diff --git a/dvc/fs/ssh.py b/dvc/fs/ssh.py
--- a/dvc/fs/ssh.py
+++ b/dvc/fs/ssh.py
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ def _prepare_credentials(self, **config):
         )
 
         login_info["password"] = config.get("password")
+        login_info["passphrase"] = config.get("password")
 
         raw_keys = []
         if config.get("keyfile"):

diff --git a/tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py b/tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py
--- a/tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py
+++ b/tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py
@@ -34,10 +34,13 @@ def test_get_kwargs_from_urls():
 
 
 def test_init():
-    fs = SSHFileSystem(user="test", host="12.34.56.78", port="1234")
+    fs = SSHFileSystem(
+        user="test", host="12.34.56.78", port="1234", password="xxx"
+    )
     assert fs.fs_args["username"] == "test"
     assert fs.fs_args["host"] == "12.34.56.78"
     assert fs.fs_args["port"] == "1234"
+    assert fs.fs_args["password"] == fs.fs_args["passphrase"] == "xxx"
 
 
 mock_ssh_config = """

ssh: support using private keys with passphrases
See the discussion at [discourse](https://discuss.dvc.org/t/how-do-i-use-dvc-with-ssh-remote/279/17?u=isidentical).

tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_init
tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_gss_auth[config0-True] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_port[config0-1234] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_user[config0-test1] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_user[config1-ubuntu] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_host_override_from_config[config0-1.2.3.4] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_user[config2-test1] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_user[config3-root] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_port[config1-4321] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_keyfile[config1-expected_keyfile1] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_keyfile[config3-None] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_port[config2-22] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_get_kwargs_from_urls tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_keyfile[config0-expected_keyfile0] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_gss_auth[config1-False] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_host_override_from_config[config1-not_in_ssh_config.com] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_keyfile[config2-expected_keyfile2] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_port[config3-2222] tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_multi_identity_files tests/unit/fs/test_ssh.py::test_ssh_gss_auth[config2-False]