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Anti-virus software for Mac

It's a common misconception that Mac computers are immune to cyber-attacks and don't need virus protection. While Macs are generally safer than Windows PCs, they can still be targeted by hackers. That's why it's important to install good quality Mac anti-virus software to protect your computer.

Anti-virus software for Mac comparison chart for 2024

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Intego Mac Internet Security X9
ESET Cybersecurity for Mac
Kaspersky Standard for Mac
G Data Antivirus for Mac
McAfee Internet Security for Mac
Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac
Excellent
Five stars means excellent
Very good
Four stars means very good
Good
Three stars means good
Average
Two stars means average /
Poor
One star means poor
 Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac has been awarded best buy Product image of bitdefender antivirus for mac Product image of intego mac internet security x9 Product image of eset cybersecurity for mac Product image of kaspersky standard for mac Product image of g data antivirus for mac Product image of mcafee internet security for mac Product image of trend micro antivirus for mac
 
 
Ratings
Protection
 bitdefender antivirus for mac has a rating of five protection intego mac internet security x9 has a rating of five protection eset cybersecurity for mac has a rating of four protection kaspersky standard for mac has a rating of four protection g data antivirus for mac has a rating of four protection mcafee internet security for mac has a rating of three protection trend micro antivirus for mac has a rating of three protection
Effectiveness
 bitdefender antivirus for mac has a rating of five effectiveness intego mac internet security x9 has a rating of five effectiveness eset cybersecurity for mac has a rating of four effectiveness kaspersky standard for mac has a rating of four effectiveness g data antivirus for mac has a rating of four effectiveness mcafee internet security for mac has a rating of four effectiveness trend micro antivirus for mac has a rating of four effectiveness
Features
 bitdefender antivirus for mac has a rating of five features intego mac internet security x9 has a rating of four features eset cybersecurity for mac has a rating of four features kaspersky standard for mac has a rating of four features g data antivirus for mac has a rating of four features mcafee internet security for mac has a rating of three features trend micro antivirus for mac has a rating of four features
Ease of use
 bitdefender antivirus for mac has a rating of five ease of use intego mac internet security x9 has a rating of five ease of use eset cybersecurity for mac has a rating of three ease of use kaspersky standard for mac has a rating of three ease of use g data antivirus for mac has a rating of three ease of use mcafee internet security for mac has a rating of four ease of use trend micro antivirus for mac has a rating of three ease of use
Help & support
 bitdefender antivirus for mac has a rating of four help & support intego mac internet security x9 has a rating of four help & support eset cybersecurity for mac has a rating of four help & support kaspersky standard for mac has a rating of three help & support g data antivirus for mac has a rating of three help & support mcafee internet security for mac has a rating of three help & support trend micro antivirus for mac has a rating of three help & support
Detection
Viruses
Viruses - A virus is a program or encryption that can replicate itself by means of the infected Mac (so named after the way biological viruses replicate using the infected organism) and spread from one Mac to another. Viruses will target and corrupt files.
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Worms
Worms - Similar to viruses in that they self-replicate. However, instead of corrupting your files, worms might delete files altogether, or be used to gain access to your network for sending junk mail. This can significantly reduce your bandwidth.
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Trojan Horses
Trojan Horses - The most common type of malware, as they are the most effective. They present themselves as harmless, useful gifts, such as simple downloadable games. They can crash your Mac, steal passwords, remotely control your Mac, and allow the hacker to watch through your webcam.
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Malware
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Spyware
Spyware - Includes Trojans, tracking cookies, and adware, and is most commonly used to track internet users’ movements and collect their personal details such as bank and credit card information.
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Rootkits
Rootkits - Relies on Administrator access hacking; once this is obtained, a rootkit has full control over the system with the ability to manipulate any software that was trying to remove it from the system. In these cases the best thing to do would be a system wipe and restart.
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Protection
Email
Email - A constant potential source by which viruses can enter your system at the click of a link. Among other techniques to stop viruses attacking your system by email, most anti-virus software will check URLs’ sent with emails to verify their host server authenticity.
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Detect Windows Viruses
Detect Windows Viruses - Some viruses can be passed from Mac to PC or vice versa. Does the product locate and prevent this from happening?
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Web Antivirus
Web Antivirus - Does the software do a number of different things to prevent viruses from ever reaching your Mac from the web? Including alerting you as to whether a website is known to be ‘unsafe’, and scanning any downloads you make.
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Network Monitoring
Network Monitoring - Does the software alert users when a program tries to make an network connection? This is helpful for stopping viruses from sending any sensitive information they have found back to their source.
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Antiphishing
Antiphishing - Does the software alert you to the fact that you have been caught hook, line and sinker by a fake website that may even look identical in every outward way to the original?
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Identity Theft Protection
Identity Theft Protection - Some malware will specifically target your personal details in order to access your online accounts.
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Antispam
Antispam - Spam pop-ups and spam emails are some of the most common ways for viruses to attack your system – and also the most annoying!
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Technology
Real-time Background Scanning
Real-time Background Scanning - Processes that will continue – as long as you allow them to – (they will use a small portion of your Apple Mac’s processing speed) to scan for viruses on your Mac.
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Virus Signatures
Virus Signatures - Scanning for viruses on your Mac by looking for tell-tale signatures in their
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Quarantine
Quarantine - Does the software have the ability to isolate the infected file/s, effectively quarantining them from the rest of your system?
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Heuristics
Heuristics - Viruses are being changed constantly due to the ease with which anti-virus programs can locate old viruses with signatures that are recognisable. To deal with new threats, heuristic analysis looks for a generic signature of a family of viruses, and can shred through meaningless code to the virus hidden underneath.
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Firewall
Firewall - Having a firewall in place is imperative, but firewalls are not specifically anti-virus; they are more there to prevent unknown programs from accessing the system without your knowledge (however, this is where their use ends – if you click an unsafe download button or even just enter the wrong website, then a firewall alone will fail to protect your system).
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Scanning
Quick Scan
Quick Scan - A fast, but more ineffectual, often localised