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Best for Mac-Specific Security
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Customer support requires a tech to access your device
Antivirus programs for Mac can fall short compared to their PC counterparts, but we've tested multiple platforms to find the best antivirus for Mac. Yes, Mac security protocols are better than PC, but that doesn't mean Macs are immune. That's why we recommend Avast as the best overall protection for Mac due to its high test scores.
AVG is free and powerful and offers Mac users customization options they may love. Finally, MacKeeper is built for Mac only and has extras like a VPN and junk cleaner.
If you’re looking for the best in Mac security, then read on as we share our test results and what we thought of each program.
If you don't need security but want an optimization tool for Mac, consider CleanMyMac, which helps your device run like new.
Cleanup tools optimize space
Easy-to-use interface
Sometimes, it can be hard to narrow down the search when looking for something as crucial as the best antivirus software. You want to be thorough but don’t want to get bogged down in an endless sea of technical details. Here are some real-life scenarios that will help you choose the best antivirus software for your Mac:
| Antivirus |  |  |  |
| Star rating | |||
| Price range | $35.88-$119.88/yr (first year only) | $39.99–$59.88/first yr | Free or $10.95-$89.40/yr |
| Max number of protected devices | 30 | 10 | 3 |
| EICAR test results | 3/3 | 3/3 | 2/3 |
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled |
| Real-time protection | |||
| Phishing protection | |||
| Ransomware protection | |||
| Device cleaner | |||
| 24/7 customer support | |||
| Extras | VPN, optimization tools | Sensitive data shield, webcam protection, AntiTrack, WiFi scanner | VPN, data breach monitoring, ad blocker |
| Learn more | Get Avast | Get AVG | Get MacKeeper |
We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics.
This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.
Some antivirus programs have so many features that it can be confusing. Avast is straightforward and gives you fundamental device and web protection to protect you from trojans, hackers, and other security vulnerabilities.
Perfect third-party test results, verifying comprehensive antivirus, ransomware, and malware protection
Includes advanced security features like a VPN, firewall, data breach alerts, privacy tools, device optimization, and more
Avast has plenty of features, but you won’t forget that it's primarily solid antivirus protection. It received perfect third-party test scores for macOS from both AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives.
Think how much you stand to risk if your personal data is found in a data breach, especially your online banking information. With Avast Premium Security, you can scan websites for legitimacy to avoid malicious ones. If you want to run a Deep Scan to check all those hidden crevices in your Mac, you’ll be pleased with how fast this process works.
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Additional features: We enjoyed some of Avast’s additional features, like website scanning and ransomware protection. With all the websites you access, it’s a good idea to use antivirus for malware scanning while you browse the internet. Most of us use some online accounts for convenience, so having tools that verify legitimacy is a cybersecurity feature we find most helpful.
Scan options: The manual and automatic scans allow you to choose the most convenient times to check for viral threats. Since scans can sometimes take hours to run, we were pleased to find that even the Deep Scan took only minutes to go through close to a million files. Targeted scanning is useful when you want to check specific files or folders only. It’s a huge plus to have an antivirus that won’t slow you down when working.
Additional device scanning: Avast also allows you to check external storage, which is a valuable feature since many viruses are spread through these devices. It will check your emails for phishing attacks, so you can communicate without worry.
Not equal to PC: Some functions aren’t available on Mac devices. For instance, the firewall works only for Windows users. The Webcam Shield also works only if you use a PC. That means no webcam protection for your Mac, which is a real bummer for Apple fans.
The customer support rep we spoke to regarding the firewall problem was friendly but ultimately didn’t know why the firewall wouldn’t work for our Mac. That was after he was unable to find access to the firewall.
When we tested Avast, we also looked at test results from other test sources. This included scores from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. We checked scores for Windows, macOS, and Android to get a broader understanding of Avast's commitment to protection.
| Avast | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.93% |
| SE Labs results | 100% |
| EICAR score | 3/3 |
| Learn more | Get Avast |
AVG is strong antivirus software that offers easy installation and is highly customizable.
