{ "@context": [ "https://schema.org", { "nuanyue": "https://www.nuanyue.com/ns#" } ], "@type": "SoftwareApplication", "@id": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/strongbox/#software", "name": "Strongbox", "description": "KeePass and Password Safe compatible password manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with local or self-hosted sync, biometric unlock, browser AutoFill and YubiKey support.", "url": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/strongbox/", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/strongbox/", "operatingSystem": "macOS", "applicationCategory": "SecurityApplication", "publisher": { "name": "Applause", "url": "https://applause.dev/" }, "sameAs": [ "https://strongboxsafe.com/", "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/strongbox-password-manager/id897283731", "https://github.com/strongbox-password-safe/Strongbox" ], "softwareVersion": "1.65.2", "license": "AGPL-3.0", "offers": { "@type": "Offer", "price": "0", "priceCurrency": "USD" }, "nuanyue:record": { "schemaVersion": 1, "id": "software:strongbox", "slug": "strongbox", "name": "Strongbox", "type": "SoftwareApplication", "entityType": "password manager", "description": "KeePass and Password Safe compatible password manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with local or self-hosted sync, biometric unlock, browser AutoFill and YubiKey support.", "shortDescription": "KeePass-compatible password manager with local or self-hosted sync.", "answer": "Strongbox keeps passwords in a KeePass or Password Safe database — an ordinary encrypted file you own, rather than a vault held on a vendor's servers. That file can sit on the Mac, in iCloud or any cloud drive, or on your own server reached over WebDAV or SFTP, and the same file opens in any KeePass-compatible client on any platform. Around that it adds the Apple-specific conveniences people expect: Face ID and Touch ID unlock, AutoFill in Safari and other browsers, an Apple Watch app, and an SSH agent that stores keys in the database. The app is free with a paid Strongbox Pro tier. It suits anyone who wants password-manager polish without giving up control of the file.", "page": "https://www.nuanyue.com/software/strongbox/", "dataUrl": "https://www.nuanyue.com/data/software/strongbox.json", "categories": [ "security" ], "tags": [], "platform": [ "macOS" ], "architecture": [], "featured": false, "pricing": "freemium", "pricingDescription": "Free to download, with a paid \"Strongbox Pro\" upgrade sold as an in-app purchase through the App Store. The vendor's Pro page describes one licence for all of your devices, Family Sharing with up to 6 people, and \"cancel anytime\" — which reads as a subscription — but the price itself is not published on the site because it varies by App Store region.", "license": "AGPL-3.0", "currentVersion": "1.65.2", "openSource": true, "website": "https://strongboxsafe.com/", "documentation": "https://strongboxsafe.com/support/", "github": "https://github.com/strongbox-password-safe/Strongbox", "appStore": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/strongbox-password-manager/id897283731", "download": "https://strongboxsafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Strongbox-press-kit.zip", "developer": { "name": "Applause", "website": "https://applause.dev/" }, "icon": "/apps/strongbox.png", "features": [ "KeePass and Password Safe databases, so the file opens in any compatible client on any platform", "Store the database on the Mac, in iCloud or a cloud drive, or on your own server over WebDAV or SFTP", "Face ID and Touch ID unlock on iPhone, iPad and Mac", "AutoFill in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers", "YubiKey hardware-token support, with physical and virtual backup keys", "Password auditing for duplicate, weak, common and short passwords", "An algorithm that finds passwords similar to one another", "Data breach notifications powered by Have I Been Pwned", "TOTP one-time codes and secure notes stored alongside the entries", "Markdown formatting for notes", "SSH key generation and storage on Mac, with an SSH agent and Git commit signing", "Apple Watch companion app, and Apple Watch unlock on macOS", "Wi-Fi Sync between devices without a cloud drive or a server", "Automated backups that can be restored", "PIN-code unlock and a duress PIN on iOS", "Compare & merge to resolve sync conflicts automatically", "Microsoft SharePoint integration for hosting and sharing a database" ], "useCases": [ "Keeping a KeePass database you already have but syncing it through iCloud or your own server", "Unlocking a password store with Face ID instead of typing a master password", "Using one password store across a Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch", "Auditing an existing vault for duplicate, weak or breached passwords" ], "formats": [], "integrations": [], "pros": [ { "text": "Databases are in the KeePass and Password Safe formats, so the same file opens in any compatible client on any platform.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "The database can be stored locally, in a cloud drive, or on your own server reached over WebDAV or SFTP.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "Unlocks with Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone, iPad and Mac.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "AutoFills credentials in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "Supports YubiKey hardware tokens, including physical and virtual backup keys.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "Audits the database for duplicate, weak, common and short passwords, and for passwords similar to one another.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "Reports when a stored password has appeared in a known data breach, using Have I Been Pwned.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "Publishes its source under AGPL-3.0, so the implementation can be inspected.", "status": "verified", "source": "repository", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "Distributed as a current App Store release, version 1.65.2, from the vendor Phoebe Code Limited.", "status": "verified", "source": "app-store", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "cons": [ { "text": "Most of the features the vendor advertises — biometric unlock, AutoFill, the Apple Watch app, the SSH agent, WebDAV and SFTP sync, and YubiKey support — are listed as Pro features rather than being included in the free tier.