The short answer. Mactokio is the native authenticator that imports accounts by scanning a QR code with the webcam and keeps secrets encrypted on the device. NotchOTP is the other native one, with a notch-sized panel and local Keychain storage. Strongbox and Dashlane and Swifty are password managers that also do TOTP, and the choice between them is a password manager choice. The decision is whether the code generator and the password vault should be the same app, and that question has a security argument in both directions: one app means one backup, and two apps mean one compromise does not give away both.
This guide covers 5 two-factor authenticators for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dashlane | password manager | Subscription | not published | 6.2639.0 |
| Mactokio | security tool | Open source | MIT | 1.0.0 |
| NotchOTP | security tool | Free | MIT | 0.3.1 |
| Strongbox | password manager | Freemium | AGPL-3.0 | 1.65.2 |
| Swifty | security tool | Open source | GPL-3.0 | 1.0.0 |
What actually decides this
- Same app as the vault or separate. Combining them means a single backup and a single point of failure. Separating them means a second secret to lose and a second thing to keep current. Neither is wrong and the choice should be deliberate.
- Where the secret is stored. The system Keychain, an encrypted local store and a cloud account are three different guarantees. The first is maintained by the platform, the second by the app, and the third by a company that may change its terms.
- How accounts are backed up. The TOTP secret is the only copy of your second factor. If it lives in one place with no export, losing that place is losing access to every account that trusts it, and recovery is per service.
- How accounts are imported. A QR code from a setup screen, an otpauth URI and a screenshot are three inputs. Tools that read the code with the camera are the easiest to set up, and the ones that only accept a pasted URI rule out half the services that show the QR on a different device.
- How you get to a code. Copying, a global hotkey and a panel that stays on top are three interactions. On a Mac you will type these codes into a browser many times a day, and the keyboard path is worth more than the icon.
Our picks
- Mactokio — Its record describes a native TOTP and HOTP authenticator that imports accounts by webcam QR scan and keeps secrets encrypted on device. Choose it when you want a native authenticator that imports by scanning the QR code.
- NotchOTP — Its record describes a native TOTP authenticator with a notch-sized panel, keyboard shortcuts and local Keychain storage. Choose it when you want the codes in a notch-sized panel with keyboard shortcuts.
- Strongbox — Its record describes a KeePass and Password Safe compatible manager with local or self-hosted sync, which is the own-vault case. Choose it when you want the codes next to a KeePass-compatible vault you control.
- Dashlane — Its record describes a cloud password manager for macOS and other platforms with unlimited passwords, passkeys and devices. Choose it when you are already paying for a cloud password manager and want one fewer app.
- Swifty — Its record describes a free offline-first password manager for macOS, Windows and Linux, which is the offline case. Choose it when you want an offline-first manager that also carries the codes.
The apps
Dashlane
Dashlane is a password manager for macOS. Cloud password manager for macOS and other platforms, sold on an annual subscription with unlimited passwords, passkeys and devices. It is subscription.
Strengths. According to the developer, both remaining plans include unlimited stored passwords and passkeys and unlimited devices. Secure sharing is unlimited on both plans. Dark web monitoring is included rather than sold as an add-on.
Trade-offs. There is no free plan: Dashlane states it no longer offers or sells Dashlane Free. There is no monthly billing: Dashlane states it no longer offers monthly subscriptions for any plan. VPN for Wi-Fi protection is not available to members invited to someone else’s Friends & Family plan, only to the plan manager. The plan comparison that carries the detail lives in Dashlane’s support documentation; the pricing page Nuanyue fetched served the business plans rather than the personal ones. The minimum macOS version is not recorded here, because the value reported by the Mac App Store listing does not correspond to a published macOS release.
Not for. Anyone looking for a free password manager, since Dashlane states the Free plan has been discontinued. People who want to keep the vault in a file they own and sync themselves, because Dashlane syncs through its own service. Anyone who wants to pay monthly, since Dashlane states it no longer offers monthly subscriptions for any plan.
What it does. Stores an unlimited number of passwords and passkeys. Autofills logins across apps and browsers. Unlimited devices on one account. Unlimited secure sharing.
Dashlane is listed with current version 6.2639.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Dashlane →
Mactokio
Mactokio is a security tool for macOS. Native TOTP/HOTP authenticator that imports accounts by webcam QR scan and keeps secrets AES-256 encrypted on device. It is released under MIT.
