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← Go dark · Mission 2 of 17

Delete your password manager subscription: a free vault that never touches the cloud

Import your browser's saved passwords and KeePassXC's Health Check lists every weak and reused one in seconds. Then fix them, fill them in from your browser, and carry the same vault on your phone. Everything lives in one encrypted file you own: no account, no subscription, no company server holding your logins.

36 minBeginnerTools: FreeStep 1 free
Tested 7 Oct 2026 · KeePassXC 2.7.12 (official portable ZIP), keepassxc-cli 2.7.12, Windows 11
An encrypted password vault on your own disk, locked with one strong passphrase
A different, random password for every site, made in one click
Your browser's saved passwords moved across, and the browser extension filling them in
  • The same vault on your phone (Android or iPhone), and a backup plan, so one dead laptop doesn't lock you out of everything
Before you start
  • A Windows, Mac or Linux computer
  • About 80MB of free disk space
  • A pen and paper (for your master passphrase, just this once)
  • No account, no payment
01/07Install KeePassXC0 done
STEP 01 of 07~5 min

Install KeePassXC

KeePassXC is free, open source (GPL) and works fully offline. It's the community version of the long-running KeePass.

  1. The quickest way on Windows is one command. Windows will show an admin prompt (UAC) asking to allow KeePassXC: click Yes.

    Windows
    winget install --id KeePassXCTeam.KeePassXC -e
    Mac (or use the .dmg from the site)
    brew install --cask keepassxc
    Linux (or sudo apt install keepassxc on Ubuntu and Debian)
    flatpak install --user flathub org.keepassxc.KeePassXC

  2. Prefer clicking? Download it from keepassxc.org/download ↗ or the official GitHub releases ↗. The Windows installer is about 36MB. Never get it from any other site.

    TipNo admin rights (a work or shared PC)? Download the Win64 .zip from the same releases page, unzip it and run KeePassXC.exe. Same app, nothing to install.

  3. Open KeePassXC. On first launch it asks Check for updates on startup? Yes means it checks for new versions once a week. Your passwords never leave your computer either way.

✓
CheckpointKeePassXC opens with Welcome to KeePassXC 2.7.12 (or newer) and three buttons: Create Database, Open Database, Import File.
If it breakswinget says 'Another installation is already in progress' (error 1618) + 2 more
winget says 'Another installation is already in progress' (error 1618)
Windows can only run one installer at a time. Wait for any other install or Windows Update to finish, then run the command again.
The install fails after a few minutes with error 1601
The admin prompt was ignored and timed out. Run the command again and click Yes on the prompt (check the taskbar for a flashing shield icon). Or use the portable .zip instead.
'No package found' with a different ID
Some guides use the wrong name. The real winget ID is KeePassXCTeam.KeePassXC. Check it with winget search keepassxc.
Still stuck? Ask the community
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