After months with Bitwarden, I found a free offline password manager that works better - Android Police

I started using Bitwarden's password manager service a while back because the app has genuine strengths.

But when I started cutting down on my subscriptions, I wondered if there was an open source way to store passwords without shelling out money every month.

That's when I came across KeePassDX and gave it a shot.

After I got the hang of the app, I canceled my Bitwarden subscription and never looked back.

I'll be the first one to admit that Bitwarden is a fantastic product. It's an excellent free password manager that does the job.

But I subscribed to the family plan so that all my immediate family members could use the premium features.

But when I discovered KeePassDX, I was intrigued by its local and offline-first client.

I've been trying to de-Google and cut down on cloud services recently, and KeePassDX looked like a viable replacement.

With KeePassDX, I don't need to register an account or have my passwords sit on any app's server.

My entire password database was in a single file that I could control.

Bitwarden is a great product for someone who doesn't want the hassle of setting up a local password manager and having everything sync via the cloud.

But if you're like me, constantly worried about cloud breaches, privacy, and policy changes in SaaS (Software as a Service) apps, KeePassDX is the answer.

It works like Bitwarden after you've stored your passwords in the app. KeePassDX supports the Android autofill framework, which works better than anything I've used.

Bitwarden often fails to Autofill fields in certain apps and websites; that's not a problem with KeePassDX.

After you've stored your passwords, you can sync the local database file across other devices, including desktop computers.

What's neat about KeePassDX is that it's lightweight and doesn't need to be connected to a cloud.

Other nifty features, like groups, attachments, a password generator, a 2FA code generator, and customization options, eliminate the need for many apps.

Setting up KeePassDX might seem daunting at first, but it's quite straightforward. Still, make sure you have a strong master password in mind before you start.

KeePassDX doesn't do a great job explaining what you need to set up to get the app going.

But since it's a local, offline password database manager, it starts to make sense after you go through the process.

First, create a new vault or import one from a .kdbx file, then store it in your internal storage or SD card.

After you create or import a vault, you are asked to create a password. Remember, this is the master password you need to log in each time.

Write down your master password somewhere safe, as you can't access your database if you forget or misplace it.

Alternatively, you can use biometric login to access KeePassDX if you don't want to type the master password each time.

But if you are planning to sync the database with other devices later, you will still need the master password.

You can also enable Keyfile, an additional security layer. When syncing with other devices, you will need both the master password and the keyfile if you choose to use it.

Now that you've created a vault, you can start adding passwords to KeePassDX.

You can import your passwords into KeePassDX, but first import the CSV or JSON file into KeePassXC on a desktop computer, then export it to a .kdbx file.

Storing passwords for various websites and apps is simple. Here are the steps you'll follow:

After you've saved all your passwords, you'll tweak one last setting on your phone to use the autofill feature.

On your phone, go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts, then link KeePassDX to use passwords from your database to log in to websites and apps.

Since KeePassDX doesn't have cloud features, you decide how to sync your database across devices.

This is where I feel Bitwarden has the advantage over KeePassDX, since you can sync your database across unlimited devices.

The easiest way to sync databases is to export the .kdbx file from KeePassDX on your phone and upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other cloud storage service.

You can then import that file to another device with KeePassDX installed. If you have multiple devices such as a phone, tablet, and a computer, syncing updated databases can be cumbersome.

Since I don't want my passwords stored on a server that is vulnerable to a breach, I came up with my own solution.

Instead, I use an open source app called Syncthing to sync the database file across all my devices.

It updates and syncs the .kdbx file across all my devices automatically whenever I'm on the same network.

Bitwarden has another advantage many users care about that KeePassDX does not offer.

Because it's local and offline, KeePassDX doesn't support family sharing. So if you're on a family plan on Bitwarden, the switch might not be worth it.

Yes, you can set up KeePassDX for every family member, but maintaining a separate password database for each will be a nightmare.

Unless your family members know how to set up Syncthing on their phones or remember to export the database file to Google Drive periodically, you're better off sticking to Bitwarden.

The subscription-free Android setup

KeePassDX meets all my requirements for a password manager. It's offline, local, and ad-free.

It's a true open source alternative to Bitwarden, LastPass, and other password managers that rely on cloud services vulnerable to hacking or data breaches.

Sure, syncing your password database across devices can be a pain, but saving money on a subscription is worth the trade-off.