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "The price is not published on the vendor's site, so you have to open the App Store to find out what Pro costs.", "status": "derived", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "It is a personal or family database rather than a team password manager with shared vaults and administration.", "status": "derived", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "text": "The product changed hands in March 2025, when the founder handed it to Applause; the roadmap published at that time covered only the following 18 months.", "status": "verified", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "whoIsItFor": [ "People who want a KeePass-format database they control rather than a vault hosted by a vendor", "Apple users who want one password store across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch" ], "notFor": [ "Anyone who wants a hosted password manager with nothing to configure and no file to look after", "Teams that need shared vaults with role-based administration, which Strongbox does not provide" ], "limitations": [ "The price of Strongbox Pro is not published on the vendor's site; it is an in-app purchase that varies by App Store region", "The minimum macOS version for the current release is not stated on the App Store listing Nuanyue checked; the older Mac-only listing required macOS 12", "Many of the features the vendor advertises are Pro-only, so the free tier is narrower than the feature list suggests", "The source is published under AGPL-3.0, but the App Store build is not something a user can rebuild and install themselves", "Ownership changed in March 2025, when the founder entrusted the product to a different development team" ], "firstUse": { "installation": { "value": "Distributed through the App Store as a universal iPhone, iPad and Mac app; the vendor's download page offers the store listing rather than a direct installer.", "status": "verified", "source": "app-store", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, "firstLaunch": { "value": "You point Strongbox at a KeePass or Password Safe database — an existing file or a new one — and unlock it with a master password. Face ID and Touch ID unlock and AutoFill are Pro features.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, "systemIntegration": { "value": "Provides a browser AutoFill extension, an SSH agent on the Mac that can sign Git commits, and a companion Apple Watch app.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, "appleSilicon": { "value": true, "status": "derived", "source": "app-store", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" } }, "updates": [], "faq": [ { "question": "Is Strongbox free?", "answer": "There is a free tier and a paid upgrade called Strongbox Pro, sold as an in-app purchase. The vendor's Pro page lists one licence for all your devices, Family Sharing with up to 6 people and 'cancel anytime', but does not publish a price, because it varies by App Store region.", "status": "verified", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "question": "Does Strongbox work with KeePass?", "answer": "Yes. Strongbox is built around the KeePass database format and also supports Password Safe. The vendor's stated position is 'zero lock-in': the database is a file you store wherever you like, and it opens in any KeePass-compatible client on any platform.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "question": "Where can the Strongbox database be stored?", "answer": "Anywhere you like. It can live on the device, in iCloud or another cloud drive, or on your own server reached over WebDAV or SFTP. Strongbox also offers Wi-Fi Sync, which moves the database between devices without a cloud drive or a server at all.", "status": "developer-stated", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "question": "Is Strongbox open source?", "answer": "The source is published on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 licence, so the implementation can be inspected. That is not the same as being able to build and install the App Store version yourself, which the licence does not give you.", "status": "verified", "source": "repository", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "question": "Who makes Strongbox now?", "answer": "Strongbox was created by Mark McGuill, who ran it independently for years. In March 2025 it was handed to Applause, an independent app studio in New York, with the founder staying on in an advisory capacity. Applause stated that KeePass compatibility, local storage and self-hosted sync options would not change.", "status": "verified", "source": "official", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "relationships": [ { "target": "keepassxc", "type": "alternative", "reason": "Both open a KeePass database and can read the same file, but KeePassXC is a free desktop application for macOS, Windows and Linux while Strongbox is an Apple-only app with a paid Pro tier.", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "target": "macpass", "type": "similar", "reason": "Both are macOS KeePass clients, but MacPass is a free community project aimed squarely at the desktop, while Strongbox spans iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac with a paid tier.", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" }, { "target": "1password", "type": "competitor", "reason": "Both are polished Apple-first password managers, but 1Password hosts your vault in its own cloud on a subscription, while Strongbox keeps the database in a KeePass file you place wherever you choose.", "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "strongbox:app-store", "type": "app_store", "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/strongbox-password-manager/id897283731", "title": "Strongbox on the Mac App Store", "trustLevel": "A", "accessedAt": null }, { "id": "strongbox:official", "type": "official_website", "url": "https://strongboxsafe.com/", "title": "Strongbox — official website", "trustLevel": "B", "accessedAt": null }, { "id": "strongbox:developer", "type": "developer", "url": "https://applause.dev/", "title": "Applause — developer website", "trustLevel": "B", "accessedAt": null }, { "id": "strongbox:documentation", "type": "documentation", "url": "https://strongboxsafe.com/support/", "title": "Strongbox — documentation", "trustLevel": "C", "accessedAt": null }, { "id": "strongbox:repository", "type": "github", "url": "https://github.com/strongbox-password-safe/Strongbox", "title": "Strongbox — source repository", "trustLevel": "D", "accessedAt": null } ], "claims": [ { "id": "software:strongbox.isA", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "isA", "value": "password manager", "status": "editorially-reviewed", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.supportsPlatform", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "supportsPlatform", "value": [ "macOS" ], "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.officialWebsite", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "officialWebsite", "value": "https://strongboxsafe.com/", "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.listedInCategory", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "listedInCategory", "value": [ "security" ], "status": "editorially-reviewed", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.pricingModel", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "pricingModel", "value": "Freemium", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:app-store", "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.developedBy", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "developedBy", "value": "Applause", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:developer", "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.ownership", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "ownership", "value": "Third-party product — not published by Nuanyue", "status": "editorially-reviewed", "sourceIds": [], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.isOpenSource", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "isOpenSource", "value": true, "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:repository", "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.licensedUnder", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "licensedUnder", "value": "AGPL-3.0", "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:repository", "strongbox:documentation", "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.currentVersion", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "currentVersion", "value": "1.65.2", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:app-store", "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": null }, { "id": "software:strongbox.hasFeature", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "hasFeature", "value": [ "KeePass and Password Safe databases, so the file opens in any compatible client on any platform", "Store the database on the Mac, in iCloud or a cloud drive, or on your own server over WebDAV or SFTP", "Face ID and Touch ID unlock on iPhone, iPad and Mac", "AutoFill in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers", "YubiKey hardware-token support, with physical and virtual backup keys", "Password auditing for duplicate, weak, common 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"predicate": "advantage", "value": "Databases are in the KeePass and Password Safe formats, so the same file opens in any compatible client on any platform.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.1", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "The database can be stored locally, in a cloud drive, or on your own server reached over WebDAV or SFTP.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.2", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "Unlocks with Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone, iPad and Mac.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.3", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "AutoFills credentials in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.4", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "Supports YubiKey hardware tokens, including physical and virtual backup keys.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.5", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "Audits the database for duplicate, weak, common and short passwords, and for passwords similar to one another.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.6", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "Reports when a stored password has appeared in a known data breach, using Have I Been Pwned.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.7", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "Publishes its source under AGPL-3.0, so the implementation can be inspected.", "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:repository" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.advantage.8", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "advantage", "value": "Distributed as a current App Store release, version 1.65.2, from the vendor Phoebe Code Limited.", "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:app-store" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.drawback.0", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "drawback", "value": "Most of the features the vendor advertises — biometric unlock, AutoFill, the Apple Watch app, the SSH agent, WebDAV and SFTP sync, and YubiKey support — are listed as Pro features rather than being included in the free tier.", "status": "developer-stated", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.drawback.1", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "drawback", "value": "The price is not published on the vendor's site, so you have to open the App Store to find out what Pro costs.", "status": "derived", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.drawback.2", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "drawback", "value": "It is a personal or family database rather than a team password manager with shared vaults and administration.", "status": "derived", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.drawback.3", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "drawback", "value": "The product changed hands in March 2025, when the founder handed it to Applause; the roadmap published at that time covered only the following 18 months.", "status": "verified", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:official" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" }, { "id": "software:strongbox.supportsAppleSilicon", "subject": "software:strongbox", "predicate": "supportsAppleSilicon", "value": true, "status": "derived", "sourceIds": [ "strongbox:app-store" ], "lastVerified": "2026-10-05" } ], "lastUpdated": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z", "lastReviewedAt": null } }