Best Password Manager..

[WW4B]

Well into 2025 and the wife and I are reviewing are daily life concerns regarding utilities, internet/cable, insurances and the like. One thing we agreed on is to begin using a password manger to help negotiate the too many websites we use and their required passwords and login credentials. I am looking into purchasing a top rated password manager for my wife and I. I am using a 2020 M1 MBP running macOS Sequoia 15.2 and the misses uses a windows based Dell laptop. We also use IPhones 12 & 15. What would the forum recommend as a password manager for both platforms. Is there a family plan that will support both windows and mac os or will we both need to secure our own subscriptions. I realize there are many threads attributed to this topic, but being 2025 I am looking for the latest updates, recommendations and possible pricing specials from our forum members as a base for any research. Thanks to all....

 

[IWT]

I have always been a keen user of 1Password:

Password Manager & Extended Access Management | 1Password | 1Password

More than a password manager and leader in Extended Access Management. Discover why 1Password is the exclusive Cybersecurity Partner of Oracle Red Bull Racing.

1password.com

It can be used on the Mac and any iDevice you have. It is a paid-for App.

There are several alternatives which others who use these would be better placed to comment.

Ian

PS I forgot to mention that I have no financial or other relationship with 1PW.

 

[RadDave]

I have always been a keen user of 1Password:

Password Manager & Extended Access Management | 1Password | 1Password

More than a password manager and leader in Extended Access Management. Discover why 1Password is the exclusive Cybersecurity Partner of Oracle Red Bull Racing.

1password.com

It can be used on the Mac and any iDevice you have. It is a paid-for App.

@ WW4B - I agree w/ Ian, 1Password is a top rated recommendation on the Mac platform - I also use the app along with Apple's new Passwords (which replaced Keychain) - at the moment, debating whether wife and I can get along w/ Passwords (using the 'sharing' feature) or stick with 1Password - others may want to 'chime in' on this decision? There is even an excellent online book on 1Password by Joe Kissell of 'Take Control Books' (attached) - I've owned multiple editions (no relationship but cheap) - he also has a more general book at the same website on 'Passwords' which discusses other PW apps - he uses 1Password but I'm debating whether to just switch over to Apple's app and avoid the yearly fee (which I just paid) - good luck in your decision - not an easy choice. Dave
.

 

[Rod]

Way back when I started using a Password Manager (PWM) I went through the offerings and there were only a few good ones I could find. 1Password was one of those along with the similarly named OnePass, DashLane, Enpass and a few others.

I settled on Enpass because it stores all my data on my machine (locally) rather than on the provider's data base. The only downside of that is you cannot just login to your 1Password account on a computer in the business centre of a hotel and retrieve your passwords. I've never had to do that. After all I can access my Enpass PWM on my iPhone, laptop and iPad. My passwords are now all synced to my various devices via iCloud but you can also use OneDrive, GoogleDrive, DropBox and more.

Even if there was a data breach of iCloud my password data is doubly encrypted and can only be accessed by the app using my master password.

It's easy to use and available for PC, Android, iOS and Mac of course there are 3 price tiers including a one off lifetime subscription although it's a little more expensive than when I bought it. Enpass: Secure Passkey & Password Manager That Keeps Your Data On Your Cloud Storage

Having said all that I concede that 1Password has been very popular and has equally good feedback from just about everybody on these forums.

 

[pine man]

If you are averse to paying, Bitwarden is genuinly free, cross platform, and works well for me on Macs old and (relatively) new and iPhones.

 

[rbpeirce]

I've used 1Password for years. I also like how much other stuff it can keep track of. I find it especially useful for credit cards where it can fill in the details when you are buying something.

 

[WW4B]

Thank you everyone for your valuable advice, knowledge and insight. Will research all options as provided. As just recently semi-retired I will have more available time to do so. Again, thanks to all the supportive and informative members who where kind to reply...

 

[Rod]

I find it especially useful for credit cards where it can fill in the details when you are buying something.

Enpass too as well as Passkeys. I'm obviously biased

PS. I forgot to mention that I have no financial or other relationship with Enpass.

 

[LedgerStein]

There are many that would work on both devices, you can check the general comparison on this reddit post. I personally use NordPass, tried it on different devices, and never had any complains tbh.

