Top 5 Password Safe Mac Alternatives

Margarete Cotty

2023-04-13 17:06:35 • Filed to: Reseller • Proven solutions

Password Safe Mac is a macOS application for password management. It is essentially an open-source utility built on the Password Safe code and has been written from scratch for the macOS platform. If you're a Mac user, you may have already come across this utility. The problem that some users face is that this particular version is not free, retailing for $14.99 on the Mac App Store. If you're hesitant about spending that much on a password manager for Mac, you can review our list of top 5 Password Safe Mac alternatives that are cheaper, more feature-rich, and easier to use than Password Safe Mac.

5 Best Password Safe Mac Alternatives

Alternative #1 - 1Password

1Password has won several awards and garnered praise from tech reviewers around the world. It is, by far, one of the easiest password managers to use on your Mac, and it also supports all other major desktop and mobile OS platforms. Despite its ease-of-use advantage, it holds a repository of powerful security features that make the user experience pleasant as well as highly secure.

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From one-click logins to breach alerts, it is possibly one of the most comprehensive yet affordable password managers for multiple platforms. Vault organization and sharing is especially simple, which means new users can hit the ground running without a steep learning curve. In addition to your login items for web and app accounts, 1Password can store secure notes, file attachments, credit card details, personal information, and more. As a form-filling tool, it is second to none, and even on that front, it is secure because it won't automatically fill out the information unless you want it to. Aside from these functions, 1Password also offers a host of basic and advanced features such as the ones listed below.

Feature Set:

One-click password filling - opens the site and keeps your information ready to fill and login
The Master Password, the Security Key, and the Secure Remote Password or SRP protocol together keep your private information safe on any device
Completely offline option for greater security
Protection from phishing attempts
Removes clipboard items periodically
Prevents keylogging software from stealing your credentials
Watchtower feature to alert you of breaches that may have compromised your passwords or logins
Secure random password generation for new logins
Alerts you of weak or easily compromisable passwords so you can change them immediately
Verifies your browser's digital signature before your data is auto-filled
Auto-lock feature to keep your data safe when you step away from your computer
Supports all biometric authentication systems on macOS and iOS devices

Pros:

Affordable, enterprise-grade security for personal and family accounts
Easy vault-sharing - restricts sharing to one vault to prevent accidental sharing or mismanagement
Transparent security protocols that can be audited by third parties at any time
User protection at many levels
Master Password is never saved or transmitted to others
Auto-fill only works when you want it to - no data is filled or displayed without your permission
Locking 1Password is as easy as closing the lid of your MacBook
It will literally take decades for someone to crack a strong Master Password

Cons:

Only paid versions available - free trial can be used for evaluating the product before purchasing a license
No activity dashboard

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Alternative #2 - KeePass for Mac

KeePass is a simple, open-source application for Windows and Mac. There's also a KeePass-compatible application called MacPass that works better on the macOS platform. In short, KeePass offers the tools that every computer user needs to stay safe online. Features include multiple language support, password encryption, password history, etc. Here's a snapshot of KeePass's core features, along with the pros and cons of using this application on your Mac computer.

Feature Set:

Password encryption
Integrates with browsers
MFA support
Multilingual support
Strong-password generator
Form-filling
Offline use

Pros:

Easy to customize
Plugins for various browsers
File storage (encrypted) option

Cons:

Lacks intuitive controls
Not easy for inexperienced users to manage and use properly

Alternative #3 - Master Password

This unique tool works very differently from the bulk of password managers for Mac. It generates strong passwords based on the Master Password and your user name, and then wipes it clean from the device so it can't be stolen. As such, it doesn't require cloud access for syncing and it doesn't store passwords locally. Of course, there are downsides to this as well, as we'll see.

Feature Set:

A strong password-creation algorithm based on easy-to-remember parameters
Uses secure keys that aren't stored locally or in the cloud
Remember Master Password access automatically
Simply copy-paste the generated key from application to the site

Pros:

Highly secure because no password is ever stored unless you use the browser's default password manager in tandem with Master Password
Works on a simple but powerful algorithm that circumvents the need to store passwords
Doesn't matter if your device is damaged - just recalculate the password using the algorithm

Cons:

User can't save passwords - the app is required at all times for all logins
No vaults for attachments, notes, etc.

