KeePass Keeps Your Passwords Safe and Organized

What it is:

KeePass, along with its innumerable (and unofficial) ports, is one of the best and most flexible password managers available. In order to keep your various accounts and log-in information safe, it's strongly encouraged that you not only choose difficult-to-guess passwords, but that you also use a different password for every account. The problem with that method, though, is that it's quite difficult to remember all those passwords. KeePass and programs like it remember all your passwords for you, while keeping them safe from prying eyes.

What we like:

KeePass is available for more computing platforms than any application we've ever seen. Windows, OS X, Linux, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and J2ME (many "dumb" phones) are all covered by some version of KeePass. There's even a portable version that can be run from your USB drive (or the Switched-endorsed DropBox).

The latest version of KeePass boasts three separate layers of security, and all are optional. In addition to implementing a master password that will unlock your database of log-ins, you can also require that a unique key file be present (said file can be handily stored on a USB key or on DropBox). You can also tie the database to a specific Windows account. And no, deleting an account and creating a new one with the same name won't work.

There are yet more convenient features, including a random password generator, custom entry fields, and a keyboard shortcut for automatically filling in your information. Plus, in case KeePass, for some reason, can't auto-fill the log-in fields on a particular Web page, fear not. With the click of an icon, KeePass will automatically copy your password to your clipboard and will erase all trace of it, either after you've pasted it or after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. Best of all, KeePass is not limited to Web-based accounts; it can be used to store Wi-Fi keys, credit card numbers, and any other hard-to-remember information that you may need to hide from prying eyes.

It even has a, sadly underutilized, plug-in system for adding features like Firefox.

What we don't like:

KeePass is not as tightly integrated with your browser as are some of its higher profile (and fee-based) competitors, such as 1Password and RoboForm. While KeePass has a shortcut for auto-filling information (Ctrl+Alt+A by default) we've found several sites (including a lot of banking Web sites) with which it simply doesn't work. That, of course, means you'll have to go the copy and paste route.

The other downfall lies in the discrepancy between the two different versions: 1.x and 2.x. While 2.x has better security and more features than its older counterpart, its databases are incompatible with some ports (including the Linux and OS X KeePassX). So, if you plan to use KeePass on several different platforms, you'll have to stick with 1.x versions.

Bottom line:

There are slicker and fancier ways to manage all your passwords, but none are as flexible as KeePass. And for the price (zilch), nothing comes close to offering the level of security.

Download KeePass here.


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Tags: features, keepass, keepassx, password, password manager, PasswordManager, security camera, SecurityCamera, switcheddownload, top