The Best Password Managers in 2024

BitWarden
- and/or Vaultwarden as a selfhosted alternative.
  
  Vaultwarden is a great piece of self hosted server software, which meshes with Bitwarden software perfectly. And for people who can't self host, IMO Bitwarden gives you more than enough bang for your buck with their own hosting plans.
  It's one of the few examples of software being open source and ethically making money regardless. (For comparison, Standard Notes has tried pretty hard to make sure non-paying users have an inferior experience even if they self-host literally everything.)
  
  Tried, and not a fan of. The organizing features are kind of not what I expected. Sticking to KeepassXC for now.
- Bitwarden + aegis for everything possible.
  Authelia or authentik for self hosted stuff.
- Corporate Headquarters
  Bitwarden, Inc. 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez Santa Barbara, CA 93103 Bitwarden, Inc. is the parent company of 8bit Solutions LLC
  Something tells me they'll enshitiffy too. It would make me uneasy storing all my passwords with a for profit corp, on their servers.
  
  They've already open-sourced all the best parts, and there are independent OSS projects based on that. If BE fucks with their user base, they'd be messing with their livelihood.
- pass.

Is Keepass there? Good. Upvote.
- Prefer KeepassXC but let's be honest, the best password manager is the only you actually use and keep using.
  
  And that doesn’t get hacked!
  
  Prefer KeepassXC
  Why? Keepass has lots of plugins and XC doesn't, right?
- I would only use KeepassXC

+1 For KeepassXC, I use it in combination with syncthing to have my passwords available on all devices.
- Nextcloud syncs my KeepassXC safe.
  
  Syncthing for me, but Nextcloud has its advantages too.
- Been using that same setup and very happy with it.
- Same for me

Still using KeepassXC on desktop and laptop and KeePassDX on mobile.
- This is exactly my setup. How did you know? LOL.
  
  File synchronized with Syncthing? :)
  
  I could say I know because i'm an elite haxxor but it would be a lie. I'm not even at script kiddie level.

I use Bitwarden for passwords. Just works so well.
KeepassXC and KeePassium for TOTP codes. I keep the database in the cloud but sync a key with Syncthing that’s needed to unlock the database on the devices themselves.
- Locally hosted bitwarden (vault warden) that is only accessible on your local network is the way to go. When a new sync is needed away from home, wireguard VPN to connect back in makes everything nice and secure. Otherwise most of the time the vault is cached to the device locally so you don't need to phone home to access passwords.
  
  I do it exactly like that, except that im connected via vpn most of the time, since my pihole is also located in my lan
  
  Exactly my setup
  
  My setup
- @bluetoque @ebits21 Because then every account is only as secure as your Bitwarden account. It become a single point of failure/vulnerability.

I like ProtonPass. It’s nice.
- And they are really moving quickly with development. I feel like we're getting new features monthly
- Same. The UI is pretty good and modern, they support TOPT and cards as well and the development is being done at a good pace.
- My only complaint is the lack of passkey support. I just want to store my password and passkeys in one place.

https://keepassxc.org/
- For Keepass users: KeepassXC can read your keepass file just fine, but KeepassXC can also run on Linux, whereas Keepass runs only on Windows.

KeepassXC & Syncthing
- And I do keepassdx on Android, with a (phone-specific) database synced with syncthing
  P.S. syncthing is fantastic: I hope more people consider hosting discovery servers and especially relays
  
  Syncthing is so good!

Keepass + Syncthing is a great combination.
- And with Syncthing's Untrusted Device Encryption feature I can use my VPS as an extra node for synchronization without worrying touch if it becomes compromised without me knowing.
  
  the file is already encrypted so you aren't getting much more security

I use keepass with my database on onedrive.
Then i connect every device to said onedrive account, copy the private key manually on each device that i need to use.
I secure my databse with said private key + a passphrase.
Might not be the best setup, but i feel like with passphrase+key i am secure enough to have the db file in the cloud.
- you could encrypt onedrive with cryptomator

KeepassXC, Passbolt

KeePass for me. I keep my encrypted vault in my 2 factor encrypted gdrive. Get the best of both worlds. No traditional cloud that's a target for hackers and I have passes I can share across devices.

No mention of Enpass? Stores more than just passwords, can be synced locally over wifi or in the cloud without using Enpass servers.
- It's not open source and they haven't had a security audit in a while AFAIK, I used to use it too but migrated to Proton Pass for these reasons https://discussion.enpass.io/index.php?/topic/404-security-audit/page/6/
- Been using Enpass for something like a decade and it's been perfect. One time licenses can be found on stacksocial, I think.

KeePassXC my beloved

I really enjoy 1Password for easy vault sharing between family members. I was able to get my (not so technically literate) siblings and dad onto my family plan. Baby steps!

I love Dashlane, someone tell me why it’s bad.
- I know they recently published the code for their clients, so that's a plus. But I can't find any independent audits for their architecture or clients.
  While all mentioned options does have independent audits done.
- Aslo more expensive than Bitwarden for example, should u want to pay for premium.
- Dashlane’s app experience across platforms was hit and miss for me. 1Password has been much better.

Microsoft Excel file
- Post-it notes on the monitor.
  
  Under the keyboard for added security.
- That's terrible practice
  
  But during game time, best possible choice.
  
