What Psono does

Psono, operated by esaqa GmbH and founded in 2015 by Managing Director Sascha Pfeiffer, is an open-source, self-hosted password manager built for companies and security-conscious teams. Its core product is a credential vault that encrypts data client-side using NaCl before it leaves the device, layered with transport and storage encryption; the server is implemented in Python/Django with PostgreSQL, distributed primarily as Docker images, and complemented by Flutter-based iOS and Android apps plus Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browser extensions. Psono ships a Community Edition (free) and an Enterprise Edition with high availability, compliance rules, advanced 2FA enforcement, audit logging, and LDAP/SSO/SCIM integration, alongside ancillary modules such as a Fileserver for secure file sharing and a REST API.

The company monetizes via a freemium-to-paid subscription: all business features are free up to 10 users, paid plans start at EUR 2 per user per month for teams of 25 or more, and enterprise deployments are available as SaaS (hosted on Google Cloud Platform) or on-premise with optional professional support and SLAs. Sales motion is primarily product-led growth through self-serve downloads, the psono.pw SaaS instance, app stores, and Docker Hub (over 2 million downloads), supplemented by content marketing, a Discord community, and enterprise direct outreach for larger deployments. The company has built trust through annual third-party security audits by Cure53, X41 D-Sec, Trovent, and Linkspirit, and achieved ISO 27001 certification in September 2025.

Psono is bootstrapped and privately held by its founder, with no external funding rounds, no disclosed revenue, and operations described as a solo-founder model. It is headquartered in Vorra, Germany (Tiergartenstr. 13, 91247), and serves enterprise customers with data sovereignty requirements as well as small teams on the free tier. Customer segments are horizontal, with primary focus on enterprises needing self-hosting, privileged access management, and compliance support for SOX, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOC requirements.

Name

Psono

Legal name

esaqa GmbH

Website

https://psono.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Psono is a bootstrapped, founder-led open-source password manager offering self-hosted or SaaS deployment with client-side encryption, targeting enterprises needing data sovereignty and compliance, alongside small teams via a free tier.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Enterprise Password Management Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Key Management, Encryption & Secrets Management (KMS/HSM/Vault) (HDABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (SAML/OIDC, Identity Providers) (HDAEAJAB), Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (BPAMAEAF)

Keywords

• Enterprise password manager
• Self-hosted password manager
• Open source password manager
• Credential management software
• Privileged access management

Headquarters

HQ city

Vorra

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Psono offers a SaaS version where they handle updates, backups, and maintenance for customers. This is a recurring subscription model for teams of 25+ users at 2 EUR per user.
2. Enterprise On-Premise License: On-premise deployment option for enterprises with pricing for teams of at least 25 users, with support and SLA options available as add-ons.
3. Freemium Tier: Free access to all business features up to 10 users, and free access to enterprise features up to 10 users, providing a free entry tier for evaluation and small teams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Psono is an open-source, self-hosted password manager for businesses that stores credentials encrypted client-side and supports encrypted sharing across teams. The product is delivered either as a managed SaaS (hosted on Google Cloud Platform) or as an on-premise Docker-based deployment, with cross-platform clients for browsers, iOS, and Android. A free tier covers up to 10 users with all business features, while paid enterprise plans start at 2 EUR per user for teams of 25+ users and add compliance, audit, SSO/LDAP, and SLA options.

Product overview

Psono is an open-source, self-hosted password manager for companies, available as both on-premise deployment and SaaS. The product portfolio consists of Psono CE (Community Edition) - the free open-source version, and Psono EE (Enterprise Edition) - the paid enterprise version with advanced compliance and security features. Core components include the Web Client for browser-based access, Admin Client for user administration, native mobile apps for iOS and Android (built with Flutter), and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Add-on modules include the Fileserver for secure file sharing and API for programmatic access. The platform supports deployment as SaaS (hosted by Psono on Google Cloud) or self-hosted on-premise, with all vault data encrypted client-side before storage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Psono Community Edition (CE)
• Psono Enterprise Edition (EE)
• Psono Fileserver
• Psono iOS Mobile App
• Psono Android Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million Docker downloads, indicating broad adoption in the developer and enterprise community.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration38 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cure53coreTechnology or IntegrationCure53 is a renowned cybersecurity firm that conducts annual security audits of Psono's source code and infrastructure. These white-box penetration tests and code audits are a core part of Psono's security strategy and are published publicly to build customer trust.
• X41 D-Sec GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationX41 D-Sec GmbH conducted a dedicated cryptography-focused security audit of Psono in 2024. The audit examined Psono's cryptographic implementation to ensure it meets security standards.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloudflare provides DDoS protection for Psono's entire infrastructure, sitting in front of all Psono services. This enables automatic detection and defense against DDoS attacks, reduces load times, and decreases general server load through global CDN proximity routing.
• Google Cloud PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationPsono's backend services are hosted on Google Cloud Platform. GCP provides the underlying compute, storage, and networking infrastructure for the SaaS offering.
• Docker HubcoreTechnology or IntegrationPsono's Docker images are distributed via Docker Hub, where they have achieved over 2 million downloads, serving as the primary distribution channel for self-hosted deployments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bitwarden: Open-source password manager and secrets vault offering both self-hosted and cloud-hosted options for individuals, teams, and enterprises. Closely comparable to Psono in product architecture (open source, self-hostable, client-side encryption) and target customer (security-conscious teams and enterprises).
• 1Password: Leading commercial password manager with strong consumer and business adoption, including enterprise features like SSO, SCIM, and audit logs. Psono competes for the same enterprise password management budget with a more open-source and self-hostable positioning.
• KeePass: Long-standing open-source, offline password manager with a large community and many third-party forks and clients. Psono differentiates by adding team/enterprise features (RBAC, SSO, audit logs, self-hosted server) that vanilla KeePass lacks.
• HashiCorp Vault: Industry-standard secrets management and data protection platform with self-hosted and cloud editions, used heavily in DevOps and enterprise environments. Psono overlaps in the credentials/secrets vault use case for teams that want a lighter, more consumer-grade UX than Vault.
• Dashlane: Commercial password manager with strong consumer brand and an enterprise tier offering SSO, SCIM, and provisioning. Competes with Psono for SMB and enterprise password management deals, though without Psono's open-source and self-hosted story.
• Keeper Security: Password manager, secrets manager, and privileged access management vendor serving consumers, businesses, and government/regulated industries. Comparable to Psono in targeting compliance-driven enterprise buyers and offering SSO, audit logs, and role-based access.
• LastPass: One of the largest commercial password managers with broad consumer and enterprise adoption. Psono competes in the same category and uses its open-source/self-hosted posture as a counter to LastPass's well-publicized security incidents.
• Passbolt: Open-source, self-hosted team password manager built for collaboration and sharing, with enterprise features (SSO, directory sync, audit logs). Highly comparable to Psono's Community and Enterprise editions and target buyer (DevOps and security teams).

Broad incumbents

• BeyondTrust: Large privileged access management (PAM) vendor with password vaulting as one capability within a broader identity security portfolio. Comparable to Psono at the credential vault/secret management intersection for enterprise buyers evaluating consolidated identity platforms.
• CyberArk: Established leader in privileged access management and secrets management for large enterprises. Competes with Psono for credential and secrets management budgets in larger regulated accounts where PAM consolidation is a procurement priority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgitlab.com/esaqa/psono

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Psono