A password manager is an effective and affordable way to keep yourself protected from identity theft. These services safely store passwords for all your different accounts, requiring you to remember only one central password. The best password managers for Mac provide streamlined management on your desktop, phone, tablet and other devices.
Forbes Advisor researched the best Mac password managers and compared them based on pricing, features and more. Find the best option for your needs today.
A password manager is an app for your device or a browser extension that stores your unique passwords for various logins. Typically, they use end-to-end encryption, so your passwords are encrypted when they go in or when they go out (to the sites or apps you use). Most password managers work across different device types and browsers, and they use AES-256 encryption, so they’re virtually impossible for hackers to crack.
Two-factor or multifactor authentication adds an additional layer of security to your accounts. A password is rarely enough to keep your accounts safe. When you use two-factor authentication, your account may send you a text or an email with a code for you to enter. So, even if a company suffers a data breach, you’ll be safe because the code is still needed for anyone to log in.
Many companies now have a zero-knowledge policy, which is essentially end-to-end encryption. Information you store in a password manager that uses zero-knowledge protocol remains encrypted. No one at the company will have access to your private data, making this one of the most secure encryption methods around.
It does come with a caveat: If you ever forget or lose your master password for your password manager, you may not be able to get back in easily because your password is unrecoverable. You may need to reset everything, which means starting over by entering all your passwords for your various accounts and logins again.
1
LastPass
Pricing
$0 to $6
Plans
Personal and business
Free trials availability
14-day and 30-day
2
Nordpass
Starting price
Free; $1.49 per month (on a two-year plan)
Free trial
30 days to test its Premium plan
Standout features
Stores credit cards and an unlimited number of passwords and generates unique passwords
3
1Password
Pricing
starts at $2.99 per month
Travel Mode
lock vaults when traveling
Monitoring
Get alerts when passwords are weak, vulnerable, duplicated or breached
Forbes Advisor considered five primary factors and 14 secondary factors to determine the best password managers for Mac. We compared five of the most popular Mac password managers to each other and scored them using a weight system for all factors.
We looked at security features, such as AES-256 encryption, multifactor authentication and zero-knowledge policies. Cost is important too, so we considered free versions and their limitations, along with the paid plans and how much more value you get from paying a fee. Also worth noting are unique features for Mac users, biometric functionality, autofilling forms and cross-platform functionality.
Password managers typically offer plans for individuals, families and businesses, so we compared the value of each plan and how many accounts you get for the cost. Most password managers are intuitive, but we still considered the ease of use for these apps.
EXAMPLES
Other than writing down your passwords and keeping them in a physical safe, the safest way to keep your passwords secure is to use a password manager. You’ll only have to record or remember a single master password to access all your logins, which makes it much easier to manage your accounts. To add another layer of security when you’re online, consider using a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN encrypts all data you send or receive online, making you virtually untraceable. The best VPN services are easy to use and work across multiple devices.
Password managers can get hacked, and they do. However, if you use a password manager that safeguards your master password with encryption and requires two-factor authentication (2FA), also known as biometric authentication, it’s nearly impossible for a hacker to gain access to your other data in your password vault. Read these cybersecurity tips to help keep your info secure beyond a password manager.
Password managers are one of the safest ways to store your passwords. Even if there’s a data breach at a password management company, the encryption methods it uses are typically strong enough to keep your private data safe and encrypted. If you use online banking, for example, it’s important that you keep your login information safe. Learn about what else you can do to protect your online banking information.
Before signing up with a password provider, make sure the service provider has a protocol in place for losing a master password. Otherwise, you could lose your account permanently.
While most password managers for Mac offer free plans that are worth using, there are benefits to the paid options that are available. When you pay for a password manager, you get useful features not typically included in free plans, such as password generation, encrypted file storage, sharing options and a VPN, which makes it possible to keep your online activity private and add an additional layer of protection at an affordable price.
The main risk of using a password manager include forgetting your master password and potentially getting locked out of the service. For cloud-based managers, you cannot access your account without the Internet. With locally managed services, you could lose your passwords if your device breaks or is no longer available.
