What are the best free security & privacy apps for Mac?

By community activity, Strongbox, Signal and Bitwarden are the top picks on Mac App Index right now.

Are these security & privacy apps completely free?

Not all of them. 6 are completely free; 6 are free to download, with in-app purchases or a paid upgrade for extra features.

How many free security & privacy apps are there for Mac?

Mac App Index lists 12 apps: 6 completely free, 6 free to start, 0 paid upfront and 0 by subscription. 10 are open source.

Free security & privacy apps for Mac

12 security & privacy apps you can use on Mac without paying upfront. 6 are completely free and 6 are free to start, with in-app purchases or paid upgrades. Most popular right now: Strongbox, Signal and Bitwarden.

All Free Freemium Paid Subscription

Strongbox

Password manager for KeePass files

75Free + in-appSecurity & privacy

Signal

Private messaging with end-to-end encryption

78FreeCommunication

Bitwarden

Open-source password manager

36Free + in-appSecurity & privacy

Proton VPN

VPN with a free plan

59Free + in-appSecurity & privacy

Proton Pass

End-to-end encrypted password manager

101Free + in-appSecurity & privacy

Tailscale

Private network across your devices

38Free + in-appDeveloper tools

Cryptomator

Encrypt files before they reach the cloud

42FreeSecurity & privacy

LuLu

Free open-source firewall

17FreeSecurity & privacy

KeePassXC

Offline password manager

29FreeSecurity & privacy

1Blocker

Ad and tracker blocker for Safari

18Free + in-appSecurity & privacy

OverSight

Alerts when your mic or camera turns on

25FreeMenu bar

Hush

Hide cookie banners in Safari

9FreeSecurity & privacy

How we picked: every app here is listed in security & privacy on Mac App Index and is either completely free or free to start with in-app purchases. Apps are sorted by community activity; switch to Top or New to reorder them. How we rank apps

Frequently asked questions

What are the best free security & privacy apps for Mac?: By community activity, Strongbox, Signal and Bitwarden are the top picks on Mac App Index right now.
Are these security & privacy apps completely free?: Not all of them. 6 are completely free; 6 are free to download, with in-app purchases or a paid upgrade for extra features.
How many free security & privacy apps are there for Mac?: Mac App Index lists 12 apps: 6 completely free, 6 free to start, 0 paid upfront and 0 by subscription. 10 are open source.