We’ve reviewed the best antiviruses for many platforms on this site, but a type of software that many people seem to overlook is the best antiviruses for Mac. Apple computers, when they were originally released, didn’t seem to have a lot of troubles in what referred to malware and other virus issues, but with the developments of new technology, that isn’t the case anymore.
Apple users need to take care of their devices with the modern pieces of antivirus software that have arisen in recent times to keep their computers protected. As such, we’ve made a list of the best antiviruses for Mac and Apple products in general to be sure that your computer will remain safe regardless of which sites you tend to frequent.
Keep in mind that some of the programs that we’ll review today also have versions for other platforms such as Windows and Linux, but the level of protection ranks differently in our other reviews because we’re only basing their defensive capabilities on Mac computers and laptops.
In any case, you should look forward to using any of the following antiviruses for your Mac, as all of them have proven to be quite effective after many tests.
Why Do Mac Computers Need Antiviruses?
If you’ve ever spoken to a Mac aficionado whose love for these computers and devices goes back to the early 2000s or late 90s, you’ve probably heard them tell you all about how Mac computers don’t’ require antivirus software because of the way data is encrypted, and how viruses are impossible to access the main core of the system.
That is partly true. Macs are sandboxed because of their Unix operating system, which makes it very difficult for threats to infect one of these computers. However, claiming that you don’t need an antivirus just because you own a Mac is a bit too on the overconfident side of things. However, that doesn’t mean that hacking Macs is impossible. It just takes a bit more effort than their Windows counterparts.
The reason as to why there are fewer types of malware for Macs than there are for Windows is because the current computer market is still bigger for Windows users. That means that hackers might have to work harder to develop Mac viruses and their targets would be far fewer than they would be if they created Windows malware.
All in all, it’s a matter of hackers deciding that Mac isn’t worth their time other than the computer itself being far safer than Windows (although this does play a huge part as well). In any case, you’d be better off purchasing a decent antivirus for your Mac in order to avoid damage done to your system. You’d be surprised just how damaging a Mac virus can be – and you won’t want to find that out.
Bitdefender for Mac
Bitdefender takes the first spot on this list after being one of the most popular antiviruses in the world. The product is programmed to work extremely well on Windows devices, but the company has also made sure to provide Mac users with a special version of the software which works equally as well in Apple computers and devices.
As well as being one of the major household names of the antivirus industry, Bitdefender stands amongst those programs that guarantee over 90% of protection against threads in most scans, so you can rest assured that you’ll be getting a program that’s capable of standing on its own against the most dangerous malwares in the online world.
Protection
The protection level of Bitdefender is honestly scary. The program is capable of dealing with almost every thread that it encounters, and some lab tests have even shown effectiveness of 100% when dealing with hundreds of threads at a time. The program also does an amazing job at keeping your computer clean without taking up many of its resources, which means that you can run apps in the background whilst Bitdefender does its thing.
Additional Features
Bitdefender also comes packed with plenty of features that most users tend to love. For starters, you’ll also get access to a powerful and quick VPN that will make sure to keep all of your personal information safe while browsing the internet. As a side and amazing bonus, Bitdefender does an incredible job at protecting you from ransomware with the addition of its Safe Lock feature.
Do keep in mind that the VPN service has a cost of almost $4 per month, which ends up being worth it to keep your personal information safe, but you could also purchase the services of specialized VPN companies if you want to get one of these tools.
Airo Antivirus
Airo is a specialized antivirus service that keeps Macs protected from threats, although it does have a very high price tag. You’ll need to pay almost $50 a year to get your hands on a subscription of Airo that will only keep one of your computers protected. It does a great job, but this is one of those cases where quality comes with a rather hefty cost.
In any case, the app is very well optimized to defend your computer against almost any threat and the price ends up being worth it if you tend to frequent some shady sites or non-mainstream websites.
Protection
One of the things that we really like about Airo, and actually what makes it be placed so high up on our list, is the fact that the program includes a special learning AI which makes sure to stay up to date with the latest threats that come up online. As such, protection keeps improving as time goes by as the program is basically learning from every malware encounter that it has while it’s on.
If the price wasn’t so high, we would have put Airo on the first spot on our list to help catch your attention on the program. However, being so expensive puts it out of reach for many people, and we can’t justify having it as the first choice. Keep in mind that it offers incredible protection, so if you can spare the money, go ahead and hire the Airo services!
Additional Features
Even though Airo doesn’t include a ton of extra features, the Airo browser is something that needs to be pointed out when using this software. You’ll be able to browse the internet freely without having to worry about your personal information being collected or stolen thanks to the awesome antivirus security of the program’s specialized browser.
The Airo app runs smoothly and does a great job at keeping things simple even though it has quite a unique design, so aesthetically speaking, Airo is also a great option for you.
Intego Mac Internet Security
One of the things that make Intego not as good as other antiviruses is that it doesn’t really work well for Windows. Thankfully, that’s not an issue on this list. In fact, Intego is one of the best antiviruses that you’ll find for your Mac regardless of how hard you look for it. It has certified protection for Mac devices and it really does an amazing job at keeping threats at bay in any Apple computer.
It might not be one of the major names of the antivirus industry, but the company is sure climbing quickly to become just that. If you want reliable and affordable Mac software, this is probably one of the best ways to go.
