Our summary of the best Mac antivirus software for 2022:

1. Intego – #1 With excellent detection rates and software designed from the ground up with Mac users in mind, it’s the best antivirus for Mac.

2.TotalAV – A user-friendly internet security suite that is ideal for novices.

3.McAfee – A powerful anti-malware engine with a wide range of security features.

4. Norton – Advanced malware screening and excellent web security.

5. Bitdefender – A malware scanner powered by artificial intelligence that provides exceptional ransomware prevention.

6. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is the best free antivirus for Mac.

7. MacKeeper-Best for Security Management That Is Intuitive.

8. BullGuard-has a powerful anti-malware scanner and the best gaming mode on the market,

3. Norton – Advanced malware screening and excellent web security.

6. BullGuard– BullGuard comes with a powerful anti-malware scanner, the best gaming mode on the market, and is reasonably priced.

7. MacKeeper — Best for Intuitive Security Management 

8. hitman pro– offers an excellent Windows-only antivirus scanner with good exploit prevention, but real-time protection is lacking.

9. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac — Decent macOS Malware Protection

The Full Review

1-Intego — Best Overall Mac Antivirus of 2021

Intego by far is the greatest Mac antivirus tool I’ve tried, with excellent malware detection rates and a large range of Mac-specific cybersecurity and optimization features.

I put Intego to the test against the most advanced Mac-based malware I could discover, and it was able to detect and block 100% of my test samples, including spyware, ransomware, and trojans.

The malware scanner from Intego is likewise incredibly quick. This is because, following the initial macOS scan, Intego’s file-caching technology — which skips past previously scanned files that it knows are secure — subsequent scans become significantly faster.

Intego also has the following features:

• Malware protection in real-time.
• “Smart” firewall.
• Parental controls.
• Cleaning and optimizing your Mac.
• Tools for making backups.

Intego’s NetBarrier firewall, which is significantly more powerful than the built-in macOS firewall, is one of my favorites. Whether you’re at home, at work, or on a public Wi-Fi network, NetBarrier adjusts the firewall settings automatically based on your location. NetBarrier also allows users to easily deny or grant permission to programs attempting to connect to the internet, preventing shady apps from inadvertently transferring personal information to unwanted areas of the web.

Personal Backup, Intego’s backup tool, is similar to Apple’s Time Machine, but so much better! I backed up my complete iMac (including OS X) with Personal Backup and instantly booted the backup onto my MacBook, making my MacBook an exact clone of my iMac.

Mac Internet Security X9, Intego’s cheapest plan, contains fundamental antivirus protection as well as Intego’s firewall. System cleanliness and optimization, parental controls, and the Personal Backup feature are all included in the more comprehensive Mac Premium Bundle X9.

Bottom Line:

For most Mac users, Intego is the best antivirus, with a dependable anti-malware engine that offers outstanding Mac-based malware detection rates, a range of advanced internet security features, and superb Mac cleanup and optimization capabilities. All of Intego’s extra features vastly outperform Apple’s built-in security protections, and you can try them all out risk-free thanks to the company’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

 Visit Intego Mac Security

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2-TotalAv- Best for Mac Optimization

TotalAV is a powerful antivirus suite that also includes internet security and Mac optimization utilities. During my tests, TotalAV’s antivirus engine operated almost flawlessly, detecting all Mac-based malware samples. TotalAV’s real-time engine, on the other hand, was unable to block a few of simulated zero-day malware attacks.

TotalAV stands out from the competition not only because of its high detection rates, but also because it is extremely simple to use! TotalAV combines all functionality into a single, easy-to-navigate interface, making it ideal for users who aren’t particularly tech-savvy.

The following are included in TotalAV:

• Cleaning and optimizing your Mac.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) (with unlimited data).
• Network firewall 
• Web security.

TotalAV’s Mac optimization utilities, which include junk file cleanup, starting application management, and browser management, are among my favorites. All of these tools dramatically improved the speed of my system and my Safari surfing experience during testing.

