Strongbox - Password Manager

This app is my go-to password app, even with Passwords from Apple now available. I’ve used the competitive products, too, spent weeks looking at and reviewing alternatives, and what stands out for Strongbox is the cross-platform and cross-product support with very fair pricing. By using a standard database format, I can see my passwords and other protected data on every platform I have to use it on, even though I may use different apps (e.g., KeePass or KeePassXC) on others. I regularly use features like iCloud sharing, TOTP passwords, expiration dates, hardware keys, key files, virtual keys, secure notes, and more. The developer is incredibly responsive, even keeping the program updated during a new OS beta. For example, a change in Apple’s iPadOS and iOS in the most recent beta last Monday caused the apps to crash, and Mark had it fixed and pushed out through the App Store by the weekend. This is such a welcome change from so many other small (or even large) developers who wash their hands of betas and then take weeks after a new product update is rolled out before releasing a fix. If you’re looking for a good password app that doesn’t lock you in and has a responsive developer, you’d be hard pressed to do better.

TL;DR: a fantastic iOS password manager, better than Keepassium (when I last evaluated them side-by-side). Auto-sync, speedy even with large databases and with a boatload of features including for us advanced users. The developers are extremely responsive and keep everything in good working order with frequent bug fix updates and new features. Earlier this year, I was looking to move away from 1Password and their online vaults. I ultimately decided on something KeePass-compatible. Within that category, Keepassium and Strongbox are basically the only serious contenders, and Strongbox is superior for several key reasons (details below). Deciding factors: Ultimately I chose Strongbox over Keepassium for two major reasons. 1. Strongbox is more memory-efficient. My database is almost 5M and Keepassium would sometimes run out of memory. Strongbox handles my library well: it’s speedy and responsive. 2. Merge sync! I modify my database on multiple devices on a daily basis and sync using iCloud. My understanding of Strongbox features is that, instead of uploading/downloading the entire database, Strongbox will only read/write the elements that have changed. This is an indispensable feature if you use multiple devices! I should also mention that both Strongbox and Keepassium are both excellent in the way they handle network disruption. Online or offline, things “just work”. Pro tip: use KeePassXC to migrate from your 1Password vault to a KeePass-compatible vault WITHOUT having to export all your 1Password stuff to an unencrypted format.

This app is the one I use the most on my iPad - my personal #1 app. A good password manager makes daily use so much easier and is essential for your own security. I use it not only for passwords, but also for other sensitive information (e.g. ID data) that should not be stored unprotected. What makes this password manager stand out: - I don't know of any password manager with a better feature set (and I've tested many). - The product is actively supported. The developer takes suggestions for improvement and makes the app even better with each release. - There is no compulsion to use a vendor cloud solution. A cloud solution - however it is designed - always has the potential security risk of a design flaw or hack! That is not the case here. - The password database is stored using an open database format. There are open source solutions for access on any platform. So access / export of your own password database is always guaranteed. With many other proprietary solutions you have a vendor lock-in after a very short time, you cannot export your data. Migrating hundreds of passwords manually is not an option. If such a vendor would stop providing the service you would have a big problem - and we are not talking about loosing access to some cloud stored holiday pictures.