To find the very best option for Mac users, I tested every Mac-supported password manager and picked the 5 most standout ones. While all my picks provide excellent security features for excellent password management, 1Password delivered the best results in my tests. It features a Secret Key that, in addition to its two-factor authentication, keeps your passwords safe from prying eyes. I strongly recommend you try it out risk-free with its 14-day free trial. Try 1Password for Mac!
Quick Guide: Best Password Managers for Mac in 2023
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The Best Password Managers for Mac — Full Test Results in January 2023
1. 1Password — Provides the Best Balance of Security and Usability
Key Features: 1Password is my top pick, and I found that it is one of the most secure password managers for Mac. It hosts the military-grade AES 256-bit encryption protocol that makes your passwords impenetrable. It also features a zero-knowledge architecture, which means that even 1Password doesn’t know what you’ve stored in your vault. In addition, it offers two-factor authentication (2FA) that ensures only you can access your passwords, providing an extra layer of security to your already-invulnerable passwords. Although 256-bit encryption is enough to keep your passwords safe from prying eyes, 1Password also includes a ‘Secret Key’ for further protection. This secret key is a long password unique to you, which you’ll have to enter to log into your account. Keep this key safe because you can’t access your vault if you lose it — I recommend writing it down somewhere safe. Another standout feature of 1Password is its Watchtower, which audits your passwords and looks for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I used it and found that it prompted me to change my weak passwords into strong ones with a mixture of small and capitalized letters, numbers, and special characters. It also notified me of reused passwords and those that had been compromised. 1Password lets you create multiple vaults on your Mac, a feature that’s missing on many other password managers. You can create separate accounts for your friends or family members with separate credentials and permissions. However, you’ll have to subscribe to the 1Password Families plan for that. In addition, 1Password offers a Travel Mode, which lets you remove specific vaults from your device(s) when you’re traveling to high-censorship countries. Only the vaults you have marked safe will appear in the app if you’re stopped for inspection. Keep in mind that whenever you toggle on or off Travel Mode, you’ll have to open the app on all your connected devices for it to take effect. Lastly, 1Password provides an auto-fill feature that fills in your user credentials for your websites whose passwords you have saved. I used it extensively on my Mac, and it worked seamlessly every time! The best thing is you don’t have to type in and save your passwords manually — just use iCloud Keychain to import all your passwords on 1Password. Overall, 1Password is one of the most secure password managers I’ve come across. It has several tools that guarantee airtight protection, but my favorite is the Travel Mode feature, which I haven’t seen offered by many other password managers. It’s an excellent budget-friendly option, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t have a money-back guarantee. If you want to try it risk-free, you can use its 14-day trial, which comes with its Personal and Families plans. Try 1Password for Mac!
2. Dashlane — Hosts a VPN and Is Easy to Use
Key Features: Dashlane is the only password manager I’ve come across that hosts a VPN for Mac. While it’s not as good as the top standalone VPNs like ExpressVPN, it does the job of anonymizing your online activities. I used the VPN and found that it provides excellent speeds on nearby and mid-range servers but struggles on distant servers. I also found it has servers in 26 countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, so I couldn’t access my home content while traveling as consistently as I could with ExpressVPN. I was thoroughly impressed by Dashlane’s one-click password changer. It identifies weak and reused passwords and helps you change them easily in just one click. My Facebook password was vulnerable and easy to hack into, so I used this feature to generate a strong password for my account. Dashlane uses AES 256-bit encryption to secure all your passwords. It encrypts the passwords locally, so your passwords aren’t stored in its database and never leave your Mac. Its zero-knowledge architecture ensures that your data isn’t compromised even if Dashlane gets hacked (which it hasn’t). That’s all well and good, but it also means Dashlane can’t help