TotalAV’s VPN is also one of my favorites. I put it to the test on a variety of servers throughout the world, accessing geo-restricted content from Netflix and Amazon Prime. It’s also one of the quickest VPNs with an antivirus included – I saw no latency or slowness while streaming, downloading, or surfing.

However, I dislike TotalAV’s firewall because it lacks the controls and additional functionality that Intego and McAfee’s firewalls provide. It is, however, still operational, and it successfully prevented all of my simulated network attacks.

TotalAV’s Antivirus Pro bundle contains an antivirus scanner as well as web protection for three devices. The Internet Security bundle includes a VPN and covers 5 devices. The Total Security bundle adds an ad blocker and a password manager to cover six devices.

Bottom Line:

TotalAV is quite user-friendly and offers a good range of protection functions. TotalAV’s Mac optimization capabilities enhanced the overall efficiency of my Mac, and the bundled VPN worked flawlessly when I tried streaming content from all over the world. While I prefer Intego’s firewall to TotalAV’s, TotalAV’s firewall is still quite good. TotalAV offers substantial first-year discounts, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.

Visit TotalAV

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3-McAfee Total Protection — Complete Antivirus & Internet Security Suite

McAfee’s anti-malware engine for Mac is one of the most reliable, blocking all of the macOS malware samples and ransomware simulations I ran during my tests, including detecting well-hidden keyloggers and spyware.

McAfee’s web safeguards also impressed me, as they performed admirably during my tests, blocking all of the harmful sites and phishing pages that I attempted to access using Safari.

McAfee has a lot of great features that build on top of the security features in macOS, such as:

• Malware protection in real-time.
• Scheduled antivirus scans.
• Network firewall. 
• Tools for web security.
• Anti-phishing.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) 
• ID theft protection (for US users only).

While McAfee’s macOS program lacks many extra capabilities, its core security functions are well-designed. I particularly appreciate McAfee’s firewall, which is far superior to the built-in firewall in macOS – non-technical users will find it very simple to set up and maintain McAfee’s firewall, while more skilled users may alter the firewall’s settings to suit their network protection.

McAfee Total Protection covers up to 10 Macs (or an unlimited number of Macs for customers in the United States), but you can also use it to protect Windows, Android, and iOS devices.

Bottom Line:

McAfee’s anti-malware engine is capable of defending against a wide range of Mac-based viruses. McAfee’s firewall (which has a lot of customizing options) and web safeguards are two of my favorites (which stopped me from accessing dangerous sites via Safari). McAfee Total Protection protects up to 5 devices, 10 devices, or an infinite number of devices (including PCs and smartphones). McAfee has a 30-day money-back guarantee and offers significant first-year discounts.

Visit McAfee

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4-Norton 360 — Best for Web Security

On my iMac, Norton 360’s sophisticated anti-malware engine detected all of the current macOS malware samples with a 100% detection rate. Norton’s scans were also noticeably faster than those of other antiviruses, owing to the fact that it, like Intego, uses file-caching technology to skip past previously examined data.

For Macs, Norton 360 has a number of features, including:

• Browser addon for web security.
• Password manager.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) (with unlimited data).
• Cleaning tools for Mac.
• “Safe Web” and “Safe Search,” two of Norton’s web security browser extensions, are both compatible with Safari. These addons outperform Safari in terms of preventing and blocking phishing and other harmful websites.

Norton’s password manager, which is accessible as a Safari browser extension, makes it really simple to store logins and keep passwords up to date – I found this to be extremely handy, as Safari’s built-in password storage tool is both limiting and unintuitive.

While Norton has a lot of useful features, some of them, including parental controls and online backup, isn’t compatible with Macs (both of which are only available for Windows PCs). Norton’s Mac software is essentially a condensed version of Norton’s PC software (which ranked as the best antivirus of 2021).

However, Norton’s 360 plans remain an excellent deal. Norton 360 Standard contains antivirus and online protection, device optimization features, and a VPN for one device. Norton 360 Deluxe includes parental controls (for non-Mac devices) and covers up to five devices, whereas Norton 360 with LifeLock includes identity theft protection as well as $1 million in identity theft damage coverage (available only for US users).

