Can you export your password vault on a free plan?
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The Short Answer
- KeePassXC — KeePassXC has no pricing tiers to gate anything — "No cloud, no ads, no subscriptions" — and its User Guide documents CSV, XML and HTML export from a .kdbx file that already sits on your disk.
- Bitwarden — Bitwarden's export help page documents ".json (plaintext)", ".csv (plaintext)", ".json (Encrypted)" and ".zip (with attachments)" without naming a plan, and the free tier includes "Unlimited devices, unlimited passwords".
- Proton Pass — Proton Pass's comparison table marks "Automatic sync across all devices" as included for Proton Free, and its export article offers an encrypted ZIP, an unencrypted ZIP or a CSV with no plan restriction stated.
- 1Password — 1Password states it is "free to try for 14 days" and offers no permanent free tier, so its .1pux and CSV exports exist only for as long as somebody is paying.
| Product | Best for | From | Free plan | Free-plan vault export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KeePassXC | The vault is already a file you own | Free only | Yes | Vault exports free |
| Bitwarden | Four export formats, no plan condition | $1.65/mo (annual) | Yes | Vault exports free |
| Proton Pass | Free sync marked included, export documented separately | $2.99/mo (annual) | Yes | Vault exports free |
| 1Password | No free plan to export from | $2.99/mo (annual) | No | Payment to export |
The first category where most of them hand it over
Twenty-odd categories into this site, the usual finding is that the free plan withholds the one artefact you came for. Resume builders paywall the finished PDF. Logo makers hand back a raster. Video tools stamp the clip. The free tier is generally a demonstration of the paid tier’s absence.
Password managers break the pattern, and three of the four here export the entire vault at no cost. That is not generosity, and reading it as a favour misunderstands the market. A password manager competes on the promise that it will not become the place your credentials are trapped, because everyone considering one is, by definition, in the middle of moving from somewhere else. Import is a sales feature; export is what makes import credible. A manager that made leaving hard would be advertising exactly the condition its customers are trying to escape.
So the norm here stands the other way up: interoperability is the competitive condition, not the concession. Which makes the one exception worth naming precisely — 1Password does not restrict export either. It restricts being a customer for free.
What we read, and the weaker link in it
On 6 August 2026 we read four vendors’ own pages. Three verdicts rest on export articles that document the formats and state no plan condition at all, which is not the same evidence as a pricing table with a checkmark in the free column.
The absence of a restriction is weaker than the presence of a permission. Bitwarden’s export page
describes the process for the “individual vault” and never mentions tiers; Proton Pass’s export
article lists three formats and never mentions tiers. In both cases the most likely reading is
that export is universal — help centres do not usually omit a paywall — but it is a reading, and
we would rather say so than let a yours verdict imply a sentence that nobody wrote.
Proton Pass is the firmest of the three, because its free-tier sync is not inferred: the comparison table marks “Automatic sync across all devices” as included for Proton Free in the same row as the paid plans.
The vault is already a file you own
1. KeePassXC — The vault is already a file you own
The only product here with no vendor between you and the file.
Best for A modern, secure, and open-source password manager
From Free only. Free plan: KeePassXC is free, open-source desktop software with no vendor pricing plans. Site states: "The source code is completely open source under the GPLv3 license" and "No cloud, no ads, no subscriptions." The vault is a local ".kdbx" database file stored wherever the user chooses — the site states passwords are kept "in an offline, encrypted file that can be stored in any location, including private and public cloud solutions," i.e. the user supplies their own storage/sync location; KeePassXC itself does not host or sync the file..
The User Guide's "Exporting Databases" section states: "KeePassXC supports multiple ways to export your database for transfer to another program... CSV export... XML export... HTML export," each with stated limitations (e.g. "the CSV export does not support attachments, advanced attributes, Auto-Type settings, or custom icons"). There is no payment tier at all, so nothing is gated. The vault itself is a local .kdbx file the user already owns and controls, and it can additionally be exported to CSV/XML/HTML for use in another program. KeePassXC has no built-in cross-device sync — the site frames the file as portable to "any location, including private and public cloud solutions" that the user sets up themselves.
Pros
- Entirely free and open source under GPLv3 — no plan or payment ever gates any feature
- User Guide documents three concrete export formats (CSV, XML, HTML) with their exact stated limitations
- The vault (.kdbx) is already a local file fully owned by the user, not vendor-hosted
Skip it if
- No built-in device sync — the vendor is explicit the user must supply their own storage/sync location (e.g. a cloud-synced folder)
- The User Guide's own CSV export warning states it "does not support attachments, advanced attributes, Auto-Type settings, or custom icons"
- The site never states an official recommended sync method — it only names "private and public cloud solutions" generically
Four export formats, no plan condition
2. Bitwarden — Four export formats, no plan condition
The most export formats of the hosted managers, including an encrypted one.
