Picking a password manager on Mac is easier than it used to be, but the tradeoffs are sharper. Apple now ships a real Passwords app, Bitwarden keeps pushing a very strong free tier, Enpass still appeals to people who want local control, and 1Password remains the best-known premium pick for many Mac users.

This comparison looks at 1Password, Bitwarden, Enpass, and Apple Passwords from a Mac-user perspective: autofill, passkeys, sharing, offline access, security alerts, and pricing.

Quick Verdict

Choose 1Password if you want the most polished premium experience on Mac, especially for families or people who value strong sharing, passkey support, Watchtower alerts, and extras like Travel Mode.

Choose Bitwarden if you want the best value overall. Its free plan is unusually good, and the paid tier stays inexpensive while adding emergency access, a built-in authenticator, and security reports.

Choose Enpass if you care most about keeping your vault in your own cloud or local storage instead of on the vendor's servers.

Choose Apple Passwords if you mostly live inside Apple's ecosystem and want a free, built-in option that now handles passwords, passkeys, verification codes, and shared groups well enough for many people.

Feature Comparison

1Password

1Password is still the easiest premium recommendation for many Mac users because it feels complete without feeling messy. It handles passwords, passkeys, documents, payment cards, and secure sharing well, and its Mac experience is mature.

The standout security features are still useful, not just marketable. Watchtower flags weak, reused, or vulnerable credentials, and Travel Mode can temporarily remove selected vaults from your devices when you cross borders. That is a niche feature, but for some people it is the reason they pay for 1Password instead of using a free alternative.

1Password also has strong passkey support. Its official passkey page says you can create, use, and share passkeys, and Watchtower can point out accounts that could be upgraded from passwords to passkeys.

Pricing is clearly premium. The current App Store listing shows 1Password Individual Monthly at $4.99, Individual Annual at $47.99, Family Monthly at $7.99, and Family Annual at $71.99.

Choose 1Password if you want the smoothest paid option and are willing to pay for polish, sharing, and premium security extras.

Bitwarden

Bitwarden is the easiest value recommendation. The free tier includes unlimited passwords, unlimited devices, passkey management, browser and desktop apps, and even free sharing with one other user. That is a much better starting point than most paid-first competitors offer.

The paid plan stays cheap. Bitwarden's pricing page lists Premium at $1.65/month billed annually at $19.80 and Families at $3.99/month billed annually at $47.88. Premium adds features such as the integrated authenticator, encrypted file attachments, emergency access, phishing blocker, and security reports.

Bitwarden is also open source, which matters to a lot of technically inclined Mac users. If you want strong cross-platform coverage without locking yourself too deeply into one ecosystem, it is one of the safest picks.

The compromise is that Bitwarden can feel more utilitarian than 1Password. It usually wins on price and openness, not on visual polish.

Choose Bitwarden if you want the strongest mix of cost, transparency, and everyday capability.

Enpass

Enpass takes a different angle from 1Password and Bitwarden. Its pitch is control. Enpass says your encrypted vault stays under your control rather than on Enpass servers, and it supports syncing through services like iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, WebDAV, and Nextcloud. It also supports offline-only options such as Wi-Fi sync and folder sync.

That makes Enpass appealing if "where does my vault actually live?" is your first question. The company also emphasizes passkey support, unlimited passwords, unlimited vaults, unlimited devices, breach alerts, and offline access.

Current pricing is straightforward on the official pricing page: $23.99/year for the Individual plan, $35.99 for the first year then $47.99/year for the Family plan, and a $47.99 3-year plan listed as a one-time payment.

The main tradeoff is that Enpass feels more infrastructure-minded than Apple Passwords or 1Password. That is great if you want control, but less ideal if you want the simplest possible family onboarding flow.

Choose Enpass if you want modern password-manager features without handing vault hosting to the vendor.

Apple Passwords

Apple Passwords has become a real option for Mac users, not just a fallback. Apple now bundles a dedicated Passwords app that stores passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes in one place. It also offers shared groups, password security recommendations, and alerts for weak, reused, or leaked passwords.

For Mac users who stay mostly within Apple hardware, this can be enough. Apple also supports autofill in Safari and says you can use autofill on supported third-party browsers by enabling an extension. If you also use Windows, Apple says iCloud for Windows can provide password access in Chrome and Edge.

The obvious limit is platform reach and advanced workflows. Apple Passwords is strongest when your world is Apple-first. It is not the tool I would choose for mixed Apple, Android, Linux, and work-admin environments.

Still, because it is included with macOS, the value is hard to ignore.

Choose Apple Passwords if you want a free built-in solution and your setup is mostly Apple devices plus maybe a Windows PC.

Which One Should You Use?

Use 1Password if you want the most refined premium experience and care about polished sharing, passkeys, alerts, and Travel Mode.

Use Bitwarden if you want the best overall value and do not need the extra sheen of 1Password.

Use Enpass if your biggest priority is controlling where your encrypted vault lives.

Use Apple Passwords if you want something free, simple, and tightly integrated with your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Final Verdict

For most Mac users, the shortlist is simple: Bitwarden is the best value, 1Password is the best premium experience, and Apple Passwords is the best built-in option.

Enpass is the most interesting alternative if vendor-hosted vaults make you uncomfortable and you want more storage control than the usual cloud-first password manager gives you.

If you are starting from scratch today, I would first decide whether you want a fully Apple-native setup or a cross-platform password manager. If you want cross-platform, the practical choice is usually Bitwarden or 1Password. If you want maximum convenience and already trust Apple's ecosystem, Apple Passwords may be enough.

Note: Features and prices are current as of May 2026. Always verify the latest details on the official websites before buying or subscribing.