KeePassXC: cross-platform KeePass client

KeePassXC is a free cross-platform client based on KeePass that could be useful to users who run devices with different operating systems.

KeePass is a Windows-only software by default. The password manager is a local program, meaning that it does not store any data in the cloud or requires an Internet connection to function.

This makes it quite attractive for users who don't want their passwords stored on the Internet on some remote cloud server without direct access.

Two of the downsides of KeePass are that it is Windows only, and for some users that version 2.x of the program relies on the Microsoft .Net Framework.

While it is possible to run KeePass using Mono on Linux and Mac devices, that comes with its own bag of issues.

KeePassXC

KeePassXC does away with that. Since it is a cross-platform application, it can be run on Windows, Mac and Linux devices natively, as packages for all three operating systems are provided.

This means among other things that you get the look and feel of that operating system or distribution when you run KeePassXC on the device.

Windows users who dislike Microsoft .Net may also benefit from KeePassXC. While they can use version 1.x of KeePass, that particular version is limited in functionality when compared to version 2.x of KeePass. KeePassXC does not rely on the Microsoft .Net Framework, so that is resolved as well.

Mac users may notice similarities between KeePassXC and KeePassX, a Mac-only client based on KeePass. KeePassXC is a fork of KeePassX. The main goal of the project is to "incorporate stalled pull requests, features, and bug fixes that have never made it into the main KeePassX repository".

Among the features that KeePassXC supports that KeePassX does not are:

1. Auto-type on all major platforms.
2. Stand-alone password generator.
3. Password strength mether.
4. Favicons are used as icons for entries.
5. Database merging.
6. Reloading of databases when they are changed on disk.
7. KeePass HTTP support for use with Chrome and Firefox extensions.

KeePassXC supports the KeePass 2.x password database format which it uses to save data. KeePass 1.x databases can be imported in the program so that they are converted to the newer 2.x format in the process.

The source code of KeePassXC is available on the project's GitHub page.

Closing Words

Cross-platform compatibility is without doubt one issue of the original KeePass. KeePass users who work on devices running different operating systems, or prefer a native look and feel to KeePass on Mac OS X and Linux devices, may want to take a look at KeePassXC as it offers that.

Now You: Which password manager do you use, and why?