Comment by jptech | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jptech | Hacker News Reader

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> I would inevitably run into a sync issues

Could it be that you weren't using it correctly? KeePass database files aren't supposed to remain open (for security of course) and it has quite a number of options to automatically close it after certain amount of time or when the window isn't focus, computer is locked, etc. This would trigger a sync with the (NC) server and assuming that all your clients follow the same usage pattern and close the DB after a small window of time, there shouldn't be any conflict.

> NextCloud to be always up of course, also self-hosted

You could use NextCloud's own hosting. But then Bitwarden's server needs to always be up too, and optionally self-hosted.

> Bitwarden just works

A low bar to recommend a password manager, don't you think so?

My remarks are from the self hosting perspective. To ensure an up-to-date KeePassXC db across all my devices I needed Nextcloud to always be reachable. KeePassXC was not smart about sync, so add one pw on a device before syncing, add one on another and you have two divergent databases that you have to manual reconcile. Bitwarden does not have this issue, and it also keeps itself synced, even if I only set up the add-on in the browser (with KeePassXC you always need the full program installed). With KeePass(XC) it's just an extra layer you need to be aware of, decoupling sync from the db.

For me BW has always just worked, meanwhile I have several KeePassXC dbs with a date in their name because of conflicts. Which arguably is because of NextCloud issues, which are my own "fault" (issues include, on work PC file sync services are not allowed, on Server somehow NC disconnects after every container update, since it is "headless" I often notice this very late, the shitty state of NC client packaging on Ubuntu will let you install very old clients that may stop syncing, you need to be aware of this... etc). Perhaps KeePass(XC) just works if you outsource syncing, but then still, it is easier to have sync conflicts than with BW.

And then there is the ability to share PWs with relatives with a BW account on the same server, KeePass does not have this concept as far as I am aware.

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