you recover your account if you lose your master password, so write it down somewhere and keep it safe. If you lose your master password, there’s one way you can still recover your account. Enable biometrics login on your Dashlane iOS or Android app, and you’ll be able to reset your master password without losing your already saved passwords. Apart from a powerful encryption protocol, Dashlane offers 2FA to add an extra layer of security to all your passwords. It uses the TOTP-based authenticator app (I used Google Authenticator) and provides you with a backup code that you can use to access your password vault if you lose your device and the authenticator app with it. Dashlane also includes Dark Web Monitoring, which prevents your email address and its contents from ever leaking onto the dark web. Many other premium password managers, including 1Password, offer this feature, but they use a free external database called Have I Been Pwned. On the other hand, Dashlane uses its database, which contains over 12 billion data breach records. I used its Dark Web Monitoring feature for my primary email address and found it hasn’t been breached. You can monitor up to 5 email addresses, and if there’s a data breach, you can fix your compromised accounts. Lastly, Dashlane features a password generator that helps you create strong passwords. While this is a feature many password managers offer, Dashlane also includes a feature called Generator History that allows you to see which passwords you generated in case you forgot to autosave them for a website. In that case, just check the history and copy-paste the password the next time you log into that particular website. On the downside, I was disappointed that Dashlane only lets you create passwords with up to 40 characters, whereas other competitors have a much higher upper cap and allow for more complex passwords. In summary, Dashlane is an exceptional password manager that hosts a wide array of unique features that make using it on Mac great. I also found its user interface remarkably intuitive and easy to use. Additionally, Dashlane provides a free plan that lets you store up to 50 passwords but lacks advanced features like dark web monitoring. On top of a generous 30-day free trial, Dashlane provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try its premium plans completely risk-free. Try Dashlane for Mac!
3. RoboForm — Advanced Form-Filling Capabilities
Key Features: RoboForm is one of the more budget-friendly password managers out there, but its auto-filling capabilities, especially for Mac users, are outstanding. As soon as I logged into my iTunes account on my Mac, RoboForm offered me to save my credentials, which I did. The next time I opened iTunes, all I had to do was use its auto-fill function and I was in! RoboForm boasts one of the most advanced auto-fill functions I’ve ever seen. I used it to fill out some of the most complex web forms on my Mac without a sweat. It supports 7 different templates for filling out forms and even gives you the option to create a customized template. Another extra non-security feature I liked was RoboForm’s Bookmark Storage, which lets you bookmark websites and share them across all your devices that have RoboForm. For example, when I bookmarked something on Safari on my Mac, it automatically got synced on Chrome, which I use on my PC. RoboForm also provides Emergency Access, which lets you assign a trusted contact who can access your password vaults in case of an emergency. You can also use Emergency Access to recover your account if you forget your master password. In addition, you can share notes, passwords, bookmarks, and personal details with anyone else who uses RoboForm. I tried sharing my files via my Mac to both Mac and non-Mac users and found that file transfers occur seamlessly without a hiccup. I could also audit all saved passwords on my Mac to check if they were vulnerable. While it’s an excellent tool for teams and family users, I was disappointed to learn that RoboForm’s free version only lets you share one password at a time. Even on its premium plan, it only allows you to create 2 shared folders, but at least it doesn’t cap the number of items you can share per folder. Despite that, it was a joy to use RoboForm, especially considering how easy-to-use its Mac app was. Overall, RoboForm is a great option for your Mac if you’re on a budget. However, its affordability comes at the cost of the lack of some features, like 1Password’s Travel Mode and Dashlane’s one-click password changer. You can either sign up for its free plan or use its 14-day free trial to test it out. On top of that, it provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out completely risk-free. Try Roboform for Mac!
