Keybase is a key directory that maps social media identities to encryption keys (including, but not limited to PGP keys) in a publicly auditable manner. Additionally it offers an end-to-end encrypted chat and cloud storage system, called Keybase Chat and the Keybase Filesystem respectively. Files placed in the public portion of the filesystem are served from a public endpoint, as well as locally from a filesystem union-mounted by the Keybase client.
Keybase supports publicly connecting Twitter, GitHub, Reddit, and Hacker News identities, including websites and domains under one's control, to encryption keys. It also supports Bitcoin, Zcash, Stellar, and QRL wallet addresses. Keybase has supported Coinbase identities since initial public release, but ceased to do so on March 17, 2017, when Coinbase terminated public payment pages. In general, Keybase allows any service with public identities to integrate with Keybase.
What is Keybase?
Keybase by Keybase, Inc. is open-source Windows software in the encryption category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among encryption in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2014. It is written in Go, Electron, and CoffeeScript. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 281.5 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. It needs Windows 10 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 36,632 times. The source code on GitHub (keybase/client) has 9,260 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 4 of our languages. Similar programs include Cryptomator, GNU Privacy Guard and KopiaUI.
Project description on GitHub: “Keybase Go Library, Client, Service, OS X, iOS, Android, Electron”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on macOS, Linux and Android
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2014)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Keybase is an open-source encryption tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Keybase safe to download?
- The file is served by prerelease.keybase.io, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
268FA325FA12A2C1F94BA984DE63EC1C0BFFEE9A55AFA0E7D1448F7FB3628433· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- 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 keybase/client repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Restricted token permissions10
- Licence declared10
- Signed releases8
- No binaries in the repository5
- Code review3
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Pinned dependencies0
- 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 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6.3.3Latest | June 4, 2026 | 281.5 MB | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Keybase.Keybase -echoco install keybase -ymsiexec /i keybase_setup_amd64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {B61126FC-210F-4CCF-BDA4-32A7D885A4D6} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask keybaseInformation
- Publisher
- Keybase, Inc.
- Category
- Encryption
- Licence
- BSD-3-Clause
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/keybase/client
- Written in
- Go, Electron, and CoffeeScript
- Interface languages
- English
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
- Version
- 6.6.3.3
- Released
- June 4, 2026
- First release
- 2014
- Added to the catalogue
- June 4, 2026
- Versions listed
- 1
- Chocolatey downloads
- 36,632
- GitHub stars
- 9,260
- GitHub forks
- 1,287
- Website
- keybase.io
- winget ID
- Keybase.Keybase
- Chocolatey package
- keybase
- MSI product code
- {B61126FC-210F-4CCF-BDA4-32A7D885A4D6}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Keybase
See all ›-
Open source166.2K ↓ -
GNU Privacy Guard2.5.24GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG or GPG) is a free-software replacement for Symantec's PGP cryptographic software suite.Open source186.1K ↓ -
KopiaUI0.23.1Cross-platform backup tool for Windows, macOS & Linux with fast, incremental backups, client-side end-to-end encryption, compression and data deduplication. CLI and GUI included.Open source31.8K ↓ -
Open source78.8K ↓ -
age1.3.2A simple, modern and secure encryption tool (and Go library) with small explicit keys, no config options, and UNIX-style composability.Open source15.6K ↓ -
Open source19.2K ↓ -
Open source9.4K ↓ -
Open source11.5K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Keybase free?
Yes. Keybase is open-source software under the BSD-3-Clause licence.
Is Keybase safe to download?
The download comes from prerelease.keybase.io, 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 Keybase 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 Keybase be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Which Windows versions does Keybase support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 64-bit.
Does Keybase run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
What are alternatives to Keybase?
Cryptomator, GNU Privacy Guard, KopiaUI, i2pd and age. The alternatives page compares them.
