These days, we have an account for everything online and then some. With so many bank accounts, bills, subscription services, social media logins, work-related accounts, and more, it's essential to have a solid and secure password. And not only that, but having a uniquely strong and secure password for everything. We can't stress that enough — never use the same password for multiple accounts — as it increases the potential risk if someone ever happens to get a hold of your info.
But we get it: remembering a billion different combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters is impossible. Fortunately, there are password management apps designed to help you keep your digital data safe and secure on all the best Macs, and most of these also have mobile counterparts to simplify your life.
1Password
1Password is one of the most popular password manager apps out there, and it's the one many of us at iMore use daily. It's available on every platform you can think of, and it has a huge set of useful features in a friendly interface.
With 1Password, you can store your login details, bank account information, credit cards, ID cards, email accounts, secure notes, and anything else you wish to keep. In addition, it has a convenient password generator to help you create randomized passwords, and the Watchtower feature lets you know when a password has been reused, has been in use for a long time, or even when a site may be compromised, so you should update your password info.
1Password is free to download, but you will want to grab a subscription to get the most out of the service. It starts at $3 a month for an individual account, or you can even get a Family account for just $5 a month, so everyone is protected. Also, be sure to look out for discounts that will bring these prices down even further.
LastPass
A popular alternative to 1Password is LastPass, a free download with plenty of great features in a simplified design. On Mac, it's available through Safari and other browsers.
With LastPass, you can store all your usernames and passwords in a vault and sync them across your devices for free. If you have a lot of passwords to go through, you can quickly search for what you need, and LastPass automatically fills in your credentials when you need them. In addition, there's a password generator, the ability to create secure notes and add attachments, encryption, etc.
After a free trial, you can upgrade to a subscription service available for individuals and families. A subscription gives you different perks from a freebie account, including access on all devices, one-to-many sharing, and 1GB of encrypted storage. Packages start at $3/month.
Dashlane
Dashlane is another well-known brand when it comes to password management. With Dashlane, you're getting a fast and straightforward way to keep track of your important login information, payments, personal info, etc.
Like the competition, Dashlane not only keeps your login details safe and secure but can generate passwords and update them when needed, fill in forms, and alert you when the websites you use are compromised. It's free to download for up to 50 items, and if you need more, there are two tiers of premium plans.
The first premium plan (starting at $4.99/month) gives you unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, Dark Web Monitoring on up to five emails, a VPN built-in for safe browsing, and up to 1GB of file storage. With a Dashlane Family plan ($8.99/month), your premium account is shareable with up to five friends or family members.
Keeper
Need more than just password storage and management? Then Keeper could be the app for you.
Keeper allows you to keep multiple vaults, and you can choose which one you want to use once you log in with your master password. So if you need one vault for personal and another for work, then Keeper can handle it, no problem. Additionally, Keeper lets you save passwords, generate passwords, fill out forms, share individual items with people you trust, monitor the dark web, have up to five authorized users to access your data in case of emergency, etc. You can even use Keeper to save video files.
Keeper is free to download and use, with some limitations. Various personal and family memberships are available that unlock all of Keeper's features.
mSecure
Need a simple and no-frills solution to password management? Then give mSecure a try. It has a straightforward approach to keeping all your data secure on your Mac and every other device.
With mSecure, you're getting a safe place to store all the essential details that matter to you, and everything gets encrypted. In addition, you get a password manager, a strong password generator, autofill forms, and templates with the info you need. There are two plans to choose from following your free trial: Essentials and Premium, with Essentials starting at $1.66/month. The former offers syncing, biometrics, browser extensions, and more. The latter includes everything available in the Essentials package plus a sharing center, tags, and other advanced features.
iCloud Keychain
Of course, if you don't want to pay for or use a third-party service, there is also an iCloud Keychain built into your Mac and iOS devices. With Keychain, your basic login details (usernames and passwords) should be saved automatically and synced across your devices through iCloud. You need to do nothing aside from turning it on in the iCloud pane in System Preferences.
Stay safe and secure online
These are some of the best options on the Mac App Store for password management on your Mac. It's crucial to use strong, randomized passwords so no one can easily guess them if they're trying to get to your information and change passwords often. And never use the same password more than once! These apps help keep you and your data secure online.
