When it comes to protecting your Mac, you no longer have an excuse not to use one of the best Mac antivirus software available, because they’re no longer the least likely to become infected.
Gatekeeper and XProtect, Apple’s own antivirus programs, aren’t always as effective as they could be because they rely on anti-infection techniques that are decades old. When it comes to spotting new ransomware strains and double-checking dubious files that have been “signed” with an Apple developer ID, the best Mac antivirus programs fare much better.
Macs may be a much less alluring target for viruses and spyware, but they are nonetheless susceptible to assault. You could still become a victim of malware, password loss, or stolen smartphone backups even if you don’t care about adware or being used to infect users on other systems.
Every antivirus on this list enhances Apple’s built-in security features with features like advanced firewall software and safer surfing the web with Safari. Many of them even have better backup capabilities than Apple’s Time Machine, and they are all reasonably priced, user-friendly, and completely secure.
1. Intego
2. McAfee Total Protection
One of the most trustworthy anti-malware engines for Mac is found in McAfee; during the tests, it successfully stopped all of the macOS malware attacks and ransomware simulators launched, including spotting well-concealed spyware.
A specialized software security application called McAfee Total Protection will keep an eye on your Mac as you work, checking for any unauthorized software activity, such as efforts to deceive you into installing undesirable software or genuine malware and virus attacks.
3. Norton 360
The unrestricted VPN service and unlimited password manager offered by Norton 360 Standard are two capabilities that its competitors (such as Bitdefender and Avast) require an additional fee for. Additionally, it has a two-way firewall and a system optimizer.
There are three variants, and if you need to safeguard your Windows PC, iPhone, Android phone, and other devices, you can utilize two of them. It exhibited minimal to no discernible performance impact in tests, yet it identified every issue in the test macOS system.
4. Bitdefender Total Security
An extremely sophisticated anti-malware engine in Bitdefender Total Security employs artificial intelligence (AI) to detect threats before they may cause harm.
Bitdefender provides excellent defense against macOS ransomware and malware. Although we appreciate Bitdefender’s web security capabilities and the Time Machine backup security, but desire the VPN offered unlimited data.
5. Avast Premium Security
Overall, Avast Premium Security for Mac performs a good job. There are some minor issues, such as the obnoxious Cleanup Premium upselling and the fact that the File Shield tracking somewhat slows down file copy speeds.
Although customized scheduled scans can be set up, most requirements are likely to be met by automatic background monitoring combined with sporadic targeted manual scans.
Antivirus software for Macs differs from that for PCs. A Mac antivirus must enhance the security mechanisms already present in macOS and add value by battling different types of malware that are exclusive to Macs since traditional “viruses” are not as problematic for Mac as they are for Windows.
