- Is There A Free Virus Protection For Mac
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System cleanup in one click
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If you've ever used Windows extensively before, you remember how important it is to find and install a good antivirus to protect your data. Without one, your whole system is exposed to malicious scripts, keyloggers, worms, ransomware, adware, etc.
It's generally considered that Macs avoid this problem since macOS is sandboxed - no script can make changes to your root files without you giving it explicit permission in the form of your admin password. That's why it's crucial not to enter your admin password when requested by any process unless you know with absolute certainty where it comes from and what it's going to do.
Mac protection toolkit
Get a trio of apps for complete Mac security: antivirus, password manager, and VPN. All free to try with Setapp.
But are Macs as protected as we think? And is there no good reason to get a Mac antivirus? Let's explore the path to finding the best virus protection for Mac and see how you can perform a Mac virus scan right now.
Why Do You Need Antivirus On Mac?
Macs have long been able to protect their key system files from intrusion by viruses directly using Gatekeeper. Recently, this protection became even more profound with mandatory app certification by Apple itself, which means that if the app hasn't been approved by Apple, it won't even launch on your Mac.
However, Mac malware has also made giant leaps forward, constantly evolving away from typical viruses to even more malicious adware, scareware, ransomware that steals your passwords or even iPhone backups, and much more.
Since bypassing Gatekeeper is not impossible, it’s good to have an extra layer of protection working for you just in case. But where do you start? Which Mac antivirus reviews can you trust? What’s the best free antivirus for Mac? Or do you have to pay for high-quality antivirus software for Mac?
Happy to report that we’ve done all the heavy lifting by comparing the best Mac antiviruses out there. Here are a few top options for you to choose from.
Best virus protection for Mac: Sophos
Sophos has been well-known as one of the leading security software companies for decades. While most of their products target corporate security for organizations with more than 100 people, they’ve recently revamped their Sophos Home antivirus for Mac lineup.
Sophos Home has free and premium plans that include a real-time scanner, remote management, parental controls, protection on the web, and more. The premium yearly subscription adds ransomware and privacy protection for complete industrial-grade security wherever you go.
Best free Mac antivirus: Avast
If you’re looking for the best free antivirus for Mac, Avast presents a really tempting option. The company itself is a known player in the security software, machine learning, and AI space. In fact, it boasts the second largest market share among all antiviruses worldwide, blocking 66 million threats every day.
Avast for Mac is a free download and works on three fronts: as anti-malware security, a web and email shield, and a WiFi security scan. The web shield is an especially useful feature that helps you avoid unsafe downloads, get rid of dangerous email attachments, and prevent intrusive web tracking. A WiFi security scan, on the other hand, is a great way to ensure no one is snooping on your data at any time.
Best malware removal for Mac: Kaspersky
Kaspersky has been one of the most popular antivirus solutions for the past 20 years, ever since it has cemented its reputation as the most advanced virus detector and the only one that could beat the CIH virus at the time of its release.
Kaspersky Internet Security scans and removes all the latest cyber threats, filters phishing emails, prevents ransomware, defends your WiFi network, hides your credit card details, and deletes all the traces of your computer activity. In addition, Kaspersky includes extensive parental controls, with content filtering, time limits, and personal data monitoring for your kids.
Best use of system resources: Bitdefender
Bitdefender might not be a household name like Kaspersky or Sophos, but its antivirus speaks for itself with near-perfect lab test results and ultra-low impact on system performance.
Besides all the regular antivirus on Mac features, Bitdefender includes ransomware rollbacks — so you’re never held hostage for your data — a browser extension, adware blocking, and a VPN. The app interface itself is easy to use, but thanks to Autopilot and Bitdefender Shield, you don’t even really have to — Bitdefender does all the protection for you.
Best virus scanner for Mac: CleanMyMac X
It might seem that having active Mac virus scanning turned on is a good thing. After all, you want to make sure that no malware gets through the cracks. And that’s true. However, any virus scanner for Mac also represents a massive drain on your battery life and processing power. So if you don’t tend to install lots of third-party apps and visit malware-infected websites, performing Mac virus scans manually might be a better solution.
