I’m tired of trusting the cloud with my passwords – is it just me?
Hey Makers 👋,
I’ve been a user of cloud‑based password managers for years. But after the LastPass breach, and seeing more leaks every quarter, I started feeling uncomfortable. My passwords, my bank accounts, my private keys – all sitting on someone else’s server. Even if “zero‑knowledge” sounds great, I can’t verify it.
So I went the “offline” route. I tried pass (the standard Unix password manager) – but GPG is a nightmare for non‑tech folks. I also looked at Keepass, but the UI feels like it’s from 2005, and syncing between devices is clumsy.
Here’s what I really want:
Pure offline – no cloud, no sync, no account. My vault never leaves my laptop.
Strong encryption – AES‑256‑GCM + Argon2id, with memory‑zeroing for sensitive data.
Both GUI and CLI – because sometimes I just want to get a password quickly, other times I prefer a nice interface.
A smart password generator – not just random chars, but one that guarantees at least one char from each selected character set (so I don’t get a password with no digits and fail the website’s rule). And I’d love to see a real‑time strength bar with an estimated crack time – like “1.2 million years” – to help me trust the password I’m about to use.
No subscription – I’d rather pay once for a license tied to my device (offline, no call‑home).
I’m a solo developer, and I’ve started sketching out a Rust‑based tool called passlock that does exactly these things. But before I dive deep into coding, I want to validate if this is a real pain for others, or if I’m just being paranoid.
So, I’d love to hear from you:
Do you also worry about cloud‑based password managers? Or are you comfortable with them?
What’s your biggest frustration with offline options (like Keepass or pass)?
Would a tool like this – offline, dual‑interface – be something you’d consider using? Why or why not?
What feature would be a deal‑breaker for you (missing or present)?
I’m not selling anything – I just want to know if I’m building something useful. All honest feedback (critical or positive) is gold to me.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your thoughts! 🙏
Replies
I’ve felt the same. For me, keeping passwords under my control brings more confidence than relying entirely on someone else’s servers.
@scarlett_massey I’m not against the cloud, but I’ve started questioning how much trust I’m placing in it. Have you found a setup that keeps conveince without sacrificing control?
@scarlett_massey For me, the biggest concern isn't hacking alone, it's depending on a service I don't control. I've been exploring alternatives that let me keep ownership while staying organised.
@scarlett_massey @bryan_williamson3 Had this though more often lately. Convenience is great, but I’m becoming more conscious about where my most sensitive data lives.