Featured Partners
Featured Partners
1
NordPass
56% off + 3 months
Yes
Multifactor authentication (MFA) availability
2
Keeper
Starting at $1.46 per user, per month
Yes
AES 256-bit encryption and Elliptic-Curve cryptography
3
1Password
Begins at $7.99 per month, per user (billed annually)
No
Two secret key derivation (Account Password = Security)
4
LastPass
$4.25
30 days
AES-256 data encryption plus PBKDF2 hashing with SHA-256 salting
5
Proton Pass
60% off, starting 1.99/month/user
Yes
Integrated 2FA authentication + Passkeys
The Best 5 Password Managers for Mac 2025
Dashlane
Best Overall Password Manager for Mac
Dashlane
Free version
Available
Pricing
Free to $8 per seat
per month
Family plan
Six members in family plan
Available
Free to $8 per seat
per month
Six members in family plan
Dashlane offers a variety of plans for individuals, families and businesses. The free version is fairly limited, but it can work well as a basic password manager. You can only use up to 50 passwords on one device. Dashlane allows you to share your login info with up to five people. Go with a premium plan and you’ll get unlimited password storage, devices and password sharing.
Other features on paid plans include an automatic password changer, file storage for up to 1 GB, a VPN and dark web monitoring, which lets you know if your personal info has been exposed on any dark web sites. As is standard for any Mac password manager, Dashlane offers 256-bit encryption and end-to-end encryption, so your passwords are super secure.
A unique feature from Dashlane is a Mac Catalyst app, which speeds up the autofill function, making it an even better choice as a password manager for Mac users. Dashlane is more expensive than many of its similarly feature-heavy competitors, but it provides some added features not found elsewhere (like the dark web monitoring feature).
Who should use it:
Dashlane’s free version is a decent password manager, but the feature-rich premium plans are well worth the cost for those who want encrypted password and file storage, plus dark web monitoring.
Read more:
Read our full Dashlane review.
- Free version available
- Six members in family plan
- Two-factor authentication
- Biometric authentication
- Mac Catalyst app
- Works on most OS and browsers
- Free trial on premium plan
- Automatic password changer on premium plan
- Share login info with others
- Zero-knowledge tech
- Pricier than most competitors
- Limited to 50 passwords on free plan
- No dark web monitoring in lower-priced plans
- File storage for premium and family plans only
- Limited devices for lower-priced plans
Norton Password Manager
Most Intuitive Password Manager
Norton Password Manager
Pricing
No cost
Two-factor authentication
Available
Passwords change facility
Automatically with one click
No cost
Available
Automatically with one click
Norton Password Manager uses the standard encryption method, plus a zero-knowledge policy, so your passwords are secure. You can use it for an unlimited number of passwords, and the two-factor and biometric authentication assures no one can gain access to your account information.
Norton Password Manager includes a password generator and an automatic password changer, so you can change your password for any of your logins with a single click. Some features are still in beta, so you may find they’re a little buggy, including Autochange Password. There are browser extensions available based on Chromium, so they work for Chrome, Edge, Vivaldi and Safari, to name a few. The best part about Norton Password Manager: it’s a free tool—there are no paid plans.
Who should use it:
For individuals who want a free, easy-to-use password manager that syncs across all devices.
Read more:
Read our full Norton review.
- Free to use
- Two-factor authentication (with app)
- Biometric authentication (for mobile)
- Password generator included
- Automatically change passwords with one click
- Synced across all devices
- Use your mobile to unlock desktop version
- No sharing login info
- Some features still in beta
- No file storage
NordPass
Best for Families
NordPass
Free plan
Available
Pricing
Free to $5.39
per user, per month (on a two-year plan)
Multifactor authentication
Available
Available
Free to $5.39
per user, per month (on a two-year plan)
Available
NordPass is one of the more affordable password managers for families and businesses. Pricing starts as low as $1.39 per month depending on what plan you choose. It’s also one of the few password managers to offer a free version with unlimited passwords, a password generator and multifactor authentication.
