Pricing
One license, paid once.
Use every feature free for 30 days. After that, $49 buys a perpetual license for your personal computers, with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Trial
Free
30 days, every feature
- macOS and Windows
- No account or card
- Your vault carries over when you buy
Perpetual license
$49
One payment, no renewal
- All your personal computers
- Every 1.x update
- Email support from the developers
- Discounted major upgrades
For comparison, 1Password Individual cost $4.99 on its monthly plan in August 2026. At that rate, Buddy pays for itself in under ten months.
What $49 covers
- Updates
- Every 1.x feature and fix, installed by the in-app updater.
- Your computers
- Activate it on the Macs and PCs you use. If you run out of activations, ask and we will raise the limit.
- Offline use
- The license is a signed token that Buddy verifies on your machine, so the app keeps working without our servers.
- Support
- Write to us and the people who build Buddy reply. Every message gets an answer.
- Major versions
- A future 2.0 is optional and discounted for existing customers. Nothing about 1.x stops working.
- Refunds
- Within 7 days of purchase, for any reason. Feedback is welcome but not required.
Who Buddy suits
Buddy is a personal password manager for the computer you sit at. We would rather list the gaps here than have you find them after paying.
A good fit if
- You spend most of your day on a Mac or Windows PC.
- You want the vault file under your control.
- You are done renting personal software.
- You want an easier path than assembling a KeePass setup.
Look elsewhere if
- You need passwords on iPhone or Android.
- You expect automatic device-to-device sync.
- You share vaults with family or coworkers.
- You need passkeys or hardware-key support today.
Frequently asked questions
Is Buddy really a one-time purchase?
Yes. Buddy is $49 once, with no recurring payments. You'll receive a license key voucher you can redeem on a generous number of your own devices; if you ever run out of room, just ask and we'll raise it. This pricing model works for us because we don't have a large cloud compute bill to pay every month.
Your purchase includes support and updates for the current major version. Future major upgrades, if released, are optional.
Do I need to create an account?
No. If you decide to purchase Buddy, we'll need your email address for order processing, but creating an account is optional. You only need a valid license key to activate each installation of Buddy. No sign-in required.
What happens if I buy now and you release a new version?
Version 2.x isn't officially even on the roadmap yet. We're primarily interested in supporting and improving 1.x for the time being.
What happens if Buddy shuts down?
Your vault is still yours.
Buddy stores your passwords locally, not on a company server, and doesn't require an internet connection for ongoing use. Your license is a signed token the app verifies offline, so it keeps working with no server to talk to. You can export your data at any time. The vault format is publicly documented, and the open-source break-glass tool can decrypt and export a vault independently of the Buddy desktop app.
Is Buddy open source?
Not completely. Buddy is commercial desktop software. Its Rust cryptography core, versioned vault specification and standalone recovery tool are open source under Apache-2.0, and the browser extension under GPL-3.0. The desktop interface, updater and licensing code remain closed. See every component and its license.
Has Buddy been independently audited?
Not yet. We publish the security model, exact cryptographic parameters, source for the security-sensitive core, and compatibility test vectors so the implementation can be inspected, but none of that is a substitute for a qualified independent audit. The audit report will be published when one is completed.
What if I forget my master password?
Buddy has no server-side reset or recovery path for a forgotten master password.
If Touch ID or Windows Hello is already configured on a device, the operating system may still let Buddy unlock there. Without the master password or an available biometric unlock, neither we nor anyone else can decrypt the vault. We recommend keeping the master password somewhere safe.
Can I move my passwords from another password manager?
Yes. Buddy imports from 1Password, Apple Passwords, LastPass, Bitwarden, Dashlane, Keeper, Proton Pass, Chrome, Firefox, or a plain CSV, with the format detected for you, so you can switch without starting over. The Apple Passwords file is the same one Safari exports on older macOS.
What browsers and devices does Buddy support?
Buddy runs on macOS and Windows. Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox add autofill, and the Chrome build also covers Edge, Brave and Arc. There are no mobile apps, and none are in development today.
What if I need help, or have a different question?
Use the contact form. It reaches the developers directly, and every message gets a reply.
Still deciding?
Tell us what's holding you back and we'll give you a straight answer.