CleanMyMac X is the world’s leading optimization utility, providing a complete toolkit for you to care for your Mac. The app not only scans your hard drives for any known malware but also has specific features to maintain your privacy, delete old files, update your software, uninstall any program completely, speed up your system, and much more.
Protect your privacy with a VPN
When you finally pick your best Mac antivirus, you might think that your identity is now 100% protected, but that’s not the case. While no viruses will be able to attack you, your fingerprints can still be tracked online and used to collect data about you to sell to advertisers, etc. To prevent this from happening, you also need to use a VPN (virtual private network) that will direct your traffic through a third-party server and obscure your identity.
Shimo is one of the most flexible VPN clients out there. It works with OpenVPN, Cisco SSL, SSH, Nortel IPSec, and many others, and allows for multiple connections and protocols to be used simultaneously. You can also tweak Shimo to be triggered by specific network configuration and geographic location. What’s more, you’re protected with AES 256-bit encryption for all your browsing.
Secure your logins in a password manager
The last piece of your personal security puzzle is making sure all your credentials to various websites and apps are unique and stored in a safe place. That’s why you need a robust password manager.
Secrets is an intuitive but powerful password organizer that provides you with easy password generation, stores any personal details, and automatically fills out logins through its browser extensions. You can even take Secrets with you on the go since it seamlessly syncs with your mobile devices using iCloud.
As you can see, there’s lots to choose from when you’re looking for antivirus software for Mac. If you ask us, our recommendation for the best malware removal for Mac would be a straightforward CleanMyMac X scanner. But don’t forget to augment your best antivirus for Mac with a powerful VPN client like Shimo and a reliable password manager like Secrets.
Best of all, CleanMyMac X, Shimo, and Secrets are available to you absolutely free for seven days through a trial of Setapp, a platform with more than 200 outstanding Mac apps. Just browse the Setapp collection and try anything at no cost today to see what kind of apps you might be missing out on.
System cleanup in one click
The last thing you want on your Mac is a virus or malware. Left undetected, viruses and malware can wreak havoc on a computer, and do irreparable harm. Many think Macs are impervious to viruses, but it’s just not true.
If malware infects your Mac, you may have to factory reset your device, losing all data in the process. A worst case scenario involves having to purchase a new computer; malware and viruses can overclock your CPU and corrupt memory. Damaged hardware may not be repairable; when it can be repaired, it may still be more cost effective to buy a new Mac.
This is why you should have the best Mac antivirus software available. Protecting your investment is smart!
We’ll show you which apps offer the best virus protection for Mac (including the best free antivirus for Mac), the apps that have the best malware removal for Mac, and whether free antivirus for Mac is as good as the paid options.
How to choose best antivirus for Mac
There’s no “right” way to find the best antivirus software for Mac. Because virus and malware threats change often, virus protection for Mac is a changing ecosystem. Be sure you try to find software that keeps up to date with the latest known threats so your Mac is kept safe from any and all intruders.
Why do you need antivirus on Mac?
Many people believe using browsers like Safari and downloading apps on the Mac App Store exclusively will keep them safe. It’s just not true.
You can receive malware from a variety of “secure” portals, including email and trusted websites. Hackers are clever, and craft new methods faster than many detection systems can validate. This is why you read about enterprise software virus/malware hacks so often.
Rather than assume you’re safe, know you’re secure with a great Mac malware scanner that helps you remove viruses and malware forever.
How we test the best Mac antivirus software
We used the “home” (not enterprise) version of each app mentioned in this article when applicable to test for speed, accuracy, and user friendliness. We also verified each with findings on AV Test and AV Comparatives to validate our findings. The goal is to provide you with peace of mind our thorough research is collaborated by industry leaders in the malware and virus detection software testing space.
Best paid antivirus software for Mac
The best paid macOS antivirus was also the best OS X antivirus before Apple changed the name of Mac’s operating system: CleanMyMac X.
CleanMyMac X offers a lot more than virus protection and malware detection, too. It routinely monitors your Mac for issues that may affect its performance, and tidies your Mac up at regular intervals. Simply tell CleanMyMac X to run its Smart Scan feature to discover items that can be removed, improvements that can be made to increase speed, and potential threats to the health of your system, including malware.
