Features
KeePass is incredibly customizable and, due to plugins, packs many of the features we would like from a password manager. There is a password sharing option, autotyping, multiple MFA methods and the flexibility to import/export data in various file formats, in addition to an entire host of upgrades and add-ons to fit your needs.
Although KeePass is user-friendly, it belongs to an older era of software development that assumed users had some basic computer knowledge. However, this expectation might not be true in today’s era of software products geared toward ease of use. The app’s high customization comes with an attendant learning curve that some users may not want to interact with.
The interface will also be a pain for some people. The app was initially developed in 2003, and the interface looks like this. Not everyone will likely be used to this type of UI as of late, but I discovered it refreshing.
In more ways than one, KeePass seems like it was ripped from a unique time at best. The software is community-driven, meaning that if the bottom software doesn’t have a feature you wish from a password manager, there’s probably a plugin that does the job. For example, want to boost the autotype feature? There is a plugin for that. Want so as to add the TwoFish encryption algorithm to KeePass? There is a plugin for that. Want to import passwords from 1Password to KeePass? There are no less than two plugins for this.
This type of free, open-source, community-maintained software generally doesn’t get the market penetration it used to. KeePass has been in a position to hold its own within the password manager game since 2003, and I believe that is pretty cool. I wish there have been more apps like KeePass taking on space within the tech landscape.
Pricing
KeePass is the one 100% free password manager on our list. Other password managers have free versions, but they’ve more limited features than paid plans. Not so with KeePass, which provides all its features free of charge. For many of the products I cover, I generally advise users to keep away from 100% free software, but KeePass lacks many of the potential risks I associate with free software. will, resembling a developer harvesting and selling your data resembling AVG and Avast. What happened to them?
Fiduciary duty
I’ll start by discussing the disadvantages of KeePass. As with all software, KeePass just isn’t proof against bugs and security vulnerabilities. The KeePass2Android app was found to have the identical autofill security vulnerability as Dashlane and 1Password, but no data breaches exploiting the vulnerability have been discovered. Also, a proof-of-concept exploit was released on KeePass’ desktop app, where a hacker could steal a KeePass user’s master password via a memory dump. However, this vulnerability relies on the victim’s computer being already compromised.
There’s also the proven fact that it’s community-driven software. While I like that about KeePass, it may possibly result in weird situations where people might stop updating it sooner or later, and the app slowly loses compatibility with modern devices. There’s also the stranger side, where you almost certainly don’t need to trust a random person’s KeePass plugin because they haven’t got to comply with a legal entity like an organization to display that plugin.
These are valid concerns, although I believe that any piece of software that is been actively maintained since I used to be in elementary school probably is not in peril of shutting down anytime soon, apart from password managers. Barring a sudden legal crackdown. And while there’s a level of trust you’ve got to position in the neighborhood members who develop plugins for KeePass, these plugins are frequently regulated by the community itself.
All that said, KeePass is, for my part, one of the more reliable password managers on the market, due to being open source and locally hosted. Unlike LastPass, for instance, there are not any external servers to hack. Data is stored in your device. While your device may not have the safety infrastructure in place of LastPass or 1Password, you will likely be a much smaller goal for a hacker than those providers. And any hacker that comes your way might be using social engineering schemes like phishing quite than the type of hacking you see in Hollywood where the guy watching the pc makes this announcement for a couple of seconds. Before saying “I’m in”.
Overall, KeePass is one of my most trusted password management solutions. While there are vulnerabilities that might be exploited, none of them are so obvious that I would not use the software myself.
More at : www.forbes.com