In my business, I need to keep track of logins for clients as well as for my own use. I keep all my client information in Daylite forms or notes, where it’s linked to all the other information about that client. But what if you just want to keep passwords secure? And what if you want to share those passwords between machines? Or what if you want your password manager to integrate into your web browser? Or keep that info with you on your iPhone? Well then, here are five password management solutions for the Mac that may work for you.

1Password

I have been avoiding using a password management app for a long time. I guess I was a little suspicious of them, or reluctant to trust one app with all that info. I bought 1Password last year, and now I’m a total convert. The desktop app integrates directly into Safari and Firefox, as well as other browsers like Camino and apps like NetNewsWire. The plug-ins help you to capture login information as you enter it, or generate strong passwords as you create logins online. You can also quickly fill out logins and other forms with personal information like your address and/or credit card information that you store in 1Password. This integration with Safari and Firefox is what has me sold on 1Password. It’s so easy to use that I don’t notice it and I love that I don’t have to leave the browser to pull up my passwords like I do with the other solutions.

The iPhone app syncs with the desktop over Wi-Fi as long as both devices can see each other on the same network. The iPhone app implements a browser inside the app to enable auto-fill. You can also sync javascript bookmarklets to Safari that will launch in Safari on the iPhone and auto-fill your password on sites in the native browser. While this isn’t as secure as some other choices, it does make it possible to avoid having to switch back and forth between the password app and the Safari browser on your iPhone to type in a username and password manually.

You can sync your password file between multiple Macs by using the Mac OS X Keychain and MobileMe syncing (not recommended) or by using file-based syncing with Agile Keychain format (recommended). Instructions for file-based syncing using a couple of solutions are provided on the Agile Web Solutions web site.

1Password is $39.95 for a single user license or $69.95 for a five-license family pack. The iPhone app is free. There is a Palm OS app available as well.

SplashID

SplashID has been around a long time and is very well respected in Palm and Windows Mobile circles. The desktop app for the Mac provides password generation and syncing with the SplashID iPhone app. You can create items with custom fields and set the labels as you like. Several types are provided to group and organize items. You can launch web sites from within the app and it will auto-fill the form on the page (at least with Safari). It doesn’t capture login information from the browser like 1Password does.

While I was using it, I found myself missing the Safari and Firefox plugins from 1Password. The variety of items that you can store compares favorably, but I think the interface is a little rough. The iPhone app will sync with the desktop and includes a strong password generator. If you want to sync your info between your Mac and a Windows Mobile, BlackBerry or Symbian device, this is your only choice.

SplashID Desktop can compare entries between two password databases and sync the results to both copies.

The cost for the desktop app is $20. The iPhone app is $9.99. There is a free Lite version of the iPhone app that is limited to 15 entries to try it out.

Password Wallet

Password Wallet works with your desktop and iPhone. The desktop interface is minimal and unobtrusive. Some may like the narrow window used to list items stored in the wallet file. You can also keep multiple wallet files, each with their own master password, if you have need for that feature. Clicking on a URL will open the page in the default browser and hover a window with auto-fill options over the browser. This works great for launching sites from within Password Wallet, but I still resent having to leave the browser to start that process. Seriously, once you’ve tried 1Password’s method on the desktop, there is no going back.

The Password Wallet iPhone app implements its own browser in the app to enable auto-fill. If you want to use Mobile Safari, you’ll have to switch back and forth.

The Password Wallet desktop app is $20 and the iPhone app is currently free.

Wallet 3

Wallet is one of the most polished desktop apps on the Mac. The user interface is very accessible and will look familiar to anyone who has used Address Book on the Mac. It follows the same three-column layout with large “+” buttons at the bottom of the first two columns and an edit button below the third. You can create custom folders in the first column to group entries, but an entry can only belong in one group. You can use the notes to tag entries as the search bar will look in there along with other fields.

The desktop app will auto-fill login forms for your default browser if you launch the page from within Wallet. The iPhone app syncs with the desktop app through MobileMe. If you don’t have a MobileMe account, you are out of luck for Mac-to-Mac syncing. iPhone syncing can still be accomplished over Wi-Fi.

The Wallet desktop app is $20 and the iPhone app is $3.99.

KeePassX

KeePassX is an open-source GPL project that is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. There is no iPhone app and there is no integration with web browsers on the Mac. Still, the databases are compatible between different platforms so KeyPassX is a good solution if you need to copy your password database around for access from different systems. It’s also free, which could be a huge plus for some.

1Password is for Me

1Password is definitely the best solution for my needs. It lets me capture login information in the browser itself, I don’t have to leave the browser to use auto-fill, and I can use it for web forms that need other information like my home address or credit card (I’m still not using the credit-card section; old habits, I guess). The iPhone app will do auto-fill with an embedded browser or the native Safari browser with the javascript bookmarklet (less secure but more convenient). If you need BlackBerry or Windows Mobile support, check out SplashID. Wallet works great if you have MobileMe and KeePassX is perfect for those that want to keep their password database in sync across platforms.

