Comparison

Near Lock vs Jamf Unlock

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Near Lock

Automate your Mac's security by using your iPhone to lock and unlock it based on your proximity. Enhance security with fingerprint, double knock, or Apple Watch authentication. Manage your Mac remotely and receive notifications for login attempts.

Highlights
  • Automatic Mac locking and unlocking based on iPhone proximity
  • Fingerprint, double knock, and Apple Watch authentication
  • Manual lock and unlock via iPhone
  • Remote Mac control through iPhone notifications
  • Login attempt notifications and tracking
  • WiFi unlock for trusted networks
  • Clipboard synchronization between devices
Features
Read full description

Use your iPhone to lock and unlock your Mac automatically. When you walk away from your Mac, it will be automatically locked. Once you approach your workplace, Near Lock will unlock your Mac. ----------------- Unlock your Mac with your fingerprint (Touch ID), double knock, Apple Watch, notification widget or use the iPhone 3D touch. Try it out for FREE DOWNLOAD: To use Near Lock download the Mac application: www.nearlock.me FEATURES: • locking and unlocking your Mac automatically - depends on the distance between your iPhone and your Mac • easily set the distance on which your Mac should be locked or unlocked • for additional security use your fingerprint (Touch ID), double knock or Apple Watch for each Mac login authorization • manually lock and unlock your Mac with your iPhone • knock twice on your iPhone for a faster Mac login. • take a picture and receive a notification when anyone tries to login into your Mac. • track and see all recent Mac login and logout times. • WiFi Unlock - keep your Mac unlocked while connected to your selected WiFi network (e.g. Home network) • Clipboard - copy and paste text to and from your Mac • choose between sleep (hibernate) and screensaver when locking your Mac • receive notification when your Mac is locked or unlocked • unlock your Mac directly with the iPhone's interactive notifications - swipe left on received notifications • control your Mac through the iPhone Notification Center Widget - quickly lock and unlock your Mac from anywhere on your iOS device • control your audio: pause music when you log out, play when you login - works with Spotify, QuickTime, VLC, iTunes • to save your battery Near Lock uses Low Energy Bluetooth 4.0 for the communication between your devices • control Near Lock from your iOS device or your Mac's menu bar • make locking and unlocking your Mac faster with 3D Touch - only iPhone 6S or newer • use your iPhone to control multiple Macs • find my iPhone feature - in case your iPhone is lost you can now ping it from your Mac • authorize Mac tasks (such as installing new software) with Touch ID or by knocking on your iPhone • lock and unlock your Mac using Siri on your iPhone SECURITY: Your credentials and data are secured and never leave your devices - AES encryption. For additional protection, the bluetooth communication channel is internally encrypted. REQUIREMENTS: Near Lock requires a Mac that is running Mavericks or later. Your Mac also needs to support the latest Bluetooth LE technology. The following Macs support Bluetooth LE: • iMac late 2012 or newer • MacBook Air 2011 or newer • MacBook Pro 2012 or newer • Mac mini 2011 or newer • Mac Pro late 2013 or newer FEEDBACK: Thanks to all the Near Lock users for the great feedback and suggestions! REWARDS: Near Lock won second place at the "Show Your App Award" in Munich If you enjoy using Near Lock, please take a moment and leave an honest review: it really helps. Near Lock - SECURITY MADE SIMPLE

About

Jamf Unlock

Unlock your Mac without a password using your mobile device. This app generates identity credentials and pairs with your Mac for seamless authentication for unlocking, system settings, and root commands.

Highlights
  • Passwordless Mac unlocking
  • Authenticate system settings changes
  • Secure sudo command execution
  • Mobile device credential generation
  • Pairing with Mac
  • Customizable by IT administrators
Features
Read full description

Jamf Unlock is a mobile app that allows you to unlock your Mac without using a password. With Jamf Unlock, you complete a setup process to generate identity credentials (a certificate) on your mobile device and pair the device with your Mac. Once complete, you can use the app to authenticate for: - Unlocking your Mac - Prompts to change settings in System Preferences - Commands executed with root privileges with the sudo command IT administrators can use Jamf Pro to customize the look and feel of the app, configure authentication settings via managed app configuration, and deploy the app to users. Jamf Unlock is an iOS app to extend the Jamf Connect product for passwordless authentication on the Mac.

Screenshots

Near Lock4 screens
Jamf Unlock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Jamf Unlock at 5.0 against Near Lock's 3.8. Jamf Unlock also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). Near Lock's advantage is ratings volume (571 vs 6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Near Lock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Jamf Unlock asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Jamf Unlock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Near Lock has 571 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Near Lock ships an update monthly, Jamf Unlock every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Near Lock versus Jamf Unlock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNear LockJamf Unlock
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (571 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings571 — better6
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFilip DuvnjakJAMF Software

Customer experience

Near Lock

All ratings570 ratings
Positive68.9%
Neutral7.0%
Negative24.0%
Written reviews280 reviews
Positive38.2%
Neutral8.9%
Negative52.9%

Jamf Unlock

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Near Lock

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Incompatibility with newer macOS versions
  • Unexpected password entries in other apps
  • Bluetooth cache corruption issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for more devices (e.g. iPad, Apple Watch)
  • Improved background functionality
  • More customization options
  • Better error handling and troubleshooting

Jamf Unlock

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Near Lock

One-time1
  • Pro Mode$3.99
None

Jamf Unlock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Near Lock free?
Near Lock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Jamf Unlock free?
Jamf Unlock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Near Lock or Jamf Unlock?
Jamf Unlock is rated higher. Near Lock averages 3.8 out of 5 from 571 ratings, while Jamf Unlock averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Near Lock or Jamf Unlock have ads?
Neither Near Lock nor Jamf Unlock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Near Lock or Jamf Unlock?
Near Lock ships an update monthly, and Jamf Unlock every 3 months. Most recently, Near Lock was updated on October 24, 2026 and Jamf Unlock on October 19, 2026.

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