Bottom Line:

Norton 360 for Mac provides comprehensive virus protection as well as a comprehensive set of online security capabilities. Norton’s web security browser extensions, which build on Safari’s built-in defenses, are particularly appealing. However, I believe Norton’s macOS program should be improved further, as it is now a carbon duplicate of its Windows counterpart (with many features disabled). However, Norton still provides excellent Mac security, and you can test it risk-free for 60 days thanks to a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Visit Norton

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5-Bitdefender Total Security — Excellent macOS Ransomware Protections

Bitdefender Total Security contains a cutting-edge anti-malware engine that employs artificial intelligence (AI) to detect threats before they can cause harm – I tried a variety of ransomware and other macOS-based malware, and Bitdefender successfully prevented them all.

Bitdefender also comes with a slew of fascinating bonus features, including:

• Protections for Time Machine backups.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) (200 MB per day).
• Web security.

I was really impressed with Bidefender’s Time Machine backup protections, which protect backup files from ransomware attacks designed to encrypt them, so even if your system was infected with ransomware, you could simply restore your system and all of your files by loading up the most recent Time Machine backup!

The web security capabilities of Bitdefender are also excellent. These capabilities worked perfectly with Safari during my tests, and they showed me whether individual website links were safe or harmful, which the Safari browser doesn’t do by default.

Bitdefender’s VPN is also one of my favorites; it’s the fastest and lightest VPN on this list. However, it is limited to 200 MB each day, which is barely enough for surfing, let alone video streaming. However, switching to a premium VPN (with unlimited data) at checkout is a bargain.

Bitdefender’s Mac protection is only available as part of the Total Security subscription, which covers five devices (including PC, Android, and iOS).

Conclusion:
Bitdefender provides excellent protection against malware and ransomware on Mac OS X. Bitdefender’s web security tools are excellent, and I particularly appreciate the Time Machine backup protections, which I haven’t seen in any other Mac antivirus. I think Bidefender’s Total Security package is fairly good, even with the VPN’s daily limit of 200 MB — and you can test it out risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Visit Bitdefender

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6-Avira Free Antivirus for Mac — Best Free Mac Antivirus

Avira Free Antivirus for Mac has one of the fastest and most effective malware scanners on the market, catching every piece of malware I downloaded to my MacBook, running a full system scan in under 40 minutes (faster than most competitors! ), and not slowing down my system at all, even when using CPU-intensive video editing software.

Avira also comes with a good set of free features:

• Malware protection in real-time.
• Anti-tracking and anti-phishing.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) (500 MB per month).
• Password manager.

Anti-phishing and anti-tracking measures from Avira are excellent, capturing most of the phishing sites I attempted to open and stopping firms from recording my data while I was surfing. These features are available in Avira’s browser extension, which also offers a useful tool for finding the greatest online purchasing discounts. The main drawback is that this extension does not work with Safari; instead, it only works with Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.

I also enjoy Avira’s VPN, which provided me with a private, fast, and stable internet connection while allowing me to access geo-blocked sites from all over the world with no IP or DNS leaks when I tested it. Avira’s free VPN, on the other hand, is limited to 500 MB per month, which is only enough to access the internet for 6-7 hours every month or watch one episode of a TV show (not much!).

Avira Free Antivirus for Mac includes all of the essentials, such as a malware scanner, web protections, and a limited VPN, but users who want more should upgrade to Avira Prime, which includes a VPN with unlimited browsing data, advanced Mac optimization, and cleaning tools, and coverage for up to five devices.

Bottom Line:

Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is my favorite free Mac antivirus since it offers a great malware scanner and strong anti-phishing and anti-tracking features. Avira’s VPN is likewise good, however, 500 MB a month is barely enough to watch one episode of a TV show. Avira Prime, which includes powerful Mac optimization capabilities, cleaning tools, coverage for up to 5 devices, and more, is a good option for anyone seeking a VPN with unlimited browsing data.

