Comparison

Strongbox Zero vs Ribbon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Strongbox Zero

This app securely stores and protects your passwords with a master password. It supports open-source formats and offers advanced security features like biometric unlock and hardware token protection. It's designed for users who prefer a local-only password management solution.

Highlights
  • Local-only password storage
  • Biometric and PIN unlock
  • YubiKey hardware token protection
  • Military-grade cryptography
  • Password auditing for weak passwords
  • Secure document attachment viewer
  • Import/Export via Files app and Email
Features
Read full description

Strongbox Zero is a version of the well known and loved Strongbox with all of the networking code and as many third party libraries stripped out as we could! Think of it as the Drag Racer version of Strongbox! If you're a fan of Local Only password managers this could be the right choice for you. We recommend you get to know (and love!) the regular Strongbox first through the Freemium app. Once you're happy and sure you want to go local only, go for Strongbox Zero... Strongbox Zero is an application for keeping all your passwords safely stored and protected by one master password. Supporting the open source Password Safe and KeePass formats. *** Features *** - Face ID/Touch ID Unlock for the ultimate in convenience, security and speed. - PIN Code Unlock with a Duress PIN option for those tricky situations. - YubiKey protection - secure your databases with a hardware token. - Secure - protected by time tested military grade cryptography. - Private - Isolated In-App attachments viewer for your sensitive documents, photos & videos. - Audit your passwords - Automatically check your database for weak passwords - Search your entire set of passwords and secrets instantly and powerfully, with deep search. Autocomplete new entries, and auto generate secure passwords. - Compatible - Import/Export by Files app, Email, CSV, iTunes File Sharing - Standards compliant - using the time tested Password Safe and KeePass formats so you can import any existing password safe you have. - Features galore - Incredibly configurable password generation including Diceware (XKCD) & regular passwords. - Timed Auto Clear Clipboard. - Entry History. - KeePass Field References, Tags & Custom Icons. - Two Factor Authentication codes (TOTP) - QR Code, Steam & Manual. --------------------------------------------------------------------- • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Strongbox Privacy Policy may be found here: https://strongboxsafe.com/privacy-policy/ • Strongbox Terms of Use may be found here: https://strongboxsafe.com/terms/

About

Ribbon

This app provides a native mobile interface for managing your self-hosted bookmarks. It allows you to browse, search, and save links with features like automatic prefill and a share extension. Organize your saved content with tags and bundles, and perform bulk actions for efficient management.

Highlights
  • Browse bookmarks with filter pills
  • Search active and archived bookmarks
  • Add bookmarks with automatic prefill
  • Share extension for saving links
  • Organize with tags and bundles
  • Swipe actions for editing and archiving
  • Bulk bookmark actions
Features
Read full description

Ribbon is a native iPhone and iPad app for Linkding, the fast, self-hosted bookmark manager. Browse, search, and save your bookmarks from anywhere — your data stays on your server, always. Features - Browse your bookmarks with filter pills: All, Unread, Untagged, and Archived - Search across active and archived bookmarks simultaneously - Add bookmarks with automatic title and description prefill - Save from Safari or any app with the share extension - Clipboard detection — Ribbon offers to use a URL you already copied - Organize with tags and smart Bundles - Archive, edit, and delete with swipe actions or press-and-hold menus - Bulk actions — archive, delete, tag, or mark multiple bookmarks at once - Secure credential storage in the iOS Keychain Requirements Ribbon requires a running Linkding instance. Linkding is a free, open-source bookmark manager you self-host on your own server or NAS. Visit linkding.link to get started. Your Linkding API token can be found under Settings → API Access in your Linkding instance.

Screenshots

Strongbox Zero4 screens
Ribbon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ribbon at $2.99 against Strongbox Zero's $99.99. Ribbon also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Strongbox Zero's advantage is device support (5 vs 2) and ratings volume (21 vs 6). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Strongbox Zero costs $99.99 and Ribbon $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ribbon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Strongbox Zero's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ribbon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Strongbox Zero ships an update every 2 weeks, Ribbon weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Strongbox Zero versus Ribbon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrongbox ZeroRibbon
Price$99.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.3 (21 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhoebe Code LimitedCory Dransfeldt

Customer experience

Strongbox Zero

All ratings21 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Ribbon

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Strongbox Zero

No in-app purchases

None

Ribbon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Strongbox Zero free?
Strongbox Zero costs $99.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ribbon free?
Ribbon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Strongbox Zero or Ribbon?
Ribbon is rated higher. Strongbox Zero averages 4.3 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Ribbon averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Strongbox Zero or Ribbon have ads?
Neither Strongbox Zero nor Ribbon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Strongbox Zero or Ribbon?
Strongbox Zero ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ribbon weekly. Most recently, Strongbox Zero was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ribbon on October 31, 2026.

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