Privileges

What sets Privileges apart is its thoughtful design and licensing model. Unlike many similar solutions on the market, Privileges is free for personal and commercial use. There are no licensing fees, subscriptions, or enterprise contracts. For organizations, this means zero deployment costs, no vendor lock-in, and no surprise renewals. At the same time, IT teams retain full control because Privileges integrates seamlessly into MDM environments. Equally important is the level of transparency Privileges offers. While most commercial solutions function as "black boxes" with little to no visibility into how they work internally, Privileges is fully open source and its complete source code is publicly available on GitHub. This allows IT and security teams to audit the code, understand exactly what happens during elevation, and customize the application if necessary. Such openness increases trust and supports internal compliance and security policies.

From a user experience perspective, Privileges is lightweight and intuitive. Assuming the organization’s policies allow it, users can grant themselves admin rights. These rights are then automatically removed after a predefined time period, or users can revoke them manually at any time. This "just-in-time access" model significantly reduces security risks associated with permanently elevated accounts while empowering users to work without unnecessary friction.

Technically, Privileges offers a high degree of flexibility. It works entirely offline and does not depend on external servers or network services. It supports automation via command line and AppleScript, and it is extensively manageable through MDM. This makes deployment and management highly scalable, reliable, and compatible with enterprise workflows, especially in large-scale environments.

For any organization seeking a secure, efficient, and transparent way to manage admin rights on macOS, Privileges is a compelling choice. Its free, open-source nature makes it one of the most attractive alternatives available, especially for IT teams that prioritize autonomy, security, and long-term sustainability.