FAQs
Questions, answered directly
Short, factual answers — no marketing detour.
What is Bevel Keys?+
Bevel Keys is a local-first password manager for Mac. It stores your logins in an encrypted vault on your computer and does not require a Bevel Keys cloud account to unlock your passwords.
Is Bevel Keys a password manager for Mac?+
Yes. It is a native macOS app (macOS 14+) with a local encrypted vault on your Mac.
Is Bevel Keys free?+
Yes. Bevel Keys Free includes the local encrypted vault with a 100-login limit. Premium is a one-time purchase for unlimited logins and the Chrome/Brave extension with autofill.
Is there a free password manager for Mac with no subscription?+
Bevel Keys Free is $0 with a local vault on your Mac. Premium is a one-time unlock — not a monthly subscription.
Does Bevel Keys store my passwords in the cloud?+
Bevel Keys is designed as a local Mac vault. You unlock on your Mac; there is no Bevel Keys account required to open your vault.
Is Bevel Keys a local or offline password manager?+
Yes. The vault lives on your Mac, and day-to-day unlock is designed to work offline.
How is Bevel Keys different from iCloud Keychain?+
iCloud Keychain is built for Apple-account sync and website/app logins. It’s not designed as a place for project secrets — API keys, env file contents, or notes per startup. Bevel Keys is a local encrypted vault on your Mac for that workflow: logins plus the keys and env details that sit next to a side project or early product. (Mac only today; it doesn’t replace Keychain’s iPhone sync.)
How is Bevel Keys different from 1Password and other password managers?+
Most password managers are subscription SaaS products that charge monthly or annually. Bevel Keys is a one-time purchase with a local vault on your Mac — aimed at people running side projects or early startups who want one place for login details and project secrets: API keys, env file content, and related notes.
Where should I store API keys on a Mac?+
In an encrypted vault — not in plaintext notes or committed env files. Bevel Keys keeps API keys and env-related notes in category notepads next to project logins.
Can I use Bevel Keys on more than one Mac?+
Bevel Keys doesn’t sync through a Bevel Keys cloud account. To move your vault to another Mac, create an encrypted backup, put that backup in a folder you control (including a cloud folder like iCloud Drive or Dropbox if you want), then restore it on the other Mac and unlock with your master password. That copies the vault — it isn’t continuous two-way sync. Dropbox or iCloud syncing a backup folder moves backup files when you create them; it does not keep two open Bevel Keys apps in live sync.
What happens if I forget my master password?+
Use your 12-word recovery phrase. Keep that phrase offline. If you lose the master password and the recovery phrase, Bevel Keys cannot reset access for you.
Does Bevel Keys work offline?+
Yes. Local vault unlock and use are designed to work offline on your Mac.
Can I import passwords from another manager?+
Yes. Use Bevel Keys' CSV template to bulk-add email accounts and logins into your vault.
Does Premium require a subscription?+
Premium is positioned as a one-time unlock — confirm the exact terms at the store listing at launch — not a monthly subscription.
Is there a Windows or Android app?+
Bevel Keys v1 focuses on macOS. Other platforms are not the current homepage promise.
Where do I get support?+
Use the contact form on the About page. We reply by email.