Top 8 Best Offline Password Managers This Year

A fully capable password manager empowers you to access all your passwords and other sensitive information whether you're online or offline. The best credential management app is the one that, other than offering service for free, features a local vault for storing sensitive information.

Using offline, non-cloud-based management applications that also offer a stand alone version is the best way to protect your cyber identity.  In this article, the top 8 offline password managers and vaults for Android, Mac, Windows, and iOS are reviewed in full.

Passwarden is a great standalone password manager application for both professional and personal use. It is part of a cybersecurity bundle by KeepSolid Inc. KeepSolid is a company with 9 years of experience offering service to 35+ million customers worldwide.

Passwarden facilitates secure password management with military-grade encryption, two-factor authentication, and unlimited secure vaults for storing and sharing passwords and other sensitive data. It offers both stand alone and non-cloud-based versions as the best way to store data in a local space.

The AES-256 encryption protocol will protect your passwords and personal information all the time by scrambling and rendering them unreadable to would-be hackers.

Passwarden’s Duress mode helps you overcome intimidation. Opening your Passwarden with your Duress password will only show a preset chunk of your data that you wouldn’t care if revealed.

You don’t have to manually enter your information in your password manager. Importing your data to Passwarden is super easy, thanks to its import feature.

Passwarden is a stand alone password manager that meets the highest industry standards. Below, you can find all the benefits to get from either a free or paid subscription:

Bitwarden is a stand alone, open-source password management solution that stores sensitive information such as login credentials in encrypted vaults. This app offers a variety of client services including a web interface, desktop/mobile apps, extensions, and a command-line capability. Bitwarden also provides a cloud-hosted service and self-hosting features as an alternative to its Non-cloud-based version.

Desktop versions of Bitwarden are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Browser extensions support Chrome and Opera. Its mobile apps include Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Bitwarden features also include 2FA login, biometric unlock, password generator, local password strength tester, login autofill, cross-syncing, unlimited storage, easy sharing, and storing all types of data such as credit card information

In addition to the cloud-based option, Bitwarden allows users to adopt it as a local solution too. This password manager hardware option could be a good fit for organizations.

Users can grab a copy of Bitwarden’s source code, which is publicly available on Github. It means you can install it on your computer or your company’s servers. The application will run from there and do the local management of your organization’s passwords.

One drawback of Bitwarden is that it requires some knowledge of web servers. But when installed successfully, you can take advantage of the local vault storage option. Moreover, the software could have developed some additional features to enhance user experience.

LastPass is a stand alone password manager app that stores encrypted passwords online. The standard version of LastPass comes with a web interface, but also includes plugins for various browsers and apps for mobile.

LastPass protects the user's passwords with a single master password. The content is synchronized across all the user’s devices with the LastPass software or app extensions on. It implements AES-256 encryption and the power to increase password iterations value. Both encryption and decryption are processed at the device level.

LastPass features a local form filler that automates typing. It generates passwords and allows easy sharing and site logging. LastPass supports 2FA using various methods, including the LastPass Authenticator app. It is available as an extension to many browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. It also has apps available for smartphones running Android, iOS, or Windows Phone. 

LastPass overrides the Chrome browser setting that allows automatic password saving. Unlike some other password managers, LastPass offers a password hint to assist the user to recall their master password. On the other hand, LastPass limits its free tier to one type of device and has been accused of baiting and switching.

KeePass is a free and open-source password manager, primarily developed for Windows. It officially supports Mac and Linux. Additionally, there are several unofficial ports for Windows Phone, Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices.

KeePass stores passwords, and other text data such as free notes and attachments, in an encrypted file. This file is protected by a master password, a key file, and the current Windows account details. As opposed to cloud storage, the KeePass database is stored on a local, non-cloud-based file system by default.

KeePass supports various stand alone plugins. It has a password generator and synchronization function. It supports 2FA and has a Secure Desktop mode. It features a two-channel auto-type obfuscation for additional protection against keyloggers. KeePass can import data from other popular password management solutions.

