Cisdem AppCrypt Alternatives for Mac (2026)
Cisdem AppCrypt is the best known app locker for Mac, and it is a capable one. It also has three things that send people looking elsewhere: it has no Touch ID, so you type a password every time; the standard price is a yearly subscription ($19.99 a year, or $39.99 one-time on promotion, both for a single Mac); and it does not touch folders or files at all. Cisdem’s own FAQ says so.
Here are the alternatives worth a look in 2026, with the honest trade-offs.
1. Cloak
Cloak locks apps behind Touch ID or a password, hides apps completely, and encrypts folders and single files in place with AES-256. If someone gets the unlock wrong it can take their photo, the same feature AppCrypt is known for. It is a one-time purchase from $9.99 for one Mac, with free updates.
One thing no other locker on this list does: you can turn off the Mac password fallback, so someone who knows your Mac login still cannot open a locked app.
Best for: people who want one tool for apps, folders and files, paid once.
Trade-off: no website blocking. Cloak is about privacy, not screen time.
2. Lockish
Lockish is a $9.99 one-time Touch ID locker from Appish. It locks the app’s window with an overlay and can re-lock after a timeout you set per app. It needs Touch ID to quit, and it runs with no account.
Best for: a cheap, simple Touch ID lock on a Sonoma or newer Mac.
Trade-off: it accepts your Mac password as the fallback, so anyone who knows it gets in. No encryption, no file or folder vaults. Failed-attempt logging is still on the roadmap.
3. Lock Pro
Lock Pro is a $5.99 one-time locker on the Mac App Store with Touch ID, a schedule, logging, and a webcam photo on failed attempts. The developer says it relaunches within a second if killed from Terminal or Activity Monitor.
Best for: the cheapest paid locker with an intruder photo.
Trade-off: apps only. Some store reviews say the photo feature did not work for them.
4. AppLocker by Alex Denk
The most downloaded locker on the Mac App Store. Touch ID, Bluetooth and network unlock, an access history. Free to lock one app, then $2.99 a month, $11.99 a year or $17.99 for life.
Best for: people who want to buy through the App Store.
Trade-off: the free version is a demo. Several one-star reviews describe its full screen lock covering the whole Mac at login. Apps only, no encryption.
5. AppLockr
A small, notarized Mac locker sold direct for a one-time €4.99. Touch ID, folder locking with encryption where supported, and an optional webcam photo on failed attempts. Works offline.
Best for: a low price with folder support.
Trade-off: young product, single files not mentioned, and purchase runs through Ko-fi rather than a store.
Quick comparison
 Cloak |  AppCrypt |  Lockish |  Lock Pro |  AppLocker |  AppLockr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once | $19.99/yr | $9.99 once | $5.99 once | $17.99 life | €4.99 once |
| Touch ID | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Locks folders | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Locks files | Yes | No | No | No | No | Not stated |
| Encrypts | Yes | Not stated | No | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Intruder photo | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Log only | Yes |
| Mac password shut out | Your choice | Not stated | No | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Prices checked on 10 September 2026. For all eleven points on every locker, see every Mac app locker compared.
Which one
Every locker above stops an app from opening. Only one also covers your folders and files, encrypts what it hides, photographs a failed attempt, and can shut your Mac password out: Cloak, for a one-time $9.99. For the direct head-to-head, read Cloak vs AppCrypt.
Lock anything on your Mac
Cloak locks apps behind Touch ID, hides them completely, and encrypts folders with AES-256. Everything stays on your Mac. No account, one-time purchase.
Get Cloak