Each of the services offered in Smart Scan have their own dedicated modules, including one named “Protection.” Within the Protection module are two items: malware removal, and privacy.
Is There A Free Virus Protection For Mac
Privacy manages your browser behavior and history so you can move through the internet without tracers following you. Privacy also sweeps through your chat history on apps like Skype to clean up lingering conversations that may provide hackers with a way into your machine.
Malware removal taps into CleanMyMac X’s routinely updated list of known, verified threats to keep your Mac free from threats. It automatically deletes any known viruses or malware from your Mac so you don’t have to worry.
CleanMyMac X is also one of the easiest apps to use in our testing. Here’s how it’s done:
- Download CleanMyMac X from Setapp
- Open CleanMyMac X on your Mac
- Select the “Malware Removal” module
- Tap “Scan” at the bottom of the window
If you have vulnerabilities on your Mac, CleanMyMac X will let you know, and offer a one-touch option for removing the malware immediately. It’s just that simple!
Keep in mind the CleanMyMac X team is constantly updating its list of known malware and viruses so you know you’re getting the most up-to-date protection available for your Mac.
For some, understanding when to download top antivirus for Mac is a matter of knowing when it may be necessary to have. While you can’t see malware and viruses doing damage to your Mac, you can keep tabs on your Mac’s performance to understand when it may be time to scan for issues. Enter iStat Menus.
iStat Menus lives in your Mac’s menu bar and always keeps close tabs on your Mac performance. When viruses or malware affect your device, there are often performance issues associated. Your CPU may overclock or the system memory may run out of space suddenly if the virus is storing information on your computer. Without iStat Menus, it may seem like your computer is just being slow when really something far more nefarious is at play.
Clicking on the iStat Menus icon in your Mac’s menu bar gives you a quick glimpse at your Mac’s performance, showing you exactly which processes are running and how your CPU is performing. You’ll be able to view everything going on with your Mac without opening a single app!
iStat Menus also offers deeper historical perspective if your Mac has been operating poorly. Hovering over any graph in the iStat Menus dropdown menu surfaces a sub-graph that displays performance for up to one month prior. Should you notice your Mac operating poorly over time – and see processes running that just don’t seem familiar – it’s likely time to run CleanMyMac X’s Malware Removal tool.
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac
More than antivirus, Kaspersky offers a range of tools to help keep you protected. You get great antivirus protection, of course, but also parental controls and protection against attacks on your home network if you’d like.
Kaspersky charges an annual fee, starting at $23.99 every 12 months. Depending on the level of protection you want, the annual fee can go as high as $53.99 per year for access to all of Kaspersky’s security options for your Mac and iPhone.
Norton Antivirus Plus
Mcafee For Mac
For $39.99 per year, Norton protects up to 5 devices including your Mac, PC, smartphones, and tablets. It offers antivirus, malware and ransomware protection, online threat protection, a firewall service, 2GB cloud backup, a password manager, and a “virus protection promise.”
Depending on how many additional services you may want, the cost for Norton can skyrocket to $299.98 per year. Whichever plan you choose, know Norton routinely ranks high for protection, performance, and usability.
Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac
Trend Micro offers a more holistic approach to security, relegating antirust and malware detection to background services. It trades more on its password manager, artificial intelligence, email scam detection, and social media privacy options.
Still a great malware detection and removal service, Trend Micro is a bit more expensive than others. For Mac, it starts at $39.99 per year; adding a VPN and dark web monitoring ups the price to $69.99 per year.
Airo Antivirus Software for Mac
New to the Mac antivirus scene, Airo is attempting to usurp the major players at a similar price point. For as little as $3.10 per month ($37.20 per year) you get antivirus software dedicated to the Mac, which may be beneficial; PCs have far more issues with viruses and malware, so attention is placed there over the Mac.
Airo offers robust scanning, a great user interface, and great scores from AV Test. Because it’s new, some features like phishing protection are still being tested and may not be available.
