A password manager is a very useful tool for creating unique passwords and storing them securely so you don't have to remember. Below are the best password managers available for Linux desktop.
Passwords are everywhere. Websites, forums, and web apps ask you to create accounts and passwords. The problem is with passwords. Keeping the same password for multiple accounts puts your security at risk because if one website is hacked, hackers try the same email and password combination on other websites.
However, maintaining unique passwords for all new accounts means you have to remember them, and that's not possible for normal people. This is where password managers come in handy.
Password manager apps suggest/generate strong passwords for you and store them in an encrypted database. You just need to remember the master password for the password manager.
Major modern web browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have a built-in password manager. This helps, but you can only use it in their web browser.
However, there are third-party, specialized password managers, and some of them even provide native desktop applications for Linux. In this article, we analyze the best password managers available for Linux.
Password Managers for Linux
- Bitwarden
Highlights:
- Open Source
- Free for personal use (paid upgrade options available)
- End-to-end encryption for Cloud servers
- Cross-platform
- Available Browser Extensions
- Command line tools
Bitwarden is one of the most impressive password managers for Linux. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know about it until now – and I’ve already made the switch from LastPass. I was able to easily import the data from LastPass without any issues and it didn’t have any problems.
The premium version costs just $10/year – which is well worth it. It is an open source solution and you can also host it on your own server and create a password solution for your organization.
Apart from that, you have all the necessary features like 2FA for login, import/export options for credentials , fingerprint passphrase (a unique key), password generator and much more.
You can upgrade your account to an organization account for free so you can share information with 2 users in total. However, if you want additional encrypted storage and the ability to share passwords with 5 users, premium upgrades are available starting at $1 per month. I think it's worth it!
- Buttercup
Highlights:
- Open Source
- Free, no premium options
- Cross-platform
- Available Browser Extensions
Yet another open source password manager for Linux. Buttercup may not be a very popular solution – but if you are looking for a simpler alternative to store your credentials, this would be a good place to start. Unlike some others, you don’t have to be skeptical about cloud servers because this one is purely for offline and supports connecting to cloud sources like Dropbox, OwnCloud, Nextcloud, and WebDAV. So, you can choose the cloud source if you need to sync your data. You have the choice for that.
3. KeePassXC
Highlights:
- Open Source
- Simple password manager
- Cross-platform
- There is no mobile support
KeePassXC is part of the KeePassX family – which was originally a Linux port of KeePass for Windows. In case you didn’t know, KeePassX hasn’t been maintained for years – so KeePassXC is a good alternative if you’re looking for a simple password manager. KeePassXC may not be the prettiest or fanciest password manager, but it gets the job. It’s secure and open source too. I think it’s worth it, don’t you think?
- Enpass (not open source)
Highlights:
- Private use
- Many features – including support for “Wearable” devices.
- Completely free for Linux (with high-quality features)
Enpass is a very popular password manager across multiple platforms. While it’s not an open source solution, a lot of people rely on it – so you can be sure that it works, at least. It offers a lot of features, and if you have a mobile device, it supports that too.
- myki (not open source)
Highlights:
- private use
- Avoids cloud servers for storing passwords
- Focuses on local synchronization
- Ability to replace passwords with Fingerprint IDs on mobile
This may not be a popular suggestion – but I found it very interesting. It is a private password manager that allows you to avoid cloud servers and relies on peer-to-peer synchronization.
So, if you don’t want to use any cloud server to store your information, this is for you. It’s also interesting to note that the app available for Android and iOS helps you replace passwords with your fingerprint ID. If you want the convenience of your mobile phone along with the basic features of a desktop password manager – this seems like a good option. However, if you opt for a premium upgrade, the pricing aren’t exactly cheap.
