# Free Alternative to Dashlane Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 The best free alternative to Dashlane ($60/yr) is KeePassXC, which is open source. Install it with: `brew install --cask keepassxc`. ## Ditching Dashlane: The Best Free Password Managers for Mac I used to recommend Dashlane to everyone. Back in 2017 it had a gorgeous native Mac app. Then the company killed the desktop app in favor of a web-first browser extension model, the free tier was discontinued (free users were pushed to upgrade or export by September 2026), and personal pricing now starts around US$5.42/month billed annually for Premium—roughly $65/year—or about US$8.13/month for Friends & Family covering 10 members. That is a lot for a password manager when Bitwarden still offers a genuinely unlimited free plan across devices, KeePassXC keeps a local open-source vault, and Apple Passwords is free on modern Apple platforms. Dashlane still bundles VPN (Premium), dark web monitoring, and polished autofill for people who want a managed suite—but if you mainly need a secure vault and autofill, free alternatives are not a compromise anymore; they are the sensible default. Export your Dashlane vault to CSV before you cancel, then import into Bitwarden or KeePassXC and turn on a hardware key or passkeys where you can. ## Free alternatives 1. [KeePassXC](https://bundl.run/apps/keepassxc) — Cross-platform password manager `brew install --cask keepassxc` ## Verdict Testing these apps made one thing very clear. Paying $60 a year for Dashlane is no longer justifiable. The password manager market has commoditized. What used to be premium features are now standard in free, open-source tools. I was surprised by how aggressive Dashlane's new free tier limitations are. Restricting a password manager to a single device defeats the entire purpose of the software. Moving your data takes about ten minutes. Grab your CSV export, pick Bitwarden for cloud syncing or KeePassXC for local control, and stop paying rent on your own passwords. ## FAQ ### Is it safe to use a free password manager? Yes. The security of a password manager depends on its encryption architecture, not its price tag. Apps like Bitwarden and KeePassXC use the exact same AES-256 encryption standard that Dashlane uses. They make their money through enterprise contracts or premium features, allowing them to offer the core secure vault for free. Open-source free managers are often audited by independent security researchers. ### How do I get my passwords out of Dashlane? You need to export your Dashlane vault to a CSV file before your subscription expires or you lose access. Open the Dashlane web extension, go to My Account, select Settings, and click Export Data. Choose the CSV format. This downloads a plain text file containing all your passwords. Keep this file very secure. Do not leave it sitting in your Downloads folder. Import it into your new app immediately, then permanently delete the CSV. ### Does Apple's built-in password manager replace Dashlane? It absolutely can, provided you stay entirely within the Apple ecosystem. The Passwords app in macOS Sequoia handles auto-fill, passkeys, and 2FA codes brilliantly. It syncs securely via iCloud to your iPhone and iPad. If you ever need to log into a website on a Windows computer or an Android tablet, you will be completely locked out. Apple Passwords offers zero cross-platform flexibility. ### What happens to my Dashlane vault if I stop paying? Dashlane will downgrade your account to the free tier. Your data is not deleted. You will only be able to access your vault on a single device. If you try to log in on your phone, Dashlane will block access until you designate that specific phone as your one allowed device, subsequently locking out your Mac. It is a frustrating experience. ### Can Bitwarden autofill passwords on my iPhone like Dashlane does? Yes. Once you install the Bitwarden app on iOS, you go to Settings > Passwords > Password Options. Turn on AutoFill Passwords and Passkeys, and select Bitwarden from the list. It behaves exactly like Dashlane. When you tap a login field in Safari or an app, Bitwarden will prompt you for Face ID and fill in the credentials. ### Why do people still use KeePass when cloud managers exist? Control. Cloud password managers are massive targets for hackers. LastPass proved that cloud vaults can be breached. KeePass users prefer to keep their encrypted database file locally on their own hard drive. They trade the convenience of automatic background syncing for the absolute certainty that their passwords are not sitting on a server waiting to be stolen. ### Does KeePassXC have a Safari extension? Yes, but it is not as simple as installing a normal extension. You have to install the KeePassXC-Browser extension from the Mac App Store. Then you must open the KeePassXC desktop app, go to Settings, enable Browser Integration, and manually pair the desktop app with the Safari extension. It takes a few minutes to configure. ### How hard is it to self-host Bitwarden? It requires some technical knowledge. You need a server, a domain name, and familiarity with Docker. Most people use a lightweight fork called Vaultwarden because the official Bitwarden server requires heavy system resources. If you are comfortable using the terminal and managing SSL certificates, you can set it up in an afternoon. For the average user, the free cloud tier is a much better choice. ### Do free password managers support passkeys yet? Yes. Apple Passwords handles them natively across all Apple devices. Bitwarden added full passkey support to its free tier recently. You can save and inject passkeys directly from the browser extension. KeePassXC also supports passkey storage natively in its desktop app as of version 2.7.7. ### What is the difference between Enpass and KeePass? Both keep your data off proprietary company servers. KeePass expects you to manage the database file entirely yourself. Enpass automates the process by plugging directly into your iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive account. Enpass has a much more modern, polished interface compared to the utilitarian look of KeePass apps. Enpass charges for mobile access, whereas KeePass mobile ports are usually free. ### Can I share passwords with my spouse on a free plan? It depends on the app. Bitwarden's free tier allows you to create an Organization and share passwords with exactly one other user. Apple Passwords lets you create shared family groups for free via iCloud. Most other free managers restrict sharing to premium tiers. ## Sources - [Dashlane Official Support](https://support.dashlane.com/hc/en-us/articles/202698981-Export-your-data-from-Dashlane) - [Bitwarden Pricing Page](https://bitwarden.com/pricing/) - [KeePassXC GitHub Repository](https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc) - [Apple macOS Sequoia Preview](https://www.apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia-preview/) - [Proton Pass Features](https://proton.me/pass) - [Enpass Pricing](https://www.enpass.io/pricing/) - [Strongbox Official Site](https://strongboxsafe.com/) - [Dashlane Pricing](https://www.dashlane.com/plans) - [Dashlane Personal Pricing](https://www.dashlane.com/pricing-personal) - [Compare Dashlane personal plans](https://support.dashlane.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001166969-Compare-Dashlane-personal-plans) - [Bitwarden Password Manager Plans](https://bitwarden.com/help/password-manager-plans/) - [KeePassXC](https://keepassxc.org/) - [Apple Passwords](https://support.apple.com/guide/passwords/welcome/mac) ## Related - [KeePassXC vs Bitwarden](https://bundl.run/compare/keepassxc-vs-bitwarden) - [KeePassXC vs 1Password](https://bundl.run/compare/1password-vs-keepassxc) - [KeePassXC vs LastPass](https://bundl.run/compare/keepassxc-vs-lastpass) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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