Award-winning antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection for up to 10 devices
Includes webcam protection, safe browsing and email, automatic updates, and 24/7 protection
Suite of protection benefits including a secure VPN, anti-tracking capabilities, safeguards against phishing sites, and more
AVG is best suited for users wanting that platinum-level feel. You get highly customizable products with scheduled scanning and protection for your network and external drives. If you need a strong antivirus with perfect protection ratings for Mac, AVG offers a good package.
We listed the free version as one of our best free antivirus software. It protects you against viruses, spyware, scam webpages, infected emails, and more. All paid versions of AVG include Wi-Fi security, so you can always travel with internet security, whether you’re going to your local coffee shop or taking a needed vacation.
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Ease of use: We liked how easy it was to install AVG. If you want to start with the free version, you can test the antivirus on your Mac to see if you like it, then move to a paid plan. We also liked that AVG offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try its paid Mac app without risk to determine if it’s worth your investment.
Variety: AVG gives you multiple virus scan options: a Smart Scan, a Deep Scan, Targeted Scan, USB/DVD Scan, and scheduled scans. With a Targeted scan, you can check specific folders if you don’t have the time for a Deep Scan. You can also scan external storage for any issues.
Useful extras: Finally, we like that AVG checks many of the boxes we look for since the best anti-malware tools include anti-phishing and real-time protection options. It even has webcam and ransomware protection. If you want software that comes with extras, like the ones we’ve mentioned, AVG is worth the price, even for Mac users.
Limited features: Unfortunately, AVG comes with some distinct issues we weren’t crazy about. Like other antivirus programs that aren’t designed for Macs, some features are available only for PCs. One such option is the firewall, which doesn’t work on a Mac.
Outdated support pages: AVG’s support pages were a little out of date. Since some of the instructions didn’t work, we had no other option but to go through the settings to learn how some of the features worked. That may be daunting for people who don’t have time to dig into the software.
To get a deeper insight into AVG's malware protection capabilities, we checked with other independent antivirus testers. These are the results across Windows, macOS, and Android from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs.
| AVG | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.92% |
| SE Labs results | 96% |
| EICAR score | 3/3 |
| Learn more | Get AVG |
As a Mac user, sometimes it’s hard to find software programs designed specifically for Apple products. You won’t have that problem with MacKeeper.
ID Theft Guard feature scans your emails
Easy, fast, knowledgeable customer support
We recommend MacKeeper for anyone who has wanted an antivirus app geared toward Mac users that also includes performance and safety tools. Macs may be more secure than PCs, but that doesn’t mean they’re always immune to malware. There are Mac malware threats, too, so you still need antivirus protection while using them.
MacKeeper was developed with Apple users in mind and it’s reasonably priced starting at Free. You get helpful features that not all antivirus products offer for Macs, like ID Theft Guard, which helps identify your personal data if it's leaked on the dark web, and Duplicates Finder, which helps you remove unwanted copies of files taking up space. If you don’t always remember to update your apps, MacKeeper’s Update Tracker scans for new software updates and installs them for you.
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Made for Mac: We liked that MacKeeper is made for Mac users. Many antivirus programs are made for PCs and lack some options for Apple products, or they don’t work as seamlessly as they do on a PC. MacKeeper’s dashboard was easy to navigate, and the security features worked without fail. There was no browser lag time, even when we used its virtual private network (VPN) and its ad blocker.
Fast scans: The scans were fast and took only 30 to 45 seconds to check for duplicate files, adware, viruses, and our device memory. It also received perfect AV-TEST scores for malware protection, performance, and usability.
Optimization tools: Antivirus protects you from basic malware, but MacKeeper also comes with optimization tools that make it fun to use. The Update Tracker provides a handy reminder when you need to update those apps you’ve neglected for a while.
