other essential characteristic Home windows customers will discover enticing is the power to switch passwords and different info from different purposes into Enpass utilizing a Home windows PC. Enpass additionally provides breach monitoring, password technology, password audit and autofill by way of extension.
Why we selected Enpass
Other than making its supply codes open, Enpass made our checklist for its offline administration functionality and the power to sync encrypted vaults on a consumer’s totally different cloud account.
Pricing
Enpass provides two cost choices: Private/Household and Marketing strategy.
Private/Household plan has the next packages:
- Particular person plan: $1.99/ month.
- Household plan: $2.99/month.
- One-time plan: $99.99 for lifetime buy.
Marketing strategy has the next packages:
- Starter plan: $9.99/month.
- Commonplace plan: $2.99/consumer/month.
- Enterprise plan: $3.99/consumer/month.
Options
- Breach monitoring.
- Password generator.
- A number of-vaults.
- Import from others.
- Cloud and cloudless sync.
- Offline performance.
Professionals
- Offers self-hosted and cloud storage.
- Supply breach monitoring for all of your web sites.
- Can retailer and sync your encrypted vaults in your cloud accounts.
- Supply third-party safety audits.
- Affords computerized consumer provisioning.
Cons
- Doesn’t provide SSO integration.
- No emergency entry.
For extra info, learn our full Enpass overview.
Proton Go: Greatest for password storage
Similar to Enpass, Proton Go is an open-source instrument that gives offline performance, which ensures customers have entry to their vault anytime while not having an web connection.
Proton Go has a easy consumer expertise that seamlessly integrates with the Home windows working system. The instrument additionally connects with ProtonMail, a characteristic that permits customers to generate e-mail aliases for on-line accounts by substituting their precise e-mail addresses. The free tier of Proton Go provides limitless password storage throughout limitless units however one distinctive Home windows safety characteristic of this open-source instrument is Sentinel, a characteristic that blocks attackers from getting access to your knowledge, even when the attackers have the proper password. Sentinel is obtainable with the paid model of Proton Go.
Why we selected Proton Go
We picked Proton Go due to its limitless password storage and the power to guard consumer knowledge by way of its Sentinel characteristic.
Pricing
Proton Go has free and paid plans.
- Free plan prices $0 and it’s free perpetually.
The paid plan has two packages: Go Plus and Proton Limitless.
- Go Plus: $1.99/month.
- Proton Limitless: $9.99/month.
Options
- Built-in 2FA authenticator.
- Safe Sharing.
- Conceal-my-email aliases.
- Proton Sentinel.
- Passkeys.
- OpenPGP with ECC.
Professionals
- Free plan.
- Open-source.
- Limitless hide-my-email aliases.
- Inbuilt 2FA assist.
- Limitless connection.
- Finish-to-end encrypted.
- Encrypted cloud drive.
- Independently audited.
Cons
- No SSO integration.
- No breach monitoring.
KeePass: Greatest free Home windows password supervisor
KeePass is a password supervisor that gives a totally free service for its desktop customers. Whereas the password supervisor comes quick in lots of options, its open-source nature makes it simpler for customers to customise any characteristic they need by way of KeePass plugin structure. This library of plugins and extensions makes it simpler so as to add or modify an present characteristic or performance, comparable to including autofill or altering the interface.
One distinctive characteristic of this password supervisor is that it may be carried on a USB stick and runs on Home windows programs with out being put in. The Home windows dashboard additionally permits you to create, modify and delete teams, into which passwords could be sorted.
Why we selected KeePass
KeePass made our itemizing as a consequence of its affordability for any Home windows consumer. Most of its open-source rivals, like Bitwarden and Proton Go, which have free variations will not be utterly free — their free plans are restricted in options in comparison with their paid counterparts.
Pricing
KeePass is totally free, with no paid tiers or subscriptions. Nevertheless, most password administration options that may make you will have a superb Home windows expertise aren’t included by default. However, as a consequence of KeePass’s open-source nature, you may customise your KeePass shopper options by way of downloadable plugins from the KeePass web site.
Options
- Password teams.
- Plugin structure.
- Auto-type.
- A number of consumer keys.
- Home windows clipboard dealing with.
- Password generator.
- Looking out and sorting.
- Time fields and entry attachments.
Professionals
- Open-source.
- Fully free.
- Straightforward database switch.
- Robust random password generator.
- Helps password teams.
- Transportable and no set up required.
- Intuitive and safe Home windows clipboard dealing with.
Cons
- No SSO integration.
- Onerous to study, not user-friendly.
- No autofill characteristic included.
- Dated design and appears like legacy Home windows purposes.
For extra info, learn the total KeePass overview.
Passbolt: Greatest Home windows password supervisor for group collaboration
Passbolt is an open-source password supervisor designed for group collaboration, providing a complete set of options in its Home windows model. Designed with groups in thoughts, it provides real-time password sharing, role-based entry management and nested permissions for its shared passwords. You’ll be able to simply retrieve, retailer and share passwords programmatically with the JSON API on Passbolt Home windows.
Passbolt provides a superb consumer administration functionality by permitting you to take away seats or implement safety insurance policies for all customers. Its SSO integration, occasion logs and account restoration choices are additionally tailor-made for enterprise environments.
Why we selected Passbolt
We chosen Passbolt in our itemizing due to its scalable password collaboration amongst group members — plus its self-hosted, API-centric, privacy-focused and developer-first method.
Pricing
Passbolt pricing is predicated on both cloud or self-hosted.
Each cloud and self-hosted pricing provide related packages, besides the self-hosted choice provides a free plan that helps limitless customers.
- Group: $0 and free perpetually. Limitless customers.
- Enterprise: $49/month. 10 customers.
- Enterprise: Requires a customized quote.
Options
- Password administration and sharing.
- Password expiry.
- Single sign-on with Microsoft, Google and OpenID.
- Tags administration.
- LDAP provisioning (AD / OpenLDAP).
- Exercise log.
- Secret key authentication.
Professionals
- Has a free plan.
- Open supply beneath AGPLV3 license.
- Affords consumer and group administration.
- Affords role-based entry management.
- Has an extra issue authentication (three-step verification).
Cons
- Doesn’t assist offline mode.
How do I select the most effective open-source password supervisor for my enterprise?
Whereas open-source password managers are recognized for his or her transparency in revealing their supply codes, their capabilities and use circumstances could fluctuate. It’s a must to think about what you are promoting wants earlier than making any resolution to select a password supervisor.
As an illustration, if what you are promoting wants a password supervisor that gives zero-trust and zero-knowledge safety structure, whereas nonetheless sustaining an open-source nature, then Keeper is usually a good decide. If group collaboration is your major want, then Passbolt or Bitwarden must be a pleasant selection, as their Home windows apps are designed with groups in thoughts.
Additionally, examine if the password administration options resolve your particular wants and might match into your present stack. In the event you’re a Home windows consumer, make sure that the shopper’s app helps your Home windows model.
Assessment methodology
To curate this checklist of the most effective open-source password managers for Home windows, I carried out a complete analysis and analysis of every product. I checked every supervisor’s security measures, consumer interface, group collaboration, ease of use, group assist and storage choices. I had hands-on testing of Passbolt, Keeper and Bitwarden on my Home windows PC, throughout which I evaluated their setup processes, consumer interface, password technology capabilities, internet hosting choices and integration with third-party SSO. I additionally watched video demos and skim documentations supplied on every vendor’s web site to know what the purchasers mentioned about their options.
Lastly, I went via totally different exterior evaluations to realize perception into what customers are saying about every product.