If you’ve been holding out for something like RoboForm on Windows, 1Password is as close as it gets — at least until RoboForm finally fills this Senior Mac Developer position they’ve had open for a while now.

For the next versions of these products, I would love to see a tagging feature so I can keep a taxonomy of tags for entries rather than just free-form notes. I would also like to to see a system where an entry can belong to multiple groups so I could file an entry under both a client name, a project, and a service provider, though tagging would accomplish the same thing.

What password management app do you use?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce
• Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The Risks

For those of you who have far too many sites to log into and far too short of a memory to remember them all, this program will save your life. 1Password is a simple, elegant system that incorporates itself into most browsers and like Keychain, will save and place your information accordingly.

Browser Compatibility

For a full list of browser compatibility check out their site. Having Safari and Firefox covered, I was already set. Each browser will offer a similar button as shown above. Once you save a form or identity on a browser, it gets transferred to the other ones.

What It Offers

1Password may be similar to Keychain but ultimately provides for a much more versatile user experience. You can store multiple identities, false or real, multiple registration forms, and billing information for quick check outs. 1Password automatically synchronizes with Keychain and can sync with .Mac for access from multiple computers. Transferring information can be safe and easy by simply copying or backing up your Keychain folder.

If you’re like me and use variations of similar passwords, 1Password offers a quick solution to create passwords for you. It will prompt with you with a slider of choices and will create a unique password, at your set length.

Safety

Like the good Samaritans you are, you question safety. Since 1Password is directly integrated with Keychain, OS X is already set to keep your information safe. 1Password requires a master password to log in. Also it will timeout after a specified time. In the 1Password manager you can edit accounts, add notes, or track history.

Like most good things in the world, 1Password comes with at a cost, $29.95. A bargain considering its abilities. If you’re still skeptical try it out for free and comment your experiences.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce
• Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The Risks

Unfortunately for utility developers, OS X is a fairly robust system and doesn’t need a lot of monitoring or performance tweaks (in my opinion). That makes a review of a product like TechTool Pro 4 very difficult. Do you really need a product like this? Read my thought and then you decide.

Just as in previous versions, TechTool Pro 4 allows you to get your hands only as dirty as you want. The program divides its myriad of features into five sub-categories that are displayed as beautiful icons in the application’s only window.

Suites: TechTool Pro’s automated test suites are my favorite feature of this application. Suites allow you to run an automated group of tests to check a variety of components and sub-systems. If you don’t really care to drill down into the many features or individual tests, simply choose the Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced test suite and walk away.

Tests: If an automated test suite is too much for you, TechTool Pro 4 offers individual tests to check components, drives, files, etc. You can run a single test, or a number of tests simultaneously, which I absolutely love. After the tests are run, you can read the detailed report of the results, including whether or not the component has passed or failed.

One of my favorite features within TechTool Pro’s tests is the ability to press the little ‘i’ button next to each test to read a detailed description of the test. Not quite sure what the “Mathematics” test is? Neither do I, but you can read all about it with the click of a button.

Performance: This category contains features to enhance the overall speed of your computer system. However, I found this area a little lacking, again because of OS X’s ability to keep itself fairly slim and fit. Basically, you are able to perform a volume optimization and directory maintenance. Maybe I was thinking back to my PC days, but I expected some memory optimization, prioritize CPU processes, or some other technical optimization magic.

Tools: Beside great tools like Data Recovery, Volume Journaling, and Secure Wipe, TechTool Pro 4 also has the ability to create an emergency startup partition without needing to reformat. This “eDrive” gives you immediate access to your basic Mac OSX system as well as a copy of TechTool Pro to allow you to perform diagnostics and repairs. Say goodbye to bootable CD-ROMS and carrying a repair CD with you on the road.

It took me only about 3 minutes to set-up an eDrive which I was able to boot from easily by holding down the option key during boot-up.

Safety: TechTool Pro’s Safety tools provide you with a way to automatically run diagnostic and protection feature while your system is running. For example, the Protection Setup feature allows you to backup the volume structure of your hard rive, which will assist TechTool Pro with recovering lost files or volumes.

Let’s recap.

Price: $98 from micromat.com

Pros: Easy-to-use interface, varying degrees of diagnostics, fairly comprehensive reporting, clear and detailed documentation.

Cons: The high price, statistic die-hards will want even more information.

Final Word: If you are overly concerned about the status of your system and want an easy way to keep your system running like a well-oiled machine, this product is for you. Many people have proclaimed that TechTool Pro is the best utility for OS X.

If you’re like me and have never had any problems, and are performing regular backups, you may want to stick to a few high-quality freeware diagnostic tools and save the $98 for an iPhone (heaven knows you’ll need it). However, if TechTool Pro 4 was available for PC, I would buy it in a heartbeat!

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce
• Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The Risks