Free Password Managers and Encryption — The 10 Best Tools for Passwords, Files and 2FA
Lists of the “best free password managers” are full of free plans limited to one device, 10 records or one active session, and of encryption tools that have turned into trials or stopped being updated. We read the main comparison pages — PCWorld, TechRepublic, Cybernews, TechyGeeksHome, eSecurity Planet, Privacy Guides its forum, Ente and Linuxiac — and in October 2026 we checked every tool ourselves on its official site: licence, platforms and what the free plan really includes.
An engineer holds dozens of accounts: authority portals and permit systems, software licences, file servers, supplier accounts and project sites. They also send drawings and tender documents to clients, and keep client data on laptops, USB drives and in the cloud. So we split the topic into three jobs: a password manager, file and disk encryption, and a two-factor (2FA) authenticator that does not lock you to one phone. For each tool we list advantages and disadvantages, and above all where free use ends.
Comparison table: the top 10
| Tool | Platforms | Licence in plain words | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden | Windows, macOS, Linux, browser | Free plan with no time limit; TOTP, attachments and reports are paid | Passwords synced on every device |
| KeePassXC | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source, free for any use, commercial included | A vault with no cloud and no account |
| VeraCrypt | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source, free for any use, commercial included | Laptops and USB drives with client data |
| Cryptomator | Windows, macOS, Linux | Desktop app open source and free; mobile apps are paid | Drawings on OneDrive or Google Drive |
| Ente Auth | Windows, macOS, Linux, browser | Open source, free for any use, no paid tier | 2FA codes that survive a lost phone |
| 7-Zip | Windows | Open source, free for any use, commercial included | Sending an encrypted file package |
| Proton Pass | Windows, macOS, Linux, browser | Free plan with no time limit: 2 vaults, 10 aliases; 2FA and attachments paid | Privacy and email aliases |
| Gpg4win | Windows | Open source, free for private and commercial use | Digital signatures and email encryption |
| Passbolt CE | Linux (server), browser | Open source, free including commercial, self-hosted | An office sharing passwords between staff |
| Proton Authenticator | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source, free, no ads | 2FA on the desktop, even with no account |
The top 10
1. Bitwarden
An open-source password manager that encrypts the vault on your device before it reaches the server. There are apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, extensions for all common browsers, a web vault, mobile apps and a CLI. It stores passwords for portals, licences and supplier accounts and fills them in anywhere.
Advantages: the free plan has no time limit and allows unlimited passwords and devices. It includes Send for sharing an encrypted text or file, and you may run your own server.
Disadvantages: it is not completely free: the free plan shares with only one other user, and a TOTP code generator for stored logins, file attachments, emergency access and password health reports are Premium features (about USD 19.80 a year). An account is required, and autofill is less polished than in paid rivals.
2. KeePassXC
A password manager that keeps everything in one encrypted file on your computer, with no third-party cloud and no account. It generates strong passwords, fills them in the browser and stores licence keys and equipment access codes.
Advantages: open source (GPLv3), free for any use including commercial, with no registration. TOTP codes and file attachments are included at no cost. The KDBX file works with KeePass and with KeePass-compatible mobile apps.
Disadvantages: sync is your job — you place the file in a cloud folder. There is no official mobile app, browser integration is basic, and there is no proper team sharing.
3. VeraCrypt
Encrypts whole disks, partitions, USB drives or a “vault” inside a file. If a laptop or portable drive with drawings and client data is lost, the content stays unreadable without the password. It has passed independent security audits.
Advantages: open source (Apache-2.0), free for any use including commercial, on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Disadvantages: a dated interface. A file container syncs awkwardly to the cloud, because every small change alters the large file. A forgotten password means total loss of the data.
4. Cryptomator
Creates an encrypted vault inside a cloud-storage folder and shows it as a normal drive. Every file saved there, including its name, is encrypted with AES-256 before syncing, so the cloud provider cannot see the content.
Advantages: the desktop app is open source (GPL-3.0) and free for any use. Encryption is file by file, so syncing stays efficient.
Disadvantages: the iOS and Android apps are paid, and Cryptomator Hub for teams is a paid subscription. It is not for sharing with people who do not have Cryptomator, and if both the password and the recovery key are lost, the vault cannot be opened.
5. Ente Auth
A one-time code (TOTP) generator for secure sign-in to email, cloud, software and supplier accounts. Unlike most authenticators, it runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, the web and mobile, with end-to-end encrypted sync.
Advantages: open source (AGPL-3.0), free for any use, with no paid tiers. A broken or replaced phone does not lock you out of your accounts. Import, export and an offline mode with no account.
Disadvantages: sync needs an Ente account. If you forget both the account password and the recovery key, the codes cannot be restored.
6. 7-Zip
The veteran archiver encrypts archives with AES-256. In the 7z format it can also encrypt file names, the quickest way to send a client an encrypted package of drawings that anyone can open with a free tool.
Advantages: open source (LGPL), free for any use including commercial.
Disadvantages: Windows only. There is no key management — the password must be sent through a separate channel. An AES-encrypted ZIP archive does not open in the built-in Windows File Explorer.
7. Proton Pass
A password manager from Switzerland’s Proton that encrypts all data on the device. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux, as browser extensions, on the web and on mobile. Hide-my-email aliases let you sign up for vendor sites and webinars without your real address.
Advantages: the free plan has no time limit and allows unlimited passwords and devices, plus vault sharing with 2 people.