Useful features: The added VPN is also a nice touch and saves you some cash if you want more secure internet browsing. Some of the best VPNs for Mac can be a bit pricey, so not having to pay for one is appealing to the wallet.
Remote support feels sketchy: Although MacKeeper’s customer support is fantastic, we aren’t crazy about using MacKeeper Remote Support to check our device for issues. Apple has verified MacKeeper, which means it’s deemed as authentic software. Still, the thought of a stranger taking a gander at our private files doesn’t sit well.
VPN won't unblock streaming: MacKeeper's built-in VPN offers strong security, but it's not enough to unblock streaming services. If you're looking for a VPN that does more, you may have to purchase one.
When testing MacKeeper, we also looked at test results from other antivirus testers. We checked AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs for their results on MacKeeper's malware detection tests.
| MacKeeper | |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 17.5/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | N/A |
| SE Labs results | N/A |
| EICAR score | 2/3 |
| Learn more | Get MacKeeper |
CleanMyMac is for anyone who wants to optimize their Mac device without needing true antivirus. This isn't security software, but it does include helpful tools to clean and restore your Mac to like-new performance.
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Optimization: The optimization features are where this software truly shines. You get a junk cleaner that removes those cache files hiding in places you don’t think to check. Space Lens lets you see exactly what programs are taking up the most space with a detailed map of your files and folders.
Some security features: The DNS flush feature was also impressive, making security better as we cleared IP addresses that were still hanging around like unwanted party guests. Everything was easy to navigate and apply when we needed to use the tools.
No antivirus: As good as this software is, it does have some shortcomings. For one, when we ran an EICAR test to check whether CleanMyMac recognized a malicious file and blocked it, it didn’t recognize the file as a virus. That was disappointing and made us wonder if we could rely on it to prevent malware infections.
No scheduled scans: The other thing we noticed was that the software doesn’t have a scheduled scanning function. We don’t mind on-demand scanning, but when things get busy, it’s nice to have the software run scheduled scans to ensure our device security doesn’t fall by the wayside.
Mac security is tricky because even the best antivirus programs might fall short for this operating system. Our honorable mentions below work, but lack many features in their Mac versions. Still, if you want to use them to protect your Mac, you'll get reliable security.
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Super reliable antivirus software with a non-intrusive free version
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
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Tested protection against hackers, viruses, malware, and ransomware
Includes VPN, parental controls, and more
Backed by a 100% Virus Removal Guarantee
Macs need virus protection because, although safe, no machine is completely immune to malware. There are Mac-targeted attacks, too, so having antivirus for your Mac is a smart move for anyone wanting to keep their device and data secure.
The best malware removal for a Mac is subjective, depending on the type of malware you’ve encountered. Many antivirus products remove malware, like Avast, AVG, and MacKeeper. Based on price, performance, and perks, we'd recommend Avast overall.
Avast and AVG offer free versions compatible with Macs and offer more features than some of their competitors. They also provide top-notch protection even on the free tier.
You can check your Mac for viruses by using antivirus software to scan for malware threats on your device. We suggest Avast, AVG, and MacKeeper.
Avast is our best overall choice due to its budget-friendly pricing structure, efficiency on Mac, and stellar test scores.
We also appreciate AVG's customization options and MacKeeper's fully functional suite, which is built exclusively for Mac.
Macs aren't impervious to infection, so finding an antivirus solution worth your money and effort is essential. We've taken the guess work out with our list of tested and trusted Mac-friendly security suites.
| Price range | Best for | Learn more | |
|
$35.88-$119.88/yr (first year only) | Best overall | Get Avast |
|
$39.99–$59.88/first yr | Best for software customization | Get AVG |
|
Free or $10.95-$89.40/yr | Best for Mac-specific security | Get MacKeeper |
Perfect third-party test results, verifying comprehensive antivirus, ransomware, and malware protection
Includes advanced security features like a VPN, firewall, data breach alerts, privacy tools, device optimization, and more
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