Cross-platform and open-source alternatives to Apple Passwords.
Polished, cross-platform password manager for people and families
A subscription password manager with apps for Mac and other platforms. Plans cover one person or a family of up to 5.
Our take The easiest paid option to recommend to non-technical family members on mixed devices. It is subscription-only and costs more than Bitwarden or Proton Pass.
$3.99/month billed yearly (promo $2.99) as of Oct 2026
Open-source password manager with a generous free plan
An open-source password manager with native apps for macOS, Windows and Linux plus mobile and browser extensions. The free plan includes unlimited passwords, devices and passkeys.
Our take The best free choice if you need your passwords on every platform. Premium is cheap and adds an authenticator, file attachments and vault health reports. The apps are less polished than 1Password.
Free; Premium $19.80/year as of Oct 2026GPL-3.0 licenceby Bitwarden Inc
Privacy-focused password manager with email aliases
An open-source password manager from Proton with apps for macOS, mobile and browsers. The free plan includes unlimited logins and devices, passkeys and 10 hide-my-email aliases.
Our take A good free alternative to Bitwarden, especially if you already use Proton Mail or want email aliases to hide your real address. Paid plans are pricier than Bitwarden Premium.
Free; Plus $35.88/year as of Oct 2026GPL-3.0 licenceby Proton AG
Free, offline, open-source password vault in a local file
A cross-platform, open-source password manager for macOS, Windows and Linux that keeps your passwords in an encrypted file you store wherever you like. There are no KeePassXC servers.
Our take For people who want full control and no account or subscription. You handle syncing yourself, for example via a cloud folder, and there is no official iPhone app, so pair it with a KeePass-compatible mobile app such as Strongbox.
FreeGPL-2.0 or GPL-3.0 licence
Native KeePass-compatible password manager for Mac and iPhone
A native password manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that works with KeePass databases, stored in cloud services or your own server via WebDAV or SFTP.
Our take The best way to use a KeePass vault on Apple devices with a native feel, and it can share the same file with KeePassXC on other computers. Free use is non-commercial only and lacks some convenience features.
Free; Pro $24.99/year or $124.99 lifetime as of Oct 2026AGPL-3.0 licenceby Phoebe Code Limited
No app in this category matches that filter.
| App | Price | Model | Open source | App Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Password |
$3.99/mo | Subscription | – | – |
| Bitwarden |
Free tier | Free tier | GPL-3.0 | Yes |
| Proton Pass |
Free tier | Free tier | GPL-3.0 | – |
| KeePassXC |
Free | Free | GPL-2.0 or GPL-3.0 | – |
| Strongbox |
Free tier | Free tier | AGPL-3.0 | Yes |
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or any AI assistant that can open links. It reads the list, asks about your Mac and budget, and suggests a short list.
Help me choose the right password manager for my Mac. Read https://dockpicks.com/password-managers/ and its plain-text version, https://dockpicks.com/password-managers.md. Ask me which Mac I have, what I use it for and my budget, then recommend a short list from that page with the free and paid trade-offs, and say if the tool built into macOS is enough.