 

[Rod]

I also use the app along with Apple's new Passwords (which replaced Keychain

It didn't replace keychain, keychain is still on the Mac just a bit harder to find but it does work in conjunction with keychain like a seperate User Interface for personal passwords. All of your Passwords data is also in Keychain.

 

[IWT]

It didn't replace keychain, keychain is still on the Mac just a bit harder to find but it does work in conjunction with keychain like a seperate User Interface for personal passwords. All of your Passwords data is also in Keychain.

Rod, if you've time, can you briefly tell me how you integrated Keychain with Apple's new Passwords?

I sometimes find it confusing when I am required to enter a PW. I suppose part of my "difficulty" is that I also have 1Password.

I'm not sure this true, but I get the impression that the three (Keychain, 1PW, and Passwords) are "competing" with one another. Put another way, the fault is mine - much nearer the truth!!

Ian

 

[ferrarr]

The integration is behind the curtain. I believe Passwords imported all the information from Safari. What type of information are you looking for? All web and App information are there, but not notes or codes are not in there, they will need to be input manually.

Just the other day I needed an activation code for an app and I misplaced my digital copy, So I searched for Keychain, opened it, and chose to keep it in my Dock.

 

[IWT]

Bob,

Maybe I should open a new Post; there again this thread is about PW Managers.

In an ideal world I'd like to have all (or as much as possible) in one PW Manager. If there is a choice, I'd select 1PW because I'm very familiar with that app; and for which I pay of course.

It doesn't happen often, but I suspect I've failed to research well enough, about how all this works.

Ian

 

[SpeedThree5500]

The Family Plan for 1Password is a steal. I think I have this right: if you have relatives for whom you would like to pay for 1Password (kids, etc.), YOU pay the $5 a month and you get 5 family memberships, each member with their own 1Password account. It's a great gift.

 

[Jimmysb]

If you open keychain you get this message, which suggests passwords gets its information from keychain, ergo not competing:

 

[IWT]

Thanks for that, Jim B.

Ian

 

[Rod]

Rod, if you've time, can you briefly tell me how you integrated Keychain with Apple's new Passwords?

I sometimes find it confusing when I am required to enter a PW. I suppose part of my "difficulty" is that I also have 1Password.

I'm not sure this true, but I get the impression that the three (Keychain, 1PW, and Passwords) are "competing" with one another. Put another way, the fault is mine - much nearer the truth!!

Ian

Hiya Ian, Keychain or rather Keychain Access is found Macintosh HD > System > Library > Core Services > Applications > Keychain Access
As far as I can tell they are integrated, with Passwords just being a simpler interface to Keychain. I find all the same application passwords in Keychain that I have in the Passwords app.
I believe that 1Password operates independently just as Enpass does for me. I have some passwords created by Apple's offer to "Create Strong Password" and some Passkeys that are common to both or where the password was created by Enpass.
I would be happy to use Apple's Passwords if it had the templates, classifications, notes, and other features of Enpass but until it does I continue to use Passwords as a backup. After all Enpass is also stored in iCloud.
So here's what I do; when asked to create a password, I open Enpass, select a template eg, Login, I name it, enter the name I'm using for myself on the site, the email I'm using, click create password, it can be any length or complexity.
I don't use Passwords much because I have the Enpass extension on Brave so Enpass offers to create a password any time I'm prompted to do so I don't have any competition between PWM's



As far as i can tell everything in Apple Passwords is stored here too, just harder to find. You might want to change this setting, as I have;


Just to prevent Passwords from constantly offering to create passwords, I'm guessing 1Password has a similar setting. The trick would be to confine yourself to just one PWM making that offer.
Which one? Well I decided on Enpass a long time ago for the reasons listed above, it also handles Passkeys and algorithm created Authentication codes but I'm sure Passwords will catch up and maybe then we can all swap over.

 

[IWT]

Brilliant, Dave. I can follow that quite easily .

I shall set about changing a few things based on your very thoughtful post.

Ian

 

[Rod]

Who's Dave?

 

[IWT]

Who's Dave?

I think he has now changed his name to Rod

Ian