For more features, you can upgrade to a premium plan, which includes login info and item sharing, a password checker (to make sure you aren’t duplicating passwords or using weak strings) and allows you to stay logged into your accounts on multiple devices at once. NordPass also monitors the dark web for your personal info and alerts you of any leaks.
Learn more: Read our full NordPass review.
Who should use it:
NordPass’ free password manager is good if you’re looking for strong security and unlimited passwords, but it’s limited in other ways. Its paid plans are affordable, though, and unlock its more robust and helpful features—its family plan is cheaper than most, so if you need more than one user on a plan, this is one of the best picks.
- Free plan available
- Six accounts with family plan
- Low-priced business plans
- Store notes, credit cards, addresses
- Multifactor authentication
- Biometric authentication
- Autofill forms
- Share login info with others
- Zero-knowledge policy
- Free version only allows use on one device at a time
- No file storage
Bitwarden
Best for Multi-Device Users
Bitwarden
Pricing
Free to $6
monthly per person
Two-factor authentication
Available
Storage
1 GB storage
(premium accounts)
Free to $6
monthly per person
Available
1 GB storage
(premium accounts)
Bitwarden is an economic solution for password management, regardless of which operating system or device you use. It offers a free plan that doesn’t limit the number of passwords you can store, and you can even share text-based info with others, such as your Wi-Fi password when you have guests visit you.
Free Bitwarden accounts get unlimited devices, passwords and syncing, which is uncommon compared to other freemium password managers for Mac. If you stick with the free plan, you’ll miss out on encrypted file storage and password health reports, and you’ll only get basic two-step login.
The paid plans are cheap—an individual premium plan is only $10 per year. Bitwarden also offers a family plan and business accounts that cost up to $6 monthly per person. Other features on paid plans include 1 GB of storage, security audits to flag any weak or duplicate passwords in your vault and a password generator. You’ll have to choose a paid plan for two-factor authentication, and you can use a third-party app like YubiKey for advanced two-factor authentication.
Who should use it:
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better free password manager for Mac—you get unlimited passwords, devices and syncing across all devices, plus you can share login info with others.
Read more:
Read our full Bitwarden review.
- Free version available
- Low monthly subscription
- Works with all OS
- Unlimited devices and passwords
- Unlimited syncing
- Extensions for most browsers
- Includes password generator
- Share login info with others
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No encrypted files on free plan
- Two-factor authentication through third-party on paid plan only
1Password
Best for Apple Watch Users
1Password
Trial version
Available
Pricing
$2.99 to $19.95
per month
Storage
1 GB
Available
$2.99 to $19.95
per month
1 GB
Although 1Password offers no free version of its password manager, you can try it with a 14-day free trial. After that, you’ll have to pay $2.99 to $4.99 monthly for individuals or families, respectively, or up to $19.95 monthly for ten teammates for the business version. Pricing is a bit higher than most password managers for Mac, but the features may outweigh the expense.
You’ll be able to use 1Password across all operating systems, and you get unlimited items and devices. Not only can you use your smartphone’s biometric unlocking, but it also works with an Apple Watch. Two-factor authentication combined with 256-bit encryption ensures security for your passwords, notes and files, and you get 1 GB of storage for those files.
Who should use it:
If you’re serious about using a Mac password manager that works well with all Apple products, including unlocking your password manager with your Apple Watch, 1Password may be worth the cost for you.
Read more:
Read our full 1Password review.
- Family plan includes access for five members
- Available on all OS
- Unlock password manager with Apple Watch
- Two-factor authentication
- Biometric authentication
- Share login info with others
- Guest accounts available for password sharing
- No free version
- Pricier than most competitors
Forbes Advisor Ratings
What You Need To Know About Mac Password Managers
What Is a Password Manager and How Do They Work?
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.
What Is Two-factor Authentication?
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.
What Is Zero-knowledge Protocol?
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.
Methodology
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
- Security features
- Cost and value
- Cross-platform functionality
- Unique features
- Ease of use
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the safest way to keep passwords?
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.
Do password managers get hacked?
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.
Is a password manager really safe?
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.
What happens if I forget my master password?
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.
Is it worth paying for a password manager?
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.
What are the main risks of using a password manager?
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.