Intego Mac Internet Security
AV Test and AV Comparatives note Intego eliminated 100 percent of Mac malware in testing. For $24.99 per year, you can protect one Mac with leading antivirus protection, anti-phishing software, a firewall, and real-time monitoring. For $39.99 per year, you also get parental controls, duplicate file removal, desktop organization, and inappropriate content filtering.
Keep in mind 100 percent is only slightly better than Avira (which you’ll read about shortly) and you only get protection for one device.
F-Secure SAFE Malware Removal
Like Kaspersky, F-Secure offers several bespoke services in addition to a catch-all subscription for all its various options. The $34.99 annual plan for SAFE earns you top-notch malware and virus detection software on up to three devices.
For $89.99 per year you can add a password manager, private browsing, online identity protection, and a VPN.
Though widely lauded, neither AV Test or AV Comparatives rank F-Secure as highly as others on our list.
Webroot AntiVirus
For $29.99 per year, Webroot provides you with antivirus protection on one device. Where Webroot stands out is its ability to scan your device quickly – faster than any other app on the list.
Like rival malware and virus detection platforms, you can opt for other plans at up to $59.99 per year to get iPhone protection, login and password management, internet tracing protection, and a system optimizer.
Unfortunately, neither AV Test or AV Comparatives have testes Webroot, and some other reviews claim to have encountered glitches.
Best free antivirus for Mac
You don’t always have to pay for antivirus protection! There are some really good free services available – or at least free to try. Keep in mind that while some services are free to use, metadata gathered from your machine may be used to frame research firms sell to outside agencies or companies.
AVG AntiVirus for Mac
Free to try for 60 days, AVG Internet Security asks as little as $3.33 per month for protecting one Mac, and $3.99 per month for up to 10 devices. AVG offers antivirus, banking protection, network security, and anti-phishing protection.
Its free tier – AVG Antivirus – blocks malware and viruses, unsafe email attachments, and offers routine security updates.
AV Test doesn’t rank AVG highly, and AV Comparatives hasn’t tested AVG’s macOS services yet.
Avast Free Mac Security
The free tier for Avast Security gets you virus blocking and malware detection as well as browser security alerts. Avast offers class-leading malware protection, but it’s clear the free tier is meant to encourage you to purchase its premium paid option.
Premium is $39.99 per year, adding banking protection, security alerts, and phishing protection. Whichever option you choose, Avast offers highly rated malware protection, so you can’t go wrong.
Avira Free Antivirus for Mac
Like Avast, Avira seems to use its free tier as a cudgel to get you to purchase its paid tier – but both offer some of the best antivirus protection and malware detection available. Avira scores high in all independent testing.
Avira is also lightning-fast at detecting threats. Keep in mind while Avira is free to download, many add-on services will require payment ranging from $44.99 to $99.99 per year.
Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac
Bitdefender has high scores from both AV Test and AV Comparatives, only being knocked slightly for performance. For a free antivirus, though, it’s quite good.
The company claims its servie has the lowest impact on your Mac’s performance, and is better at detecting and defending your Mac than Kaspersky.
Its free tier offers real-time data protection, cloud-based threat detection, and great antivirus and malware scanning. If you need more, Bitdefender has a massive list of services with tiers scaling up to $44.99 per year.
Sophos Home for Mac
Sophos gets high marks in testing, with its free tier being the same antivirus protection offered in its enterprise-grade services. In the free tier, you also get parental controls, web protection services, and remote management on up to three devices.
Ransomware security, privacy protection, and premium support are all included for 30 days with the free tier. If you want continued access to these add-ons for up to 10 devices, Sophos charges $44.99 per year.
Conclusion
Virus and malware protection for Mac are important. While paying for services seems daunting or unnecessary, remember you get what you pay for.
CleanMyMac X and iStat Menus can be enjoyed for free during a trial of Setapp, the world’s best and most complete suite of productivity apps for your Mac. Along with CleanMyMac X and iStat Menus, you’ll be able to test drive over 200 other incredible Mac apps, all native for macOS ranging just about every use-case you can imagine.
When your trial is over, Setapp is only $9.99 per month – a massive bargain for continued access to so many incredible apps, so why wait? Give Setapp atry now and get malware protection and so much more!