Visit Avira 

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7-MacKeeper-Best for Security Management That Is Intuitive

MacKeeper is extremely user-friendly, with some of the most intuitive security features I’ve ever seen. The antivirus scanner in MacKeeper is also very good; it caught the majority of the malware samples in my tests and swiftly eradicated them all. Also, during system checks, MacKeeper didn’t slow down my device, so I was able to work, watch videos, and run CPU-intensive programs without experiencing any lag or disruptions.

MacKeeper also has the following features:

• Blocks ads and tracking links.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) (with unlimited data).
• Protections against identity theft.
• Tools for improving the performance and cleaning of your Mac.

The internet security measures in MacKeeper are all very simple to utilize. The VPN is integrated into the MacKeeper dashboard and can be activated with only one click. And the ad and tracking link blocker worked perfectly with Safari, blocking hundreds of adverts and tracking URLs in minutes throughout my tests.

I also enjoy MacKeeper’s identity theft features, which made checking if any internet accounts related to my email address had been hijacked a breeze.

The functionality of all MacKeeper plans is the same, however, the price varies depending on the length of your subscription. You can subscribe for a month, six months, twelve months, or twenty-four months; the longer the membership, the more cost-effective it becomes.

Bottom Line: MacKeeper includes a VPN, an ad and tracking link blocker, and identity theft protection, among other security features. The antivirus scanner in MacKeeper is also very good, finding the majority of malicious files during testing without causing any system delay. MacKeeper is a wonderful alternative for non-technical users and those looking for a simple antivirus tool that doesn’t require any tweaking. With a 14-day money-back guarantee, you can test MacKeeper risk-free.

Visit Mackeeper 

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8-BullGuard-has a powerful anti-malware scanner and the best gaming mode on the market,

BullGuard provides comprehensive anti-malware protection, as well as a number of handy bonus features and a great game booster that boosts PC performance for gamers. BullGuard’s anti-malware scanner is one of the best on the market, with a 100% success rate in blocking both known and zero-day threats thanks to a malware database and dynamic machine learning.

BullGuard also includes a number of useful security measures, including:

• Game booster & PC tune-up.
• Firewall & network scanner.
• Secure browser.
• Parental controls.
• ID Protection (US, Canada, and Western Europe).
• VPN (a virtual private network) is sold separately.

The game booster, which enhances CPU speed when playing GPU-intensive games, is my favorite BullGuard function. I had to switch off my antivirus while gaming before I started using BullGuard, so it’s fantastic that BullGuard can boost gaming performance. I also enjoy that the game booster is included in all of BullGuard’s plans, including the most basic Antivirus package.

I also enjoy BullGuard’s identity theft prevention, which monitors a wide range of personally identifying information (PII), such as credit cards, home addresses, email addresses, and driver’s license numbers, using Experian’s international credit monitoring database.

However, I am not a fan of all of BullGuard’s capabilities; the parental controls could be better, and the VPN isn’t good enough to warrant a separate purchase. Furthermore, the user interface (UI) is difficult to use, with some settings concealed behind a slew of drop-down lists and windows. BullGuard’s macOS software (which only contains a virus scanner) is also not one of my favorites, and I don’t like that it doesn’t have an iOS app. Check out our picks for the best Mac antiviruses and the best iOS antiviruses if you’re seeking protection for your Mac or iOS device.

Despite these flaws, BullGuard offers strong protection against malware, phishing sites, and network attacks, as well as performance-enhancing features. BullGuard’s plans are all fairly priced, and they all include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bottom Line
BullGuard comes with a robust anti-malware scanner, the best gaming mode on the market, and is reasonably priced. BullGuard’s malware scanner earned 100 percent faultless detection rates in my testing, the real-time security blocked every harmful file I attempted to download, and the PC tune-up helped me save gigabytes of data. BullGuard’s Mac app, parental controls, and user interface, on the other hand, could all use some work, and the VPN is only accessible as a separate purchase. BullGuard offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its plans.

Visit Bullguard

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9- Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac — Decent macOS Malware Protection

 During my testing, Kaspersky’s antivirus scanner and real-time malware prevention caught all of my malware samples.

