- Best Free Mac Antivirus 2021 Reviews
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- Best Free Mac Antivirus 2021 Software
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Best Antivirus Software for Mac We compare the leading Mac antivirus and malware programs on the market, including free options. Tom Fogden May 9th 2021 12:01 am. The best free antivirus platforms for Mac in 2021 By Jon Martindale May 1, 2021 If you’re a Mac user, you probably love the sleek desktop experience and how easy it is to use and understand.
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.
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
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!
When the market is packed with several antivirus software for Mac, it gets tough to choose the perfect match for your system. What is more annoying is the branding of antivirus as a free product, but as soon as you want the software to perform in the field, all they ask is upgrade. Little did we know that upgrading doesn’t mean many features or actual securities from deadly viruses?
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Key Points To Choose Best Antivirus For Mac
Now the question comes how to decide which antivirus app for Mac is worth considering and which ones should not pave the way. Well, we are providing you some critical points on whose lines we have rated the Mac antiviruses for the year.
- User interface: How a person lands on the interface and guides himself for the process is a critical feature to check. It is because it helps a new user to get his system protected patiently without any baffle of understanding the software alone.
- Smart malware detection: It is again necessary for a Mac antivirus app to detect all kinds of malware, especially those that are threatful to the Mac system. The real purpose of antivirus is sorted.
- Additional features: Believe it or not, everyone wants more than just being highlighted. Similar is the case with the best antivirus for Mac. We have made sure that the software listed here has additional features for you.
- Robust customer support: When you are stuck with software, you certainly don’t want to wait for too long to get the query resolved, right? This is why you need a good customer service record for a good Apple antivirus.
Also Read: Best Anti-Malware Software For Mac
Top Mac Antivirus
1. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
There are multiple reasons why Bitdefender antivirus for Mac is placed at the top. Not just us, many other testing labs have given out positive feedback for the product. The multilayer ransomware protection, anti-tracker extension, and ability to keep your privacy intact are some of the features that couldn’t be ignored.
When it comes to extended features, you will find adware blocking and removal, fast and anonymous VPN, protection during browsing experience, and anti-phishing features. Time Machine Protection keeps a backup of files if an attack on the system takes place.
Pros:
● Cross-platform malware detection
● Ultra-fast scanning modes
2. Intego Mac Internet Security X9
Covering 5 devices at a time, Intego is keeping systems secure for more than two decades now. Its ease of use and accuracy with scanning make it stand apart from the other market products. Firewall protection and anti-phishing protection makes sure that you are keeping yourself safe online during browsing.
Even if any other third-party app in the system tries to get into the privacy settings, Intego makes sure that you stay safe, and this is why we can call it the best antivirus software for Macbook.
Pros:
● Quick and accurate virus scanning process.
● Easy to understand and use.
3. Sophos Home Free
Who wouldn’t want to have a lightweight Mac antivirus which could not only keep the system resources controlled but also saves you from threatful viruses in the system? This antivirus app for Mac offers parental website filtering so that they can block inappropriate websites that their kids must avoid.
With that, it lets you keep a safe distance from infections with real-time antivirus protection and has been approved by independent labs already. As its installation and setup process is quick and easy, you can easily navigate other options from the interface itself.
Pros:
● 3 devices could be protected with this free Mac antivirus.
● A plethora of extended features that are suitable for family use.
Also Read: Best Mac Apps 2020- That Every Apple Newbie Should Install
4. Norton 360 Deluxe
Those who keep multiple devices can rely on Norton 360, which is indeed one of the best antiviruses for Mac for years now. Yes, it supports 5 devices at a time while scanning and removing viruses from them in an intelligent manner. The features that make it respectful in the market are antivirus protection, firewall, parental controls, and even cloud backup.
Moreover, this Mac antivirus software gives you different options to pick from the plans. Although it looks a little pricey than other tools, Norton has always made its name in the security front, so the deal is still good to go for!
Pros:
● System cleanup for unwanted files.
● Two-way firewall to avoid any chances of leakage.
Cons:
● Webcam protection and parental controls are only for Windows users.
5. ESET Cyber Security For Mac
Another lightweight Mac antivirus that makes sure that your machine is not only protected from threats but also running smoothly is ESET. It keeps an eye on malware, viruses, ransomware, spyware, worms, and multiple other threats that can infect the system by any means and crushes them instantly.