What it does. TOTP and HOTP with SHA-1 / SHA-256 / SHA-512. Webcam QR scanner with confidence-based detection. Google Authenticator bulk migration in one scan. Touch ID / device password on every launch.
Mactokio is listed with current version 1.0.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Mactokio →
NotchOTP
NotchOTP is a security tool for macOS. Native TOTP authenticator with a notch-sized panel, keyboard shortcuts, and local Keychain storage. It is released under MIT. It is free.
What it does. Notch-sized panel with a downward reveal and reverse closing animation; respects Reduce Motion. Keyboard-first navigation: a configurable global shortcut, account switching, search, and copy. Live TOTP codes: SHA-1, SHA-256, or SHA-512; 6 or 8 digits; configurable period. Local Keychain storage for account metadata and secrets.
NotchOTP is listed with current version 0.3.1.
Full profile and verified facts for NotchOTP →
Strongbox
Strongbox is a password manager for macOS. KeePass and Password Safe compatible password manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with local or self-hosted sync, biometric unlock, browser AutoFill and YubiKey support. It is released under AGPL-3.0. It is freemium.
Strengths. According to the developer, databases are in the KeePass and Password Safe formats, so the same file opens in any compatible client on any platform. The database can be stored locally, in a cloud drive, or on your own server reached over WebDAV or SFTP. Unlocks with Face ID or Touch ID on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Trade-offs. According to the developer, most of the features the vendor advertises — biometric unlock, AutoFill, the Apple Watch app, the SSH agent, WebDAV and SFTP sync, and YubiKey support — are listed as Pro features rather than being included in the free tier. The price is not published on the vendor’s site, so you have to open the App Store to find out what Pro costs. It is a personal or family database rather than a team password manager with shared vaults and administration. The minimum macOS version for the current release is not stated on the App Store listing Nuanyue checked; the older Mac-only listing required macOS 12. The source is published under AGPL-3.0, but the App Store build is not something a user can rebuild and install themselves.
Not for. Anyone who wants a hosted password manager with nothing to configure and no file to look after. Teams that need shared vaults with role-based administration, which Strongbox does not provide.
What it does. KeePass and Password Safe databases, so the file opens in any compatible client on any platform. Store the database on the Mac, in iCloud or a cloud drive, or on your own server over WebDAV or SFTP. Face ID and Touch ID unlock on iPhone, iPad and Mac. AutoFill in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers.
Strongbox is listed with current version 1.65.2.
Full profile and verified facts for Strongbox →
Swifty
Swifty is a security tool for macOS. Free Offline-first Password Manager for MacOS, Windows and Linux. It is released under GPL-3.0.
What it does. Store Login/Password credentials. Credit card Information. Secure notes to store sensitive information. One-click Strong Password Generation.
Swifty is listed with current version 1.0.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Swifty →
How to choose
- Free of charge. NotchOTP — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. Mactokio and Swifty — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- Freemium. Strongbox — free to use, with paid tiers for additional features.
- Subscription. Dashlane — billed on a recurring basis.
Open source: Mactokio, Strongbox and Swifty (3 of 5).
Common mistakes
- Keeping the only copy of the secret in the app and no export. The service recovery codes exist for a reason and this is it.
- Screenshotting a QR code to a folder that syncs. The screenshot is the secret, in cleartext, somewhere you are not looking.
- Assuming a password manager that supports TOTP protects them the same way it protects passwords. Check the field, not the marketing.
- Moving to a new authenticator without re-enrolling. Every service needs to be told about the new secret, one at a time.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Verified 2026-10-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these two-factor authenticators?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 5 two-factor authenticators: Dashlane, Mactokio, NotchOTP, Strongbox and Swifty. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these two-factor authenticators free?
Pricing across this group: subscription (Dashlane), open source (Mactokio and Swifty), free (NotchOTP) and freemium (Strongbox). We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these two-factor authenticators are open source?
Mactokio (MIT), Strongbox (AGPL-3.0) and Swifty (GPL-3.0) are open source.
Do these two-factor authenticators support Apple Silicon?
Apple Silicon support is explicitly stated for Strongbox. For the others our data does not carry an explicit statement either way, so we do not infer one.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
Who should not use these apps?
Dashlane and Strongbox each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.
When was this data last verified?
The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-05. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.