It also includes some excellent additional safeguards. Its anti-phishing technology proved fairly effective at detecting potentially dangerous websites. I also enjoy Kaspersky’s parental controls, which I consider to be among the best available. I especially enjoy the Rescue Disc feature, which disinfects compromised machines, as well as the secure browser and virtual keyboard, which ensure secure online payments, and the premium edition of the virtual private network (VPN).

However, several of Kaspersky’s other features do not excite me. The password manager is adequate, but it lacks key features such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and dark web surveillance, which are provided by all of the top password managers in 2021. The system cleanup tools are adequate, but competitors such as Avira provide significantly more options for computer optimization. The free VPN that comes with all of the subscriptions is limited to 200 MB per day and only allows customers to connect to one server (which is also the slowest one). And the Backup and Restore option is essentially a free Dropbox account (Dropbox gives all users 2 GB of storage space, so this feature isn’t really worth it).

Despite this, I continue to believe that Kaspersky Total Protection is an excellent internet security suite. It comes with a high-quality antivirus scanner, a number of useful features, and is reasonably priced. Kaspersky is also one of the more transparent antivirus companies out there, having moved its data processing centers to Switzerland, opened Transparency Centers around the world, and passed a SOC 2 audit since the 2017 allegations that it was working with the Russian government to steal US intelligence data.

Kaspersky has three pricing options that cover three to ten devices, as well as first-year discounts and a 30-day money-back guarantee (14-days for UK users).

Bottom Line:
Since being accused of espionage in 2017, Kaspersky has worked hard to improve its transparency and reputation, and it now delivers outstanding malware protection, a good collection of features, and an easy-to-use dashboard. During my tests, Kaspersky recognized all of my test malware and banned the majority of the phishing sites. I enjoy Kaspersky’s parental controls, Rescue Disc, and premium VPN (available as a separate purchase), but its system tuneup tools, password manager, and file backup feature don’t excite me. Kaspersky is simple to use, but some functions are difficult to find, and customer service might be better. Kaspersky’s plans are all competitively priced and depending on your location, you can try them out for 14 or 30 days with a risk-free money-back guarantee.

Best Antiviruses for Mac — Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t there an antivirus built into the Mac OS?

There are a few security features built into Macs, including:

App Review. Before downloading an app from the Apple Store, it is checked for validity.
Gatekeeper. Before running an app, it is scanned for dangerous code.
Web security. Safari blocks dangerous websites and tracking links.
Anti-theft tools. If your Mac or iOS device is lost or stolen, you can use this app to track it.

While these capabilities are helpful, they aren’t sufficient to protect Macs from ransomware, spyware, adware, and other complex malware used by criminals to spy on you and steal your data.

Real-time malware scanning, ransomware protection, Mac optimization tools, and advanced phishing protection aren’t included in even the most recent version of macOS. That’s why the ideal option is to install a comprehensive macOS-based antivirus suite like Intego – an antivirus designed to keep you 100 % safe against all cybersecurity threats.

Is antivirus software really necessary for Macs?

Yes, absolutely. Hackers have built (and are continuously developing) highly sophisticated Mac-based malware, making Macs increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. If you don’t have antivirus software installed on your Mac, you risk having all of your data taken and your system destroyed.

However, you must be cautious to only download reliable and legal antivirus software. If your antivirus is useless, you’ll be forced to trust a product that won’t protect you.

All of the antiviruses on this list offer decent protection for Mac computers, including effective malware scanners, a variety of internet security features, ease of use, and a reasonable price.

Is there a free antivirus program available for Mac?

Yes, there are a few good free antivirus programs for Mac, such as Avira and Sophos.

Keep in mind, however, that free antiviruses are only free because there is a “catch” – these companies usually want you to switch to a premium plan.

A free antivirus can suffice if you don’t have a lot of sensitive data on your Mac. However, if you’re like me and keep all of your credit card information, login information, work documents, images, and creative projects on your Mac, I strongly advise you to invest in a low-cost premium Mac antivirus like Intego.

protection. That’s why the ideal option is to install a comprehensive macOS-based antivirus suite like Intego – an antivirus designed to keep you 100 percent safe against all cybersecurity threats.