Alternative #4 - SaferPass

SaferPass is a multiplatform password manager that gives you all the basic tools of password management for Mac. Don't expect advanced functionality with this tool, but the fact is you never have to worry about weak passwords or your credentials being compromised in any way.

Feature Set:

Automatic backup and sync
Auto-fill online forms
Random password generator
Save notes securely
Export data
Access offline
Logout remotely

Pros:

Built-in generator for strong passwords
SecureMe remote logout feature prevents accidental password leakage
Local data storage for added security

Cons:

Free version lacks features like 2FA support and saving credit card details
No advanced activity logs or reports for managing weak accounts

Alternative #5 - Vault Password Manager

Vault is an easy-to-access menu bar password manager with extensions for Safari, Firefox, and Chrome. It incorporates a menu bar in your browser for quickly accessing all your passwords, and the convenient search function means you don't have to fumble around for a password.

Feature Set:

Menu bar to access features
Copy button for username and password
Built-in key generator to generate strong, random passwords
Lock the app automatically
Browser extensions for auto-filling information on websites
Encryption for usernames and passwords
Supports multiple accounts

Pros:

Convenient auto-start and auto-lock
Easy to find login items via the search box
Backup and restore the app and data in case your device is damaged

Cons:

No sharing feature
No advanced functionality

Reviews of Password Safe Mac

Password Safe Mac is a full-featured Mac application that you can download from the Mac App Store. It's a little expensive at $14.99 but it does offer a laundry list of functionalities and capabilities. It essentially works off iCloud to help sync data across multiple iDevices but can also be synced with non-macOS and non-iOS devices using Dropbox and other cloud services. You can group your passwords in any way you want, which helps organize the hundreds of usernames and passwords that the average computer user requires. Copied passwords have non-persist tags that prevent them from being saved indefinitely in the clipboard. It is built on the Password Safe code for encryption to ensure a high degree of security for all your credentials; in a sense, it is the best of open-source and premium software rolled into one.

Pros and Cons of Password Safe Mac

Pros:

Purpose-built for the macOS platform and iOS devices
Deep integration with Mac-specific functions like Touch ID
Easy to sync with other iDevices via iCloud and other devices via trusted cloud service providers
Built with open-source encryption standards that are highly secure
Convenient hotkeys to manage field-filling
Unicode is supported
Behaves like a native Mac app for a seamless user experience

Cons:

No advanced features - only password storage
Lack of comprehensive options to import data from other password managers
No recovery options unless you have backed up your data to the cloud

How to Use Password Safe Mac

The first thing to do after installing Password Safe Mac is to create a Safe. This is essentially a vault that will contain the usernames and passwords that you add to the application. Here's how it works:

Step 1: On the initial welcome screen, you'll see an option called New Safe. Click on it to create a fresh Safe for your passwords.
Step 2: Specify a new password and enter it twice in the appropriate fields. Since the app supports YubiKey, you can turn on that option by checking the relevant box. You can also choose to create a new secret for YubiKey to make the Safe even more secure. Click OK when you're done.
Step 3: The previous step will create an entry, which you can move into a group that you create in pretty much the same way.
Step 4: You can now click on File → Move to in order to save the newly created Safe to iCloud.
Step 5: To open a created Safe, just click on it in the welcome screen and enter the password. At this point, you can specify for how long you want the Safe to remain unlocked, after which it will automatically shut down.
Step 6: To use the data in a Safe, you can copy it and paste it directly into your browser using the standard hotkeys. To copy specific fields, just use the right-click option and pick the field to be copied, then paste it into the relevant field on the website.

Conclusion: Password Safe is a great password storage utility for Mac but it does little else. For that kind of limited functionality, you may feel that $14.99 is expensive, and you'd be right because there are tools like 1Password that give you the whole gamut of features and a lot more at a much lower subscription fee. That being said, we highly recommend 1Password as the best alternative to Password Safe Mac in case you're looking to shift your data and take advantage of the whole slew of features offered by 1Password.

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