About MacPass
MacPass is a native macOS client for KeePass databases in the kdbx format. It started as an attempt to provide a good-looking, feature-complete KeePass client for the Mac, and its author says no other native macOS client is fully open source. After a period with few updates, the maintainer says they hope to revive it.
Topics mention auto-type, kdbx and plugins. The README includes security notes: users should upgrade to version 0.8.2 or later, disable automatic plugin updates on older versions, and keep the default setting that refuses unsigned or wrongly signed plugins. Releases should be taken only from the official GitHub page, since an old website domain was dropped and the site now lives at macpass.app.
Pre-built releases and an unsigned continuous build are available on GitHub, and building from source needs Carthage and Xcode. MacPass is written in Objective-C, and the repository lists the license as Other, so check the licence file. It suits Mac users who keep their passwords in a KeePass-compatible file.
Key features
- Native macOS KeePass client
- Support for kdbx databases
- Auto-type for filling credentials
- Signed plugin system
- Continuous builds on GitHub
- Open-source Objective-C codebase
Good fit for
- →Using a KeePass vault on a Mac
- →Native alternative to cross-platform KeePass ports
- →Local, file-based password management
- Built with
- Objective-C
- Tags
- password-manager
- keepass
- macos
- kdbx
- autotype
- objective-c
- native-app
- security
MacPass: questions and answers
- What is MacPass used for?
- MacPass is a native macOS client for KeePass password databases, written in Objective-C with auto-type and plugin support. It is a good fit for using a KeePass vault on a Mac; and local, file-based password management.
- Is MacPass open source?
- Yes. MacPass is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at MacPass/MacPass and is written mainly in Objective-C.
- Is MacPass free?
- Yes. MacPass is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
- Can I self-host MacPass?
- Yes. MacPass can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
- What is MacPass an alternative to?
- MacPass is an open-source alternative to Dashlane, Keeper, Sticky Password and Steganos Password Manager. Other open-source alternatives to Dashlane include KeePassXC, AuthPass and Strongbox.
- Is MacPass actively maintained?
- Yes. The most recent commit to MacPass was on 23 September 2026, and the latest release is 0.8.2, published on 4 September 2026. The project has 6.9k stars on GitHub.
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