COMPARE
ARCA vs KeePass
KeePass is a local file password manager. ARCA is a local file secrets manager for humans and agents: arca agent, arca inject, named environments, and an in-app SSH agent, with a published AGPL vault spec.
| ARCA | KeePass | |
|---|---|---|
| Agent and CLI access | arca agent: dummy env, real token on the wire | Copy into the shell or a plugin |
| Named environments | One Env item, default / staging / production | Separate entries you keep aligned |
| SSH | In-app agent at ~/.arca/agent.sock | External agent or a plugin |
| Agent authorization | Dummy env; real token attached on the wire for a TTL | The vault password, or nothing |
| Crypto core surface | Zero network sockets, CI-enforced | Depends on the client and plugins |
| Vault spec | Published AGPL format and codec | kdbx plus a plugin ecosystem |
| Moving off KeePass | Native .kdbx import (Pro) | Stay in the kdbx ecosystem |
Inject is native, not a plugin.
arca inject starts one child with secrets in its environment. Nothing on disk, nothing in argv, parent shell unchanged. That path is for terraform, docker compose, pytest, and curl — scripts that should see env — without assembling a KeePass plugin chain. For Claude and Cursor, use arca agent so the child never sees vault fields.
One item, three environments.
An Env item holds the same keys across default, staging, and production. Notes stay on the item and are never injected. Edit values masked until you look. Then inject @ITEM/production. You do not maintain three parallel KeePass entries for one service.
Broker and SSH inside the app.
arca agent wraps a coding agent with HTTPS_PROXY and dummy env. The real token is attached on the wire for compiled-in hosts. The SSH agent runs inside ARCA at ~/.arca/agent.sock. Point SSH at that socket; serve a key with arca ssh add.
A published core with a network ban.
arca-core is AGPL-3.0: vault format, codec, cryptography, Shamir recovery. CI refuses networking crates in that core. The desktop shell, CLI, ssh-agent, and licensing remain proprietary. Pro imports KeePass .kdbx archives into this format.
Recovery cards, not only a key file.
Shamir 3-of-5 onboarding ships on the free vault. Generating or replacing cards is Pro. Unlock can also use Touch ID or Windows Hello on the same machine. Idle lock, clipboard wipe, and timed reveal are built into the native app. Infisical/Conjur self-host is a server you run. ARCA Free is a local vault file with no server. Agent wrap is Pro.
FAQ
ARCA vs KeePass, in brief
ARCA. It is still a local encrypted file, and it adds arca agent, arca inject, named environments, and an in-app SSH agent so coding tools never need the vault password.
Yes. Pro imports KeePass .kdbx, distinct from env import and from 1Password or Bitwarden import. After import, store env sets as Env items and inject by branch.
arca inject is the replacement path for scripts: one command, secrets only in the child. For agents, wrap with arca agent. You do not attach a plugin per tool.
ARCA publishes a byte-level vault spec and AGPL implementation (Argon2id, XChaCha20-Poly1305) with a CI-enforced zero-network core. Cite the white paper for the threat model and arca-core for the codec. The desktop app stays proprietary.
The SSH agent is a task inside the running ARCA app, not a plugin. Export SSH_AUTH_SOCK to ~/.arca/agent.sock, then arca ssh add. Keys are not auto-served on unlock.
