Password managers have developed into necessary instruments for companies to maintain all their passwords safe. They retailer firm credentials in encrypted vaults, enable for simpler sharing inside groups and might be accessed through 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. Beneath this setup, the code isn’t modifiable and may solely be accessed by the seller itself.
SEE: Brute Power and Dictionary Assaults: A Information 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 go well with 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 a terrific overview of its execs and cons right here.
With that, I’ve created a listing of the perfect open supply password managers for groups and companies.
High open supply password managers for groups comparability
For a team-focused password supervisor, we need to give attention to options corresponding to two-factor authentication choices and supported platforms to make it as simple as attainable for group 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 through Mono; third-party Android, iOS and Blackberry apps | Free |
| Proton Move | Cloud | Authenticator apps, U2F or FIDO2 safety key | Conceal-my-email aliases | Home windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Courageous | $1.99 monthly, per consumer (Move 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 general open supply password supervisor
Bitwarden is a zero-knowledge password supervisor that may accommodate companies of any dimension. Apart from having a password generator and autofill capabilities, it additionally has team-based performance corresponding to consumer teams, occasion and audit logs and two-step logins through Duo.
Each its Groups and Enterprise plans additionally enable for limitless sharing of password collections, permitting group members to simply share credentials amongst one another.
SEE: How Do Password Managers Work and Why Do You Want 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 perfect general open supply password supervisor for its excessive degree mixture of safety, ease of use and reliability. It often undergoes unbiased safety audits and has a sterling popularity amongst its present customers. Whether or not you may have an enormous or small group, 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 possibility. Right here’s an summary of the costs and variations:
- Bitwarden Groups: $4 monthly, per consumer; consists of limitless sharing, consumer teams and API Entry.
- Bitwarden Enterprise: $6 monthly, per consumer; consists of 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 possibility and passwordless SSO for enterprises.
Execs
- Reasonably priced 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 may take a look at my full Bitwarden overview right here.
KeePass: Finest for small groups
KeePass is a well-liked decide 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 way 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 possibility for individuals who aren’t eager on having their passwords and different information saved on the cloud. Whereas its consumer interface isn’t essentially the most intuitive, it may be a strong software 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 primarily based password administration resolution. I discover this excellent for smaller groups that solely have to preserve monitor of some customers or companies that don’t need to depend on the cloud to retailer their delicate information.
Options
- AES-256 encryption.
- Offline, locally-stored password supervisor.
- Downloadable user-generated plugins that add options.
- Auto-type performance.
Execs
- Totally free password supervisor.
- Extremely customizable through plugins library.
- Trusted possibility; working since 2003.
Cons
- Requires technical know-how.
- Interface will not be beginner-friendly.
- Design is dated.
If you wish to study extra, you may take a look at my full KeePass overview right here.
Proton Move: Finest for bundled companies
For companies that need a complete safety resolution, contemplate Proton Move. Proton Move is a password supervisor from safety vendor Proton, which additionally affords 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 Secure to Use? (TechRepublic)
By itself, Proton Move 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 in your totally different accounts, thereby defending your foremost electronic mail handle.
Why we selected Proton Move
I picked Proton Move 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 trying to have an ecosystem of safety companies — ought to give Proton Move a glance.
Pricing
Proton Move 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 Move 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 Move options and all premium Proton companies (Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, Proton VPN).
In the meantime, its Enterprise tier has three plans: Proton Move Necessities, Enterprise and Enterprise. Right here’s a glimpse of the pricing and included options of every:
- Move Necessities: $1.99 monthly, per consumer (annual); limitless logins; limitless hide-my-email aliases; a number of vaults and built-in 2FA authenticator.
- Move 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 handle.
Execs
- Consumer information protected by sturdy Swiss privateness legal guidelines.
- A number of plan choices for various prospects.
- Could be bought alongside different Proton merchandise.
Cons
- SSO integration for Move Enterprise nonetheless within the works.
Whereas we’ve got but to totally overview Proton Move, we’ve got coated their VPN resolution — Proton VPN. You possibly can take a look at my full Proton VPN overview right 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 way 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 admire Passbolt’s transparency and dedication to communication with its consumer base. On its web site, they supply easy accessibility to audit studies and safety white papers about its product.
Why we selected Passbolt
I selected Passbolt for its management-focused options that would profit bigger companies or groups. Specifically, it affords 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 possibility for various kinds of companies with various wants.
Pricing
Passbolt has three tiers: Neighborhood, Enterprise and Enterprise. Right here’s a fast rundown of their costs and options:
- Neighborhood: Free (limitless customers); password sharing and teams administration; finest for groups transitioning from spreadsheets and different password managers.
- Enterprise: $49 monthly for 10 customers (as much as 250 customers); consists of tags administration, LDAP provisioning and SSO integration.
- Enterprise: Custom-made pricing; all Enterprise options and excessive availability consulting; catastrophe restoration consulting and customized options growth.
Options
- Position-based entry management.
- Customers and teams administration.
- Passwords administration and sharing.
- Neighborhood plan is free for limitless customers.
Execs
- Independently audited password supervisor.
- Bug bounty for many who need to audit Passbolt code.
- Choice to self-host or retailer on the cloud.
Cons
- Might not be fitted to smaller groups or companies.
- Could require technical experience to maximise.
How do I select the perfect open supply password supervisor for my enterprise?
Selecting the perfect open supply password supervisor will largely depend upon your enterprise’ construction and wishes.
By way of construction, smaller groups gained’t want as many team-based options like granular entry controls. On this case, you may look into offline password managers or cloud-based options which have easier however extra intuitive purposes.
For bigger companies, it’s possible you’ll need to put money into a password supervisor that features administration options that may deal with a whole bunch of accounts and customers. With hundreds of credentials to sift by way of, having options like role-based entry or tags administration can save your enterprise a number of money and time.
Lastly, contemplate price in accordance with the options your enterprise really wants. For those who’re searching for solely a password supervisor, a mid-tier subscription will do the trick. However if you need a complete resolution, password managers bundled with different safety software program are price wanting into.
Evaluate methodology
For this checklist of the perfect open supply password managers, I prioritized merchandise with the perfect stability of password administration options, pricing and real-world worth. Specifically, I checked out how every product talked about may benefit 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.