4. Keeper — Hosts an Encrypted Messaging App
Key Features: Keeper is the only password manager that offers an end-to-end encrypted in-app messaging feature called KeeperChat. I used it on my Mac and could create groups, retract messages, and even set a self-destruct timer for my messages. Since Mac users are big on privacy, I can affirm that KeeperChat provides the same level of privacy and security to your messages as Apple’s native iMessage. Keeper uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption to secure all your passwords. I got a little worried after learning that it stores your passwords, notes, and files on its cloud server, but was relieved to learn that encryption happens locally on my Mac. So, even if its cloud servers get hacked, your passwords can’t be decrypted because only you have the key to unlock them. It offers multi-factor authentication (MFA), so you can use third-party authenticator apps like Google Authenticator to add an extra layer of protection to your data. You can further enable TouchID or FaceID to access your password vault or opt for OTP SMS codes or RSA SecurID. Keeper’s password manager lets you store unlimited passwords, which isn’t that uncommon for a premium password manager. I also liked that I could add photos for each password, which made it easier for me to find one password from a list of many. I was also impressed by how easy it was to import data from other password managers. I imported my data from 1Password — all I had to do was enter my 1Password account credentials (username and password), and it automatically fetched all my data onto Keeper. You can also share your passwords with your friends and family (as long as they have a Keeper account) with a few clicks. The only problem is that you can’t choose which passwords to hide or reveal in the shared password folder, so the other person will know your passwords. Other password managers like 1Password provide this feature, and I think it’s essential, especially if you want to grant others access to sites, files, or accounts without disclosing your passwords. Keeper’s auto-fill feature is amazing, but you have to install its browser extension on Safari or Chrome to use it. I used it to fill out forms online, and it worked well with complex forms. You can also use the extension to search for other passwords without opening your vault. Keeper’s BreachWatch dark web monitoring tool is excellent for protecting your data, but I was disappointed to learn that it’s an add-on feature you have to purchase on top of your plan. I used BreachWatch on my Mac, and it detected that one of my email addresses had been compromised in a data breach a year ago. As far as its Mac app’s user interface is concerned, I found Keeper slightly more complicated to use than its competitors. Although importing passwords from other password managers is easy, you might take some time to get used to its file-sharing feature. I would have liked to see it offer an automatic password changer and a Travel Mode as well. Overall, Keeper is a decent password manager that provides exceptional security. Although it’s more affordable than its top competitors, I think it should have been more feature-rich rather than offering add-ons, such as cloud storage and dark web monitoring, at an extra cost. Keeper offers a free plan but has limited capabilities, so I wouldn’t recommend signing up for that. Instead, you can try its fully functional paid app using its 30-day free trial. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a money-back guarantee, so make sure it’s the right fit for you before buying a plan. Try Keeper for Mac!
5. LastPass — Offers Multiple Account Recovery Options
Key Features: LastPass is one of the most well-integrated password managers for Mac. It’s easy to set up and navigate and hosts a wide array of features. It uses AES 256-bit encryption and hosts a zero-knowledge architecture, ensuring that your data isn’t available to even LastPass. It also offers multi-factor authentication, which means you can add a second layer of security for your vault, so even if someone obtains your master password, they can’t access your vault. I successfully linked my LastPass Mac app with Google Authenticator and enabled FaceID on my iPhone and TouchID on my Mac. You can even use voice recognition and SMS codes. What impressed me the most was LastPass’s many recovery options. Most password managers only have 1 account recovery option, but LastPass has 4. I typically use SMS account recovery as it’s the most convenient for me. However, you can enable all of them if you like. LastPass’s password vault is intuitive and easy to navigate. You can store all your information in one place, including passwords, credit cards, bank accounts, social security numbers, insurance policies, passports, and driver’s licenses. You can even create a customized entry if the available templates aren’t suitable for you. As a result, I could fill out complex web forms on my Mac with its auto-fill feature. Apart from that, LastPass’s auto-change password feature was a joy to use. It takes one click to automatically change your passwords without having to do it manually by logging into websites. The only catch is that it only supports 70 popular sites like Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, competitors like Dashlane support this feature for up to 300 websites. LastPass provides a decent browser extension for Safari and other popular browsers. It not only auto-fills your passwords when needed, but you can use it to access your entire vault, add or edit entries, launch a website, and even import or export passwords, all from within Safari. It also has an in-built password generator in case you need it. I also liked LastPass’s easy-to-use sharing feature, which is available even on the free plan. You can share each entry by clicking the sharing button and writing the email address you want to share it with. If you want to stop sharing at any time, simply revoke access. Unlike some other password managers, LastPass lets you share passwords without disclosing them. Lastly, LastPass’s Security Dashboard monitors the strength of your passwords and provides dark web protection and data breach reports for your email addresses. To improve my score, it suggested that I log into my accounts and manually change my passwords. I was hoping that its automatic password changer would come in handy here, but it isn’t available in the Security Dashboard yet. LastPass offers all the features of the top password managers on this list. The only area it truly stands out is its multiple account recovery options and ease of use, thanks to its sorting options and clean Mac app user interface. However, its password generator could have been easier to use, mainly because you can’t open the password generator when adding new passwords via your web vault. Overall, LastPass is an affordable option with a feature-rich Mac app. I’m a big fan of its free plan, consisting of a save and auto-fill feature alongside one-to-one sharing, multi-factor authentication, and a password generator. However, you can only use the free plan with one device type (computer or phone), but at least it lets you protect unlimited devices. If you want access to features like dark web monitoring, Security Dashboard, and cloud storage, you’ll have to get one of its premium plans. The good thing is you can try it out risk-free with its 30-day free trial — keep in mind, though, that LastPass doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee. Try LastPass for Mac! LastPass announced that one of its developer accounts was recently hacked and portions of source code and technical information were stolen. LastPass has ensured users that:
Your master password has not been compromised No data within your vault has been compromised There’s no evidence that your personal information was compromised
No action is required from LastPass users at this time. This is a good reminder to always follow best practices when setting up and using a password manager and to only use vetted companies.
