Best app lockers for Mac in 2026: seven compared
macOS has no built-in way to lock a single app, so a handful of third-party tools fill the gap. They do not all lock the same way. Here is a side-by-side look at seven of them. We make Shoo!, so where another tool is the better pick for you, we say so.
| App | Price | How it locks | Touch ID | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoo! | $17.99 once; 7-day free trial | Ends the app’s process | Yes; Apple Watch or a private backup password as fallback | macOS 14+. Asks for no system permissions. |
| Lockish | $9.99 once; 7-day free trial | Overlay on the app’s window; the app keeps running | Yes; your Mac password also works as a fallback | Needs the Accessibility permission. Has idle auto-lock timers. |
| Cloak | $9.99 once on its own site; the App Store version is a subscription | Not publicly documented | Yes | Also encrypts files and hides apps. macOS 13+. |
| AppLocker (App Store) | Subscription or $17.99 lifetime; free tier covers one app | Checks when an app launches | Yes | Easy to find and install from the Mac App Store. |
| MakLock | Free, open source (MIT) | Blur overlay on the app’s window | Yes, plus Apple Watch unlock | Last release March 2026; last code change April 2026. |
| Cisdem AppCrypt | $39.99 once or $19.99/year | Intercepts the app launch | No | Also blocks websites and supports schedules. |
| AppLockr | €4.99 once | Not publicly documented | Yes | Describes itself as native and Apple-notarized. |
Prices and features change, so check each vendor’s site before you buy. Details here come from the vendors’ own pages and from independent reviews.
What to look for in an app locker
Does the app keep running behind the lock? Most lockers draw an overlay on top of the app, so the app is still running underneath. Shoo! ends the app’s process instead, so nothing is running or visible until you unlock it. An overlay can be more convenient, and ending a process means unsaved work in that app is interrupted, so each approach has a price.
What else opens the lock? Some tools accept your Mac’s login password as a fallback. On a shared Mac, anyone who knows that password can open everything you locked. A separate backup password avoids that.
Which permissions does it ask for? Tools that track app windows usually need the Accessibility permission. Fewer permissions mean less to trust and less to break after a macOS update.
Is it maintained, and how is it priced? App lockers depend on macOS internals, so a tool that has not been updated for months can quietly stop working. A one-time price avoids subscription fatigue, but check what is included in each tier.
MakLock alternatives: what to pick instead
MakLock is free and open source, and it has Apple Watch unlock, but it has not been updated since April 2026. If you used it and want something maintained, Lockish is the cheapest actively updated paid option with Touch ID. AppLockr is cheaper still, though it publishes little about how it locks. Cloak suits you if you also want to encrypt files and hide apps. Shoo! suits you if you want the app to be completely closed while locked, with no Mac-password fallback and no system permissions. See the full Shoo! vs MakLock comparison.
Which one should you pick?
If budget matters most, MakLock is free and Lockish costs $9.99, with the caveat above about MakLock’s maintenance. If you want one app for locking, hiding and encrypting, Cloak is built around that. If you want website blocking and schedules and do not need Touch ID, Cisdem AppCrypt covers it. If you want a locked app to be fully closed, with a backup password that is never your Mac’s login password, that is what Shoo! is built for.
Try it free for 7 days — full functionality, no credit card, $17.99 once if you keep it.
Frequently asked
What is the best app locker for Mac in 2026?
It depends on what you need. Lockish is the cheapest actively updated option with Touch ID, Cloak also encrypts files and hides apps, Cisdem AppCrypt adds website blocking, and Shoo! is the one that ends the app’s process and never accepts your Mac’s login password.
Does macOS have a built-in way to lock a single app?
As of our last check, no. Apple’s own support community states that apps cannot be locked individually on a Mac, which is why third-party app lockers exist.
Is there a free app locker for Mac?
MakLock is free and open source, but its last release was in March 2026 and its last code change in April 2026, so it is no longer being actively updated. Most other app lockers are paid, with trials.
Which Mac app lockers support Touch ID?
Shoo!, Lockish, Cloak, AppLocker, MakLock and AppLockr all list Touch ID support. Cisdem AppCrypt does not.