KeePass, however, is unable to control a local Windows bug that leaves passwords in clear text in RAM after being displayed using Windows-controlled GUI. Additionally, several GitHub projects had successful attempts of attacking a running KeePass to steal data.

Dashlane is a subscription-based, stand alone password management application and digital wallet app available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. Besides the free plan, Dashlane adopts freemium pricing model. Dashlane was founded in 2009 and released its first encrypted password manager in 2012. It requires a single master password to provide access to the user’s protected data.

Over time, Dashlane has introduced more features to the product such as 2FA, Auto filling, password generation, digital wallet, breach alert, and a VPN for Wi-Fi protection.

1Password is a stand alone password manager developed by AgileBits Inc. in Toronto, in 2017. It provides a place for users to store various passwords, software licenses, and other sensitive data in a virtual vault locked with a master password. AgileBits, by default, hosts the user’s encrypted vault on its servers for a monthly fee.

1Password can be configured via 1Password.com, a paid subscription-based server sync service maintained by AgileBits. Local Wi-Fi and iCloud sync are no longer available on iOS and Mac (still available for Android and Windows).

1Password features Travel Mode, enabling the omission of password entries not tagged as safe for travel from the local storage on a particular device. This reduces the impact of being obliged by officials to unlock access at border crossings.

1Password integrates with desktop web browsers, including Safari and Opera. The stand alone extension can remember logins, fill in website logins, and generate random passwords.

To use browser extensions, the user must have administrative rights. This has been a problem with users on a PC assigned by a workplace without admin rights. To solve this, 1Password offers plans for a monthly subscription fee aimed at businesses that allow web access to their login credentials, which can be copied and pasted into login prompts.

As a credentials management application, 1Password also offers a stand alone extension called 1Password X, available for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. 1Password X is designed to work without a companion desktop app, but a 1Password.com subscription is required. For mobile, 1Password offers integration with browsers and apps on iOS and Android devices.

NordPass was launched in 2019 and developed by the same Panama-based VPN service provider that created NordVPN. It helps users organize their passwords and secure notes, storing them in a local encrypted password vault. NordPass comes in both free and premium versions, but the free version does not offer multi-device login.

NordPass is a stand alone application available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. It also offers browser extensions for Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Safari.

NordPass is a credentials management application built with the XChaCha encryption algorithm, with zero-knowledge architecture. This means that passwords are encrypted on the user's device and only then stored in the cloud, therefore, NordPass cannot view, edit, or manage users’ secret data.

A stand alone encrypted vault acts as a digital safe where users can store login credentials, secure notes, and credit card details. The Master Password serves as the key that unlocks the encrypted vault.

Master Password protects other users' passwords, but it's up to the user to make it strong.

NordPass implements 2FA, supporting several authentication apps, including Google Authenticator and Authy. NordPass supports FIDO U2F to work with third-party security keys. Though this protection is embedded at the service login instead of the app which is a weakness.

NordPass provides a free Password Sharing feature It scans data breaches for password leaks and identifies weak, reused, or old passwords, not to be used again. This feature is available for Android, Mac, Windows, and iOS.

NordPass is a credentials management application based in Panama, where no mandatory data retention laws are enforced by authorities. This means that NordPass is not required by law to keep logs or share them with government officials.

Enpass is an offline password management app that securely stores passwords and other credentials in a stand alone vault protected with a master password.

The application does not store user data on its cloud servers, but offline on its own local, encrypted memory. Users can choose to synchronize their data between different devices using their own preferred cloud-based services like Google Drive.

The mobile version is restricted to storing only 25 passwords free of charge, although more functionality could be purchased. Enpass support all major operating system platforms including Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and Mac. Enpass offers additional features such as multiple vaults and the ability to generate time-based passwords for online services and other various apps.

The application features client-side encryption to encrypt its keychain file in a local manner with a user-defined master password. It features cloud synchronization of the keychain and self-hosted WebDAV solutions. It features free cross-browser platform support and form-filling for all supported platforms.