Quick Comparison Table: 2023’s Best Password Managers for Mac
How I Tested and Ranked the Best Password Managers for Mac in 2023
I considered the following aspects when picking out the best password managers for Mac:
MacOS Compatibility — I checked if the password managers were compatible with macOS, and only picked out those that were. Features on Mac — I specifically tested whether all the features a password manager claims on its website are available on its Mac app. Security — I only picked password managers that provide AES 256-bit encryption, preferably with a zero-knowledge architecture and two- or multi-factor authentication. Password vault tools — I picked password managers that provided extra features with their password vaults, such as file sharing, browser extensions, and auto-fill capabilities. Ease of use — I specifically tested how user-friendly each contender’s Mac app is. I checked things like how easy it was to change passwords, share files, and more. Value for money — I picked password managers with a free plan or a free trial or money-back guarantee.
1. Is Apple’s Keychain password manager good enough?
Not on its own. Apple’s Keychain password manager is well-integrated into macOS and iOS. It lets you save your personal information (credit card details, usernames and passwords, internet accounts, WiFi passwords, and sync them across all your Apple devices. It doesn’t provide extra security features, including dark web monitoring, travel mode, emergency access, and a password auditor. I strongly recommend using one of my top picks to protect all your passwords and confidential data.
2. Can I sync passwords between macOS and Windows?
Yes, but you can’t do that without a password manager compatible with both operating systems. Therefore, you must pick a good password manager compatible across all platforms, so you can sync your passwords across devices. You should also choose a password manager that provides exceptional security features, such as dark web monitoring, data breach test, etc. 1Password is my go-to password manager, and it’s compatible with both macOS and Windows. I highly recommend you try it out risk-free with its 14-day free trial.
3. Are password managers safe for macOS?
It depends. Some passwords keep your data in encrypted form on their cloud servers, and if they get hacked, there’s a significant risk you’d lose your data or, worse yet, become a victim of a data breach. You should pick a premium password manager that stores all your confidential data locally (on your device) in encrypted form. I suggest you choose one of my top picks, as they provide exceptional security and have a zero-knowledge architecture, which means not even the company can access your data under any circumstances. Try 1Password for Mac!
Keep Your Passwords Safe and Secure on Mac
Although Macs are generally safer than Windows devices and offer in-built password management, they don’t provide perfect security for your data. They also lack features like data breach testing that identifies if your email’s contents have been compromised or dark web monitoring. If you’re serious about protecting data on your Mac, consider getting a good password manager. I extensively tested several password managers and picked 1Password and Dashlane as my top go-to password managers. If you’re an avid traveler and need to hide password vaults when traveling to high-censorship countries, I highly recommend 1Password because it’s the only password manager that hosts a Travel Mode. It also hosts a powerful data monitoring tool that protects all your email accounts from data breaches. You can get try 1Password risk-free with its 14-day free trial. If you don’t necessarily need Travel Mode, I suggest you get Dashlane, as it’s one of the few providers that offers a one-click password change feature and a VPN, which is a useful extra. Dashlane provides a 30-day money-back guarantee with a 30-day free trial, giving you 60 days to try it out completely risk-free. Try 1Password for Mac!