Protection
With two legit certificates of Mac labs to its name, it’s no secret that Intego Mac Internet Security stands out as a major antivirus for Mac computers. It offers real-time protection against all sorts of malware that could infect a Mac, and one of the few disadvantages that it has is that it doesn’t work to protect USB ports, which isn’t truly a major issue considering it can contain threats before they become a problem.
Additional Features
Two of the best things that you also get with your subscription of Intego are an awesome firewall that will keep your information safe as well as parental controls to keep your children from getting into the wrong websites. You also get a set of other amazing features to go alongside those, but these two are the ones that stand out the most!
Kaspersky for Mac
Kaspersky is an incredible piece of antivirus software. In fact, whenever we talk about antiviruses, Kaspersky is one of the main names that come into mind because of how effective their scans are. However, Kaspersky is mainly known as a powerful antivirus for Windows, and not many people think that it could od a great job in Mac computers as well.
Thankfully, Kaspersky has been developed to work quite well in Mac’s OS, so you don’t have to worry about a lower level of protection if you own one of these computers. It doesn’t rank as high as it would in Windows when it comes to overall protection, but it still does a good enough job to merit a place on this list.
Protection
There’s not much to complain in terms of protection when we’re talking about Kaspersky. This antivirus has it all in terms of anti-malware features for your computer, and there’s no exception when it comes to all sorts of Macs.
The affordable pricing only makes it better, and all lab tests that have been putting this antivirus and tried to give it a run for its money have failed categorically. Kaspersky stops all sorts of threats in all devices, and it’s definitely one of the best antiviruses out there.
Additional Features
Apart from the amazing phishing support features that it has that help you prevent it; you will also get access to Kaspersky’s acclaimed parental controls. There’s a full range of tools that allow you to fully customize and modify what you want the app to let other people access and whatnot, and it’s very easy to set up as a bonus. There are just too many good things included with Kaspersky to ignore them, and the bonus features definitely make this one of the most popular anti-malware programs on Earth.
Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac
Trend is a good antivirus that mainly works in Mac devices, and the program’s database certainly shows it: it’s able to prevent and detect more than 99% of the threats that you could face when browsing the internet on a Mac. The only main issue that this app has is that it doesn’t provide a customized browser to navigate the internet, but it does come with an internet plugin to install on Safari.
In any case, the level of protection that it offers earns it a spot on our list and makes it one of the most solid antiviruses for Mac users on the planet.
Protection
Similar to Kaspersky, this awesome antivirus has two certifications given by a couple of lab testers that are considered to be amongst the best for Mac computers. It has obtained rather impressive results in many tests, having stopped 100% of the threats in more than one occasion. Given how fearsome some Mac viruses can be, that on its own speak volumes of the qualities of Trend Micro.
It’s also a decent antivirus for Windows, but we mainly recommend it to be used on Mac computers. You might want to stick to Kaspersky if you own any other type of PC.
Additional Features
This app also excels in a couple of other aspects, mainly its protection against web threats and its anti-ransomware features. It specializes in keeping Mac computers safe from all sorts of phishing scams and other malware that targets personal information. It also has a special sub-program called Folder Shield, which protects specific folders in your computer from targeted attacks. It does excel at both of these functions, which make Trend Micro an even better option than you might originally think.
Total AV for Mac (our pick of the month)
Total AV is one of the best priced premium antiviruses that you can purchase as a Mac user. The program has proven to be quite useful in many PC’s around the world, so it’s only natural for such software to catch our attention. Total AV does work better for Windows computer than Mac, but it’s good to know that you can count on this program to keep your computer safe from most threats.
It’s also a huge positive that it also includes a VPN in its Mac version, even though it was originally intended for PC use only. You can use the Total AV VPN to navigate the web safely without having to worry about any threats that may be looking to steal your information.
Protection
Even though the Total AV protection is quite decent for Mac, the main issue that this antivirus has in iOS is that it takes a lot of time to do a scan – even when you choose the quick options. Furthermore, the scanning technique can’t filter out some false positives and learn from other results, which ends up being inconvenient, to say the least.
Additional Features
Apart from its dramatically low cost, Total AV comes with its own VPN and a very good firewall to block threats aiming to harm you. It doesn’t come with many other features when purchased for Mac devices, but it certainly does a good job at keeping threats at bay.
McAfee for Mac
McAfee is one of the biggest names in the antivirus industry. They have been around for what seems like an eternity – the company began operations back in the nineties, and even though ownership has changed, the prestige of McAfee has been ever-present amongst many computer-savvy users in the world.
However, back when McAfee was released, there wasn’t such a thing as Mac antiviruses. When they became mainstream, the company jumped to create a tool that was capable of keeping iOS users as safe as they did with their PC counterparts. Safe to say, they’ve done a decent job – but there are better options that McAfee when it comes to Mac protection.
Protection
It has to be said that McAfee might not offer as good protection as other antiviruses in Mac computers, but if there’s one thing in which it excels it’s at detecting all sorts of phishing threats that might be about to infect your computer. When it comes to phishing detection, you’re almost unlikely to come across a better option than McAfee – be it on iOS or Windows.
Additional Features
One of McAfee’s finest features is the ability for you to easily turn the firewall on and off. The firewall itself, apart from powerful, is very easy to use and can be activated at any given time according to the needs of the user.
Furthermore, McAfee has a great support team that always makes sure to keep you updated on all the necessary changes that might be affecting your antivirus performance. You can contact them whenever you want and they will answer promptly!