  Yeah they should be using Office 365 or Google drive.
- OneNote page
- 😱

I've been using Proton Pass since it launched and I think it's really really good.
Positives:
Nice integration with both desktop and mobile
Integrated in the proton suite, which I was already using
Allows you to generate an email alias for each login automatically. Websites will never have your real email and you can easily generate a new alias if one has been compromised
Supports 2 factor authentication via TOTP, works really well
Negatives:
No passkey support yet
Free version only supports like 5 email alias

Pass (Password Store)

Can someone explain what those password managers are doing better than Firefox?
- I guess a bunch of things, as they are specialized apps:
  proper auth. I think with Firefox you can have a password, but a password manager will have multiple options for 2fa including security keys, and on phone fingerprint unlock etc. In general, password managers are more resistant to malicious users gaining access to your device.
  store all kinds of stuff. Not everything happens in the browser, and it's just convenient to have an app just for credentials. Many password managers allow to store and autofill credit cards too, for example.
  on the fly generation of aliases. Password managers have external integrations. For example proton and bitwarden can integrate with simplelogin.io to generate email aliases when you choose to generate a new username.
  org-like features. Password managers can be also convenient for sharing with family (for example). I do manage a bitwardes organization used by all my immediate family, which means I can share credentials easily with any of them. Besides the sharing I can also ensure my (not tech savvy mom) won't lock herself out (emergency breakglass access configurable) and technically enforce policies on password strength etc.
  as banal as it is, self-managing. I like to run my own services and running my own password manager with my own backups gives me peace of mind.
  another perhaps obvious point. More compatibility? I can use my password manager on whatever device, whatever browser. For some, it might not change anything, but it's a convenient feature.
  As a personal addition, I would say that I simply want the cornerstone of my online security to be a product for a company that is specialized in doing that. I have no idea how much effort goes into the password manager from Mozilla, for example.
  
  I'm answering your comment but I'm grateful for those who have answered. You basically have more extensive needs that I have, which makes sense.
  On my side:
  I'm not planning on leaving Firefox any time soon but the migration seems straightforward
  The security is sufficient for me: master password on the desktop, fingerprint on my phone
  To be noted: Firefox is my default password manager for all my android apps. Its scope extends beyond web browsing
- I need to enter passwords in lots of places that aren't a browser.
  If Firefox's password keeper meets your needs, then I would endorse using that, for sure.
- (I use KeepassXC)
  I use the notes section alot. I can store all kinds of related info. For example on sites that still use a username to login, I can put the email I used to sign up in the notes section.
  I'll also do security questions answers here. Using a pasphrase generator for those is good. No one is going to check if your first dog's name really was "consoling-roving-activator-earflap" and no one can find it on your over sharing grandma's Facebook.
  I'll also attach any license keys/relevant files for software, now those stay encrypted and backed up with the database instead of in a random folder of text files.
- I thought I read somewhere that the build in browser password saves are not very secure.
  This was maybe 5 years ago so i am guessing they have improved it?
- In addition to what the others have said, with those other password managers you dont have to do much if you decide to change browsers some day.

No love for Nextcloud Passwords or Passman? Both have plugins for Nextcloud and have Android Apps.
- Yes! Been using it for a long time now! Never had any (major) issues!
  
  Snap! 😃
- No love for Nextcloud
  Pretty much in general for me now. I gave it an honest go for six years but there were at least four instances where a server upgrade required nontrivial intervention to bring it back.
  Syncthing + Keepass[DX] has been solid for me.
  
  Which one was that Passman or Nextcloud? I've run two instance of Nextcloud Password and one of Passman, for about the same time, with no issues.
  Other people do seam to have issues running Nextcloud in general, but I've never had anything but PHP version stuff that is easier fixed. I love Nextcloud!

- Ah, I suppose it's TOTP/HOTP or HMAC challenge.
  I am waiting for FIDO2 to work between keepassxc and yubikey. 🥳

My favorites:
Proton Pass
Pros: Aliases, Proton integration
Cons: No passkeys (yet), native desktop apps in beta
1Password
Pros: SHH agent integration!
Cons: Least open
Bitwarden
Pros: Most open, self hosting option
Cons: least polished user experience
- 1Password supports passkeys btw. With aliases via Fastmail.
- Proton Pass Pros: Aliases,
  1Password technically does have aliases too but it requires a fastmail.com subscription. I use it and it works quite well though.

Vaultwarden

I've been using 1Password for about a year now and like it a lot

Any options on StrongBox? It seems like a good option but they don’t quite have the reputation that others have, despite being around since 2017.
- StrongBox is just a client that uses keepass databases. I think it integrates well when using Apple devices and you can still use your databases on other platforms.
  
  Ah thanks. Ya it’s Apple only but I like how it doesn’t sync to a central server but will still sync between your devices across your local network. Seems to minimize a lot of attack surface.
- Strongbox is great, but expensive. I settled on KeePassium instead mostly based on cost.
  
  It’s only $20 a year or $80 for life. I feel like that’s a fair price to support the developers.

Indeed I have 1Password (was the best proprietary) and I'm switching to Proton Pass. This year they lacked features but their integration of their Simple login email aliases is game changer

I have used 1Password with the annual plan for years across various browsers and operating systems and have found it to be perfect for everything I need. I will definitely take a look at Proton though.

Buttercup Foss is not mention and is a nice alternative

I get a good reason to stay away from lastpass is their dealing with getting hacked. Valid. However, bitching about not getting to use all the paid features as a free user is ridiculous.
- In a vacuum, maybe. But there is a difference between adding new features to a paid plan and removing features from a free plan.
- I don't know if this is still the case, but we trialled LastPass enterprise around 10 years ago. They didn't have an API. They had no intention of ever introducing an API. So, the script could spin up a database, but couldn't store a break-glass su user into the vault without actually giving it to a human, first. Some enterprise solution. 🙄

Any reason why Keeper isn't on the list? Is it bad?
- We use it at work and im pretty happy with it.
- Same. So far it's doing the job but I wonder if there's some reason I should switch to one of these others?

I'd also put Passbolt on the list, it's not that well known, but it's really great. I selfhost it on my home server and I'm very happy with it.

I use Passy because I like the purple UI lmao