From $1.65/mo (annual). Free plan: Page states: "Get basic password management today. Always free." ($0/month). Elsewhere on the same page, a feature card headed "Access and Sharing" lists "Unlimited devices, unlimited passwords", "Browser, Mobile, Desktop apps", "Free sharing with another user", and "Bitwarden Send" — this card is not explicitly scoped to a single tier on the page, but its wording ("Free sharing") matches the free-tier feature set. No numeric item-count or storage limit is stated for Free..
- Premium — $1.65/mo billed annually · 1 seat (Priced as "Premium Monthly (Billed Annually)" = $1.65/mo, i.e. $19.80/yr. No separate month-to-month price is shown on the page.)
- Families — $3.99/mo billed annually · 6 seats (Priced as "Families Monthly (Billed Annually)" = $3.99/mo, i.e. $47.88/yr, for 6 premium accounts. No month-to-month price shown.)
The Bitwarden export help page states supported formats are ".json (plaintext)", ".csv (plaintext)", ".json (Encrypted)", and ".zip (with attachments)", and describes the export process for the "individual vault" with no plan restriction stated anywhere on the page. The pricing page separately states the free plan gets "Unlimited devices, unlimited passwords", which covers device sync. Together: free-tier export in an interoperable format (CSV/JSON) plus free-tier multi-device sync are both vendor-stated.
Pros
- Export help page documents CSV and JSON formats with no plan gate mentioned anywhere in the text
- Pricing page explicitly states free-tier "Unlimited devices, unlimited passwords"
- Premium is inexpensive at $1.65/mo (billed annually, $19.80/yr) per the pricing page
Skip it if
- The pricing page never states a numeric login/item limit for the Free plan
- The "Free sharing with another user" feature line is shown in a general feature card, not inside a clearly Free-labeled card, so its plan scope required interpretation
- No month-to-month billing option is shown for Premium or Families on the pricing page — annual billing only
Free sync marked included, export documented separately
3. Proton Pass — Free sync marked included, export documented separately
The only one whose free-tier sync is stated in a comparison table rather than inferred.
Best for The best free password manager
From $2.99/mo (annual). Free plan: "Proton Free" — $0.00/month. Page lists: "Unlimited logins, notes and credit cards", "Unlimited devices", "Browser, mobile, and desktop apps", "Password generator", "10 hide-my-email aliases", "Alerts for weak and reused passwords", "Passkeys supported on all devices", "Easy password import". The comparison table (same page) further states Free gets "1 GB" storage, "2 vaults", and can "Securely share vaults" with "2 others"; "Securely share individual items" is NOT marked Included for Free (only for paid tiers)..
- Pass Plus — $2.99/mo billed annually · 1 seat (Displayed as "40% OFF": $2.99/month billed annually ("Billed at $35.88 every 12 months"), crossed out against $4.99/month. Monthly (non-annual) billing price could not be confirmed — a click on the page's "Monthly" toggle did not reliably re-render in this session, so it is left null rather than guessed.)
- Pass Family — $4.99/mo billed annually · 6 seats (Displayed as "29% OFF": $4.99/month billed annually ("Billed at $59.88 every 12 months"), crossed out against $6.99/month, for "6 Pass Plus accounts." Non-annual monthly price not confirmed.)
- Proton Unlimited — $9.99/mo billed annually · 1 seat (Displayed as "23% OFF": $9.99/month billed annually ("Billed at $119.88 every 12 months"), crossed out against $12.99/month. Bundles Pass, Mail, Calendar, VPN, Drive. Non-annual monthly price not confirmed.)
The pricing page's plan-comparison table marks "Automatic sync across all devices" as "Included" for Proton Free specifically (same row, same status as all paid tiers). The separate export support article states you can export via "our browser extensions, web app, and Windows app" (not mobile) as "A ZIP file containing a PGP-encrypted JSON file", "An unencrypted ZIP file", or "A CSV file", and does not state any plan restriction. Together, free-tier sync plus an unencrypted CSV/JSON export path satisfy the axis.
