Despite what you may have heard, your Apple computer is not immune to malware. We test the top contenders to identify those offering the best Mac antivirus protection.
If you’ve been burned by a malware (or worse, ransomware) attack that got past the antivirus on your Windows 11 computer, you might think you could escape such woes by switching to a Mac. Indeed, there aren’t as many malicious programs targeting macOS, in part because there aren’t as many Macs overall. But that doesn’t mean you can go without antivirus protection just because macOS has better security. Better doesn’t mean perfect, after all. If you’re using a security suite on your Windows boxes, check to see if you can apply any unused licenses to your Macs. Or just go straight for the best macOS antivirus you can find. Which one is that? We’ve evaluated dozens to help you decide. As with Windows antivirus tools, the most common price is just under $40 per year for a single license. ProtectWorks is unusual in that a single $29.95 payment lets you protect all the Macs in your household, with no subscription needed. McAfee goes beyond that, with a $59.99 per year subscription that protects all your Macs, PCs, Android, and iOS devices. With Sophos Home Premium, $60 per year lets you install and remotely manage protection on 10 Macs or PCs. At the high end, you pay $99.99 per year for a three-license subscription to Intego Mac Internet Security X9 or Airo Antivirus for Mac. When macOS Mojave came out, it advanced security in various ways, including tracker blocking in Safari, a password manager, and a tighter rein on AppleScript. MacOS Catalina piled on more security features, with enhanced control over data-access permissions, weak password warnings, a strengthened anti-malware gatekeeper, and more. Big Sur goes further, sealing the operating system in a protected volume that’s unreachable by malware. And Monterey adds subtle security enhancements like hiding your IP address in Safari and Mail and easier access to passwords. Still, nothing we’ve seen suggests that upgrading to Monterey will obviate the need for an antivirus utility. Why Isn’t Kaspersky Listed? Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac is a full macOS security suite, going for a price that just gets you plain antivirus protection from many competitors. Among its many features are a hardened browser for financial transactions, active Do Not Track for online ads, and a parental control system. Despite these virtues, we’ve had to remove it from our list of best Mac antivirus tools. For years, Kaspersky has faced accusations and censure based on its Russian origins, though none of the accusations have come backed by hard evidence of malicious behavior. We at PCMag focused on the capabilities of the products, not on the brouhaha around the company. However, the current war in Ukraine has raised the stakes. Governments and third parties are cutting ties with Kaspersky. The FCC labeled Kaspersky a national security risk. After consideration, we can no longer recommend that you purchase Kaspersky security products. We’ve left the reviews in place, with a warning, since they provide useful information. You’ll find Kaspersky’s features mentioned in several places below, for comparison purposes. But at least for now, we’re removing Kaspersky products from our « Best of » lists. Free Mac Antivirus Protection There’s another angle to the variation in Mac antivirus pricing. How about paying nothing at all? Avast One Essential for Mac, AVG AntiVirus for Mac, and Avira Free Antivirus for Mac are totally free for personal use. The best commercial products offer more protection but if you can’t afford the best, at least install a free antivirus. What’s Not Here Ten commercial macOS antivirus products that earned 3.5 stars or better appears in the list at top. Another seven managed a decent three-star rating, but there isn’t room for all of those. ESET Cyber Security for Mac, Malwarebytes for Mac Premium, and Vipre Advanced Security for Mac are among those that earned three stars. If you’re using a Windows security product from one of these companies, it might make sense to do the same on your Macs. Malware Protection Lab Certifications When you go to select a new washer, refrigerator, or other appliance, chances are good you research it first. User reviews can be helpful, if you discard the very best and very worst of them. But actual test results published by an independent lab give you more reliable information.
