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Best Password Managers for Mac

Best Password Managers for Mac

By István F.István F. — Verified by Adam B.Adam B. — Last updated: July 19, 2024 — (0)
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Every Mac includes a password manager service built into macOS by the name of Keychain Access, an app that stores your password and account information, and helps you to reduce the number of passwords that you have to remember when using Apple’s default web browser, Safari.

Since it is part of the operating system, the only thing Mac owners need to do is use the computer so long as autofill is enabled – which it is by default. If the user has multiple devices – such as smartphones, tablets and/or other Macs – then the system will enable iCloud Keychain, Apple’s cloud-based password management service. The problem with this is that iCloud Keychain only works within the Apple ecosystem, so users with an Android phone or a non-Safari browser won’t benefit from this cross-platform service.

Password managers complement Apple’s built-in service by enabling cross-platform synchronization and giving the user the choice of selecting their preferred web browser while still protecting the data with strong encryption both on the server and while it is in transit. Password management apps also provide better tools to manage your passwords, such as those that help separate work credentials from personal life.

Top mac password manager apps

Forgetting passwords can be part of the daily routine thanks to the password management services available for Mac users. This way it’s possible to forget having to use mind trickery to generate and recall unique, strong passwords for any number of online accounts – a feat that only the likes of Superman or Einstein could successfully achieve – since the average internet user can use technology to serve these needs. We’ve picked three of the best password managers available for the Mac, but you can always check out our review page to read up on all the password managers that have been released for Apple users.

LastPass
LastPass
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Free plan
  • Intuitive interface
  • Multiple device compatibility
  • Password security dashboard
  • Free trials
  • No customer support with the free plan
  • Free plan’s one device limit
Starting price: $3/mo Visit LastPass
Dashlane
Dashlane
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • Password changer
  • Built-in VPN
  • Flawless data import
  • Thorough iOS/Android app
  • User-friendly interface
  • Limited storage in free version
  • Expensive
Starting price: $4.99/mo Visit Dashlane
1Password
1Password
Editor's rating:
Reviews
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Secure authentication method
  • Data breach alarms
  • One-time password support
  • User-friendly interface
  • Limited subscription options
  • No free plan available
Starting price: $2.99/mo Visit 1Password

Password managers vs Keychain

Apple’s own solution for password management is Keychain Access for the Mac, which adds cross-device syncing with the introduction of iCloud Keychain, making it highly convenient for the user to generate and/or save one password on an iOS device and have it automatically recalled on a Mac when needed.

iCloud keychain options

The feature only works with Apple’s native web browser, Safari, so if you prefer Firefox or Google Chrome then you are out of luck. Apple also has a native app for storing notes, and if the user encrypts the SSD or HDD of the Mac using FileVault, then he or she will have full protection of their data.

Having access to all that data, however, is not possible, because the user still needs to launch the Safari app to view the passwords and saved credit card data, or the Notes app to view the stored notes. Password management apps, by comparison, store all the data in one place – passwords, secure notes, credit card details, or whatever – all kept in the cloud, encrypted and accessible to the user as soon as he or she types in the master password.

In addition, password manager services are usually available on all major platforms, whether desktop or mobile, so users won’t be locked into the Apple ecosystem and can take advantage of other platforms that they might use.

Mac and iOS password manager

Having immediate access to all your passwords on both Mac and iOS devices wasn’t easy before cloud-based syncing came into the picture, since users had to type in and save the credentials separately. As cloud-based services such as Dropbox and iCloud became more widespread, password managers like 1Password added these tools into their apps to enable cross-device syncing.

Before then each device had its own locally-stored vault, accessible by the user on that specific device only. To share data across their other devices, users had to find a way to sync it effectively. 1Password users did this by either setting up a WLAN server – to ensure the data didn’t leave the local network – or by keeping a copy of the standalone vault in a folder. They then had to configure the preferred syncing solution to keep it up-to-date with other Macs or iOS handsets.

This all changed with iCloud Keychain and cloud-based password management services. Fortunately, nowadays all password managers provide secure cross-platform syncing, making it easier to access sensitive data on all used devices.

Password security on the Mac

Despite the recent rise in attacks targeting Mac users, macOS still remains one of the most secure operating systems. Still, the security of your Mac depends primarily on how well you secure passwords, especially in certain key areas.

The first level of security is the login or user password, which gives users a certain level of access on the Mac – with administrator users have different privileges than standard user accounts.

With the introduction of biometrics on the Mac, MacBook Pro with Touch Bar users can log in using Touch ID. The same biometric identification is used on iPhone and iPad devices that are equipped with a fingerprint reader while, with the introduction of iPhone X, your own face can be used to unlock the device with Face ID, thanks to the TrueDepth camera system built into the handset.

From the start Apple had high aims for its security goals when considering its cloud-based password management system, but the road to that goal was long and rocky, and it hasn’t finished yet – at least as of writing, and perhaps never will.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database notes a handful of security vulnerabilities that iCloud Keychain has faced and Apple has subsequently patched. The most recent iCloud Keychain security flaw allowed man-in-the-middle attackers to bypass an iCloud Keychain secret protection mechanism by leveraging a lack of authentication required for OTR packets. Apple confirmed and patched this flaw with a software update and credited Alex Radocea of Longterm Security, Inc. for discovering it.

In the end, it all comes down to trust, and Apple’s communication on the matter emphasizes its efforts to continue to earn the trust of the millions of users the company serves via its mobile platform and macOS. To address potential security vulnerabilities, Apple has launched a bug bounty program, although that still needs some work to make it more attractive to security researchers considering that a zero-day iOS flaw could sell for more than a million dollars.

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