Disadvantages: it is not completely free: the free plan has only 2 vaults and 10 email aliases, and no 2FA generator, attachments or emergency access — they need Pass Plus (about USD 2.99 a month billed yearly). A Proton account is required.
8. Gpg4win
Installs GnuPG on Windows together with Kleopatra for OpenPGP and S/MIME keys and certificates, GpgOL for email encryption in Outlook and GpgEX for encryption from the right-click menu. An engineer uses it to encrypt tender documents before sending, to digitally sign a file so the recipient can check it was not changed.
Advantages: open source (GPL), free for private and commercial use, with no registration. OpenPGP is the recognised standard.
Disadvantages: a steep learning curve for beginners, and Privacy Guides itself suggests simpler tools for everyday file encryption. The other side needs a compatible tool and a public key. Windows only; on Linux and macOS you use GnuPG directly.
9. Passbolt Community Edition
A password manager built for sharing within a team: you install the server on Linux or in Docker, and staff connect through a browser extension, a desktop app or mobile. Each password is OpenPGP-encrypted per authorised user, so even the server admin cannot read it.
Advantages: open source (AGPL-3.0), free for any use including commercial, with unlimited users. No more emailing passwords.
Disadvantages: it needs a server, maintenance and backups. Support is community-only, and SSO, LDAP sync, password policies and the activity log are in the paid Pro and Cloud editions.
10. Proton Authenticator
A TOTP app for two-factor sign-in on desktop and mobile. You can use it locally on one device with no account, or sign in to a Proton account and sync codes with end-to-end encryption between computer and phone.
Advantages: open source (GPL-3.0), free on all platforms and ad-free. It imports codes from Google Authenticator, Aegis, 2FAS and Ente Auth, and lets you export them at any time.
Disadvantages: there is no web version and no autofill of codes on websites — for that you need paid Proton Pass. Sync and backup need a Proton account.
More free tools worth knowing
A local password manager with plugins: KeePass Password Safe is the original that KeePassXC grew from. It is open source and free for any use, with a portable version that runs from a USB drive and many extensions through plugins. Built for Windows; on Linux and macOS it runs through Mono.
KeePass Password Safe
Dominik Reichl
Local encrypted password manager for Windows — licence portals, client extranets and equipment logins in one file.
Get it from the vendorCommand-line encryption: age encrypts a file with one command, using a passphrase, a short public key or an existing SSH key, and suits encrypting backups and project archives in scripts before uploading them to the cloud. Open source (BSD-3-Clause); there is no graphical interface and no digital signing.
age
Filippo Valsorda
Simple, modern command-line tool to encrypt files with a passphrase or public key, including SSH keys and post-quantum keys.
Get it from the vendorMore encrypted archivers: PeaZip adds two-factor protection with a password and a key file, secure deletion and hash checks, and also runs on macOS and Linux. NanaZip is built on the 7-Zip code and integrates with the new Windows 11 context menu.
PeaZip
Giorgio Tani
Open, create and encrypt archives in 200+ formats, including splitting large model files.
Get it from the vendor
NanaZip
M2-Team
A modern 7-Zip derivative for Windows — integrates with the Windows 11 context menu and adds formats.
Get it from the vendorOutdated and misleading advice you will find online
- “Enpass is free and unlimited on desktop” — from TechRepublic’s September 2026 list, but the official pricing page now limits the free plan to 25 items in one vault, with no desktop exception.
- Dashlane Free — still appears in older lists, but the free plan has ended.
- Picocrypt — still recommended in many lists, but its author archived it in August 2025. The Picocrypt NG fork has not been independently audited.
- AxCrypt — often listed as free file encryption, but current versions offer only a trial.
- “Keeper and LastPass are free” — Keeper Free is limited to 10 records on one mobile device, and LastPass Free works on computers only or on mobile only. NordPass and RoboForm free plans are also limited to one active session or one device.
- “Bitwarden’s free plan includes a TOTP generator” — on the free plan you can use 2FA only to sign in to Bitwarden itself; generating codes for stored logins is a Premium feature.
Which tool to choose, by need
A freelance engineer or student working on several computers and a phone: Bitwarden for passwords and Ente Auth for 2FA codes. For privacy and aliases, Proton Pass, within its free limits.
No cloud at all: KeePassXC (or KeePass on Windows) with the file in your own folder, and Proton Authenticator in local mode with no account.
A design office sharing passwords between staff: Passbolt Community Edition on an internal server, if someone will maintain and back it up. Without a server, free sharing in Bitwarden is limited to one other user.
Laptops and USB drives with client data: VeraCrypt, or the operating system’s built-in encryption (BitLocker, FileVault, LUKS) for the system drive. For drawings in the cloud, Cryptomator.
Sending files to a client: an encrypted 7z archive from 7-Zip with the password sent separately; Gpg4win when the other side already uses OpenPGP or a digital signature is needed; age for automated backups in scripts.
Sources
- PCWorld — Best free password managers 2026
- TechRepublic — 6 Best Free Password Managers for 2026
- Cybernews — Best free password manager for 2026
- TechyGeeksHome — Best Free Password Managers in 2026: Reviewed and Ranked
- eSecurity Planet — 8 Best Encryption Software and Tools in 2026
- Privacy Guides — Encryption Software
- Privacy Guides forum — Remove Picocrypt
- Ente — Ente Auth vs 2FAS vs Aegis vs Google vs Microsoft
- Linuxiac — Proton Launches Free, Open Source Authenticator App
All the tools in one place: free utilities and security software.