Pros
- Pricing comparison table explicitly marks device sync as "Included" on the Free row
- Export support article documents CSV and unencrypted-ZIP formats with no plan gate stated
- Free plan states unlimited logins/notes/cards and unlimited devices
Skip it if
- The export support article never states whether export is restricted on Free vs paid — this is an omission, not a confirmation
- Export is not available from Proton Pass mobile apps, per the support article
- Pricing page numbers required a live browser render with currency switched to USD — static HTML alone returns no prices
No free plan to export from
4. 1Password — No free plan to export from
Documents export carefully, and sells the account it runs from.
From $2.99/mo (annual). No free plan.
- Individual — $4.99/mo, or $2.99/mo billed annually · 1 seat (Page currently displays $2.99/mo billed annually, shown crossed out against a regular $3.99/mo (a promotional discount); $4.99/mo is the month-to-month price. Meta description on the same page states "Individual from $3.99/month" as the standard reference rate.)
- Families — $7.99/mo, or $4.49/mo billed annually · 5 seats (Page currently displays $4.49/mo billed annually (promotional), crossed out against a regular $5.99/mo; $7.99/mo is the month-to-month price. Page states "Invite up to 5 family members" and meta description says "Families from $5.99/month for up to 5 members.")
The pricing page states 1Password offers no free plan, only a "14-day free trial" ("1Password is free to try for 14 days"). The support export article states 1Password 8 exports to "1Password Unencrypted Export (.1pux) format" or CSV (CSV "can only export Login and Password items"), and warns "Exported data files are not encrypted. They are stored in plaintext." Since there is no permanent free tier, any export capability sits behind a paid subscription (or a time-limited trial), so exporting-to-leave requires payment once the trial ends.
Pros
- Export help page names a documented interoperable format (.1pux, and CSV for logins/passwords)
- Pricing page is explicit that there is no free plan, only a stated 14-day trial — no ambiguity
- Families plan states "up to 5 family members" explicitly
Skip it if
- No free plan at all — the vendor's own pricing page never lists one
- The export support article never states whether export works during the trial or requires an active paid subscription
- SSO-authenticated accounts cannot export unless an admin disables that restriction, per the support page
What this means if you are choosing today
If you want the vault to outlive any company’s business decisions, KeePassXC ends the argument — at the cost of arranging your own syncing, which is real work and not for everyone.
If you want hosted convenience without giving up the exit, Bitwarden and Proton Pass both give you multi-device sync free and both document a way out. Bitwarden offers more export formats; Proton Pass has the better-evidenced free-sync claim.
1Password is a good product with a documented export path and no free tier. That is a pricing decision, not a lock-in one, and it belongs in this table because the question we ask is what a free plan lets you keep — and here the answer is that there is no free plan.
Whichever you pick, run the export once in the first week, while the vault is small, and open the file. An export you have never opened is a belief, not a backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which password manager lets you leave without paying?
Bitwarden, Proton Pass and KeePassXC all do, on the vendors' own documentation. KeePassXC is the strongest case because the question barely applies: the vault is a local .kdbx file you already hold, and the site states "No cloud, no ads, no subscriptions." Bitwarden and Proton Pass are hosted, but both publish export instructions that name no plan requirement.
Does 1Password have a free plan?
No. Its own pricing page offers a 14-day trial — "1Password is free to try for 14 days" — and then Individual at $2.99 a month billed annually. 1Password does document export thoroughly, to ".1pux" or CSV, so this is not a lock-in complaint. It is simply that there is no permanent free tier from which to run that export.
Is a CSV export of a password vault safe?
It is plaintext, and 1Password says so outright in its own support article: "Exported data files are not encrypted. They are stored in plaintext." That warning applies to every CSV export in this comparison. Bitwarden and Proton Pass both also offer an encrypted export format, which is the one to prefer unless the destination manager cannot read it.
Is free-tier export the same as free-tier sync?
No, and separating them matters here. An export you can only run on one machine is a backup, not portability. Bitwarden's free plan states "Unlimited devices" and Proton Pass's table marks free sync as included, so both give you the vault on more than one device without paying. KeePassXC deliberately does not sync at all — you supply your own file syncing.
Did you actually run these exports?
No. Every verdict here was read on the vendor's own help documentation or pricing page on 6 August 2026 and is labelled as read, not run. That distinction carries more weight in this category than usual, and the article explains why below.
How We Keep This Updated
Prices move and vendors rewrite their plan tables, so every value on this page carries the date we read it. When a page changes, the change lands here rather than being edited away quietly. The procedure is on the methodology page. tell us and we will re-check it.
- 2026-08-06 — First published. Export capabilities read on each vendor's own help documentation; KeePassXC's licence confirmed against the LICENSE file in the project's own repository.