This isn’t it. Another reason why we call it a useful antivirus app for Mac is because it is light on the system, works quietly without ad pop-ups, and stops hackers from invading the system. Moreover, you can adjust the number of devices for protection before finally checking out.
Pros:
● A comprehensive security suite for your Mac.
● A simple interface, and this Mac antivirus is very easy to use.
Cons:
● Scanning speed is a little slow when compared with other tools.
6. Kaspersky Internet Security For Mac
Apart from scanning your system for malware and keeping it safe from future attacks, Kaspersky has a lot more to offer. You can easily make online transactions without the fear of data leak, use VPN and keep your kids safe from inappropriate websites as a parent. This whole suite is a perfect Apple Mac antivirus software.
Kaspersky has proven its worth in many independent testing labs and has proved to be 100% effective in all the ways. The best part, you get a 30 days free trial and easily block web tracking and banking attacks.
Pros:
● Comes with other bonus tools to keep your Mac safe.
● Excellent network protection
Cons:
● Webcam protection is limited to Windows users only.
Also Read: 10 Best Screen Recording Software For Mac in 2020
7. Airo Antivirus For Mac
Dedicated to Mac users, Airo antivirus is once again a whole suite for best antivirus for Mac. Airo makes sure that even before a trouble flutters around your Mac, it shoots down instantly. Real time virus detection and prevention features keep scanning your system more than a thousand times a day and silently keeps working when other programs are running.
What makes it the best antivirus for Macbook Pro is its powerful AI technology which simply grows smarter each day. This makes your data absolutely safe from hackers and keep the malicious threats at bay.
Pros:
● User interface is very simple and easily navigable.
● Count it in one of the best lightweight antivirus for Mac.
8. Total AV
Serving all the platforms like Windows, Android and Mac in a robust manner, Total AV stands amazing for Mac. This free Mac antivirus neither consumes your time in installing nor killing the threats around. Apart from the same, it scans our duplicate and junk files and throws them away to make the system optimized.
Let this Apple antivirus scan out the system using quick scan or full scan, which is by the way very fast, and get free from negativities.
Pros:
● Provides solid protection from phishing.
● List of optimization tools keep your system running smoothly.
Also Read: How To Delete Cache On a Mac
9. Avast Security For Mac
This free antivirus app for Mac has added security measures apart from the malware threat. A password manager, external drive scanner and website blocker are some additional features that make Avast a popular antivirus and a perfect suite. Any email which could be a potential threat is taken down by Avast for your goodness.
Pros:
● Excellent device protection from minor to major threats.
● VPN and anti tracking software included in the suite.
Cons:
● Avast was found stealing data from users and selling it to companies like Google.
10. McAfee Antivirus Plus
McAfee has made its strong place in the world of security for years now. Interestingly, you can extend the protection feature for your whole family of Macs. However, you will find that there hasn’t been a lot update on the status of new malware and threat with McAfee, people trust it because of its legacy.
Pros:
● Reasonable prices for a family of systems.
● Strong firewall to accompany.
Cons:
● System may face slowdown when running a full scan in the system.
Also Read: Best Hard Drive Cloning Software For Mac In 2020
FAQs: Mac Antivirus Software 2020
1. Can Macs get viruses?
We believe that Mac systems are very secure and cannot get viruses but it is not the truth. Macs can catch viruses in the same way as PCs although the chances are low.
2. Do I need virus protection for Mac?
A system needs to stay secure from viruses and any of the best antivirus protection software can stand true for it.
3. What antivirus software does Apple recommend?
Best Free Mac Antivirus 2021 Reviews
Although Apple comes with its in-built virus protection called X-Protect which is capable of updating itself in order to wipe out all the potential threats.
4. What is the best free antivirus for 2021?
Best Free Mac Antivirus 2021 Downloads
Bitdefender could be considered as one of the best antivirus for Mac. Those looking for free antivirus software, Sophos Home could be your answer.
Best Free Mac Antivirus 2021 Software
Conclusion
After learning about all of Mac’s best antivirus, we recommend you try your hands on Bitdefender antivirus for Mac for sure. When you wish to expand your space from this level, you can always stick to Sophos Home Free or Malwarebytes, who have been competing strongly in the field like a pro.
Although we cannot deny Norton’s legacy as well, you need to sort the right plan for yourself amongst the list of subscription plans. However, we have covered the list considering user interface, smart malware detection, and customer support base.
What’s your opinion? Or which one would you like to choose for yourself now? We would like to know your views in the comment section below to learn more about Mac’s antivirus apps.