Password managers have developed into vital instruments for companies to maintain all their passwords safe. They retailer firm credentials in encrypted vaults, permit for simpler sharing inside groups and might be accessed by way of a number of units.
Whereas the advantages of password managers are simple, many choices obtainable are proprietary. Proprietary software program refers to purposes which have code designed and owned by a particular firm. Underneath this setup, the code isn’t modifiable and might solely be accessed by the seller itself.
SEE: Brute Force and Dictionary Attacks: A Guide for IT Leaders (TechRepublic Premium)
That is the place open supply password managers are available. Open supply password managers make their code accessible to the general public, permitting customers to customise the software program to swimsuit their wants. Having publicly obtainable supply code additionally means vulnerabilities might be extra simply noticed and corrected.
If you wish to learn extra about the advantages of open supply password managers, we’ve got an ideal overview of its pros and cons here.
With that, I’ve created a listing of the very best open supply password managers for groups and companies.
Prime open supply password managers for groups comparability
For a team-focused password supervisor, we wish to deal with options equivalent to two-factor authentication choices and supported platforms to make it as straightforward as attainable for workforce members to make use of the software program with out sacrificing safety.
| Software program | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitwarden | Cloud; self-host | E-mail, authenticator app, FIDO2 WebAuthn, Duo Safety, SMS, safety keys and YubiKey | Reliability and safety | Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, Courageous, Edge, Tor Browser and DuckDuckGo for Mac | $4 monthly, per consumer |
| KeePass | Native | Key file and linking to Home windows account | Downloadable Plugins | Home windows, macOS and Linux by way of Mono; third-party Android, iOS and Blackberry apps | Free |
| Proton Pass | Cloud | Authenticator apps, U2F or FIDO2 safety key | Cover-my-email aliases | Home windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Courageous | $1.99 monthly, per consumer (Go Necessities) |
| Passbolt | Cloud; choice to self-host | Authenticator apps, Duo and YubiKey | Granular entry rights and role-based controls | Home windows, iOS, Android, Chrome, Courageous, Opera, Firefox, Vivaldi, Edge and servers | Round $4.9 monthly, per consumer (Enterprise Plan) |
Bitwarden: Finest total open supply password supervisor
Bitwarden is a zero-knowledge password supervisor that may accommodate companies of any measurement. Apart from having a password generator and autofill capabilities, it additionally has team-based performance equivalent to consumer teams, occasion and audit logs and two-step logins by way of Duo.
Each its Groups and Enterprise plans additionally permit for limitless sharing of password collections, permitting workforce members to simply share credentials amongst one another.
SEE: How Do Password Managers Work and Why Do You Need One? (TechRepublic)
I personally like how Bitwarden gives free seven-day trials for each its Groups and Enterprise subscriptions, giving companies the chance to check out the software program at zero price.
Why we selected Bitwarden
I picked Bitwarden as the very best total open supply password supervisor for its excessive stage mixture of safety, ease of use and reliability. It recurrently undergoes unbiased safety audits and has a sterling fame amongst its present customers. Whether or not you may have a giant or small workforce, Bitwarden will serve you effectively.
Pricing
Bitwarden has subscriptions for Enterprise and Private customers. For Enterprise, Bitwarden has three plans: Groups, Enterprise and a custom-made choice. Right here’s an summary of the costs and variations:
- Bitwarden Groups: $4 monthly, per consumer; contains limitless sharing, consumer teams and API Entry.
- Bitwarden Enterprise: $6 monthly, per consumer; contains all Groups options and provides on SCIM assist, customized roles, insurance policies, an choice to self-host and passwordless SSO integration
Options
- Zero data encryption.
- Free model with limitless password storage.
- Limitless password collections sharing.
- Self-host choice and passwordless SSO for enterprises.
Professionals
- Inexpensive subscription plans.
- Free seven-day trials for each Groups and Enterprise plans.
- Often completes unbiased safety assessments.
Cons
- Auto-fill performance might be higher.
If you wish to study extra, you’ll be able to try my full Bitwarden review here.
KeePass: Finest for small groups
KeePass is a well-liked choose for tech-savvy and privacy-focused customers that prioritize customizability above all else. It’s utterly free and makes use of its open supply nature by means of its giant suite of user-generated plugins. These plugins and extensions present much more options to KeePass’ base performance.
KeePass is the one offline password supervisor on this checklist, making it choice for individuals who aren’t eager on having their passwords and different knowledge saved on the cloud. Whereas its consumer interface isn’t probably the most intuitive, it may be a robust device for customers who need their password supervisor tailor-fit to their wants.
Why we selected KeePass
KeePass made the checklist as an offline or local-machine based mostly password administration answer. I discover this splendid for smaller groups that solely must maintain observe of some customers or companies that don’t wish to depend on the cloud to retailer their delicate knowledge.
Options
- AES-256 encryption.
- Offline, locally-stored password supervisor.
- Downloadable user-generated plugins that add options.
- Auto-type performance.
Professionals
- Absolutely free password supervisor.
- Extremely customizable by way of plugins library.
- Trusted choice; working since 2003.
Cons
- Requires technical know-how.
- Interface just isn’t beginner-friendly.
- Design is dated.
If you wish to study extra, you’ll be able to try my full KeePass review here.
Proton Go: Finest for bundled companies
For companies that need a complete safety answer, take into account Proton Go. Proton Go is a password supervisor from safety vendor Proton, which additionally presents encrypted mail, VPN and cloud storage companies to prospects. With this, Proton gives customers and companies an choice to buy not solely a password supervisor however a bundle of different safety companies as effectively.
SEE: Are Password Managers Safe to Use? (TechRepublic)
By itself, Proton Go is a stable password supervisor. It’s end-to-end encrypted, has been independently audited and permits for safe sharing of firm credentials.
I personally like its distinctive hide-my-email aliases characteristic, which creates randomly-generated electronic mail addresses to your completely different accounts, thereby defending your major electronic mail tackle.
Why we selected Proton Go
I picked Proton Go as a result of it’s a part of Proton’s portfolio of safety merchandise. Companies utilizing their different companies like ProtonMail and Proton VPN — or these seeking to have an ecosystem of safety companies — ought to give Proton Go a glance.
Pricing
Proton Go has two tiers: People and Companies. For people, we get Proton Free, Proton Plus and Proton Limitless. Right here’s a fast overview of the person plans:
- Proton Free: Free; limitless logins; 10 hide-my-email aliases vault sharing as much as three folks.
- Proton Go Plus: $1.99 monthly (annual); limitless hide-my-email aliases; built-in 2FA authenticator; vault sharing as much as 10 folks.
- Proton Limitless: $9.99 monthly; all Proton Go options and all premium Proton companies (Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN).
In the meantime, its Enterprise tier has three plans: Proton Go Necessities, Enterprise and Enterprise. Right here’s a glimpse of the pricing and included options of every:
- Go Necessities: $1.99 monthly, per consumer (annual); limitless logins; limitless hide-my-email aliases; a number of vaults and built-in 2FA authenticator.
- Go Enterprise: $2.99 monthly, per consumer (annual); require 2FA for group; Proton Sentinel program that gives specialised safety assist.
- Enterprise: Contact Proton for pricing; custom-made characteristic set; bundle with different Proton companies.
Options
- GDPR-compliant.
- AES-256 encryption.
- Finish-to-end encrypted note-taking.
- E-mail aliases create distinctive emails to cover the primary tackle.
Professionals
- Person knowledge protected by robust Swiss privateness legal guidelines.
- A number of plan choices for various prospects.
- Will be bought alongside different Proton merchandise.
Cons
- SSO integration for Go Enterprise nonetheless within the works.
Whereas we’ve got but to completely evaluate Proton Go, we’ve got coated their VPN answer — Proton VPN. You possibly can try my full Proton VPN review here.
Passbolt: Finest for bigger groups
Passbolt is an end-to-end encrypted password supervisor that’s designed to deal with password administration for bigger teams. Its software program emphasizes collaboration by means of options like real-time password sharing, traceability and nested permissions for shared passwords.
It additionally has enterprise-focused capabilities built-in on its paid plans, like SSO integration, occasion logs and account restoration choices. By way of safety, I recognize Passbolt’s transparency and dedication to communication with its consumer base. On its website, they supply easy accessibility to audit reviews and safety white papers about its product.
Why we selected Passbolt
I selected Passbolt for its management-focused options that might profit bigger companies or groups. Particularly, it presents tags administration, granular entry rights and role-based entry management throughout its plans.
Passbolt additionally gives the choice for companies to both retailer their passwords on the Passbolt Cloud or to self-host. To me, having this alternative makes Passbolt a viable choice for several types of companies with various wants.
Pricing
Passbolt has three tiers: Group, Enterprise and Enterprise. Right here’s a fast rundown of their costs and options:
- Group: Free (limitless customers); password sharing and teams administration; greatest for groups transitioning from spreadsheets and different password managers.
- Enterprise: $49 monthly for 10 customers (as much as 250 customers); contains tags administration, LDAP provisioning and SSO integration.
- Enterprise: Personalized pricing; all Enterprise options and excessive availability consulting; catastrophe restoration consulting and customized options improvement.
Options
- Position-based entry management.
- Customers and teams administration.
- Passwords administration and sharing.
- Group plan is free for limitless customers.
Professionals
- Independently audited password supervisor.
- Bug bounty for many who wish to audit Passbolt code.
- Choice to self-host or retailer on the cloud.
Cons
- Will not be suited to smaller groups or companies.
- Could require technical experience to maximise.
How do I select the very best open supply password supervisor for my enterprise?
Selecting the very best open supply password supervisor will largely rely on your enterprise’ construction and desires.
By way of construction, smaller groups received’t want as many team-based options like granular entry controls. On this case, you’ll be able to look into offline password managers or cloud-based options which have easier however extra intuitive purposes.
For bigger companies, chances are you’ll wish to spend money on a password supervisor that features administration options that may deal with lots of of accounts and customers. With 1000’s of credentials to sift by means of, having options like role-based entry or tags administration can save your enterprise a number of money and time.
Lastly, take into account price in accordance with the options your enterprise truly wants. If you happen to’re on the lookout for solely a password supervisor, a mid-tier subscription will do the trick. However if you’d like a complete answer, password managers bundled with different safety software program are price trying into.
Evaluation methodology
For this checklist of the very best open supply password managers, I prioritized merchandise with the very best stability of password administration options, pricing and real-world worth. Particularly, I checked out how every product talked about may gain advantage a particular kind of enterprise or use case.
By way of options, all of the password managers above present a wholesome set of subscription choices, viable two-factor authentication strategies and assist for a variety of platforms.
Whereas I had real-world expertise with a few of my picks above, I utilized consumer testimonials and third-party critiques to complement my evaluation of the choices I’ve but to check for myself.
