Buttercup for desktop is a beautifully-simple password manager designed to help manage your credentials. Buttercup uses very strong encryption to protect your sensitive details under a single master password - Feel free to use stronger and more complex passwords for each service and let Buttercup store them securely.
Publisher’s description
What is Buttercup?
Buttercup by MadDev is open-source Windows software in the password managers category. It ranks 10th by popularity among password managers in this catalogue. It is written in TypeScript.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.28.1, released on September 8, 2024. The version history goes back to February 6, 2018: 83 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 13 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old. The source repository has been archived, so further updates are unlikely.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 17,976 times. The source code on GitHub (buttercup/buttercup-desktop) has 4,383 stars. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .bcup. Similar programs include Bitwarden, KeePassXC and KeeWeb.
Project description on GitHub: “:key: Cross-Platform Passwords & Secrets Vault”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 13 a year)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
- Source repository archived
In short: Buttercup is an open-source password manager tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Buttercup safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
F1F66B7A7BFECCC717402696C936B311B3983D5545606EF73102D2475BA6BA50· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the buttercup/buttercup-desktop repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Security policy9
- Pinned dependencies4
- Code review3
- Actively maintained0
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 83 versions ›83 versions over 7 years · about 13 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.28.1Latest | September 8, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.28.0 | August 9, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.27.0 | March 12, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.26.1 | March 12, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.24.4 | December 16, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.24.3 | December 14, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.23.1 | December 9, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.23.0 | November 28, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Buttercup.Buttercup -echoco install buttercup -yscoop install extras/buttercupButtercup-win-x64-2.28.1-installer.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- MadDev
- Category
- Password managers
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/buttercup/buttercup-desktop
- Written in
- TypeScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 2.28.1
- Released
- September 8, 2024
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 83
- Updates / year
- 12.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 17,976
- GitHub stars
- 4,383
- GitHub forks
- 341
- Website
- buttercup.pw
- winget ID
- Buttercup.Buttercup
- Chocolatey package
- buttercup
- Scoop package
- extras/buttercup
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Buttercup
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Frequently asked questions
Is Buttercup free?
Yes. Buttercup is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is Buttercup safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Buttercup with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Buttercup be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Buttercup run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Buttercup?
The versions page lists all 83 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 6, 2018.
Can I use Buttercup without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Buttercup?
Bitwarden, KeePassXC, KeeWeb, 1Password and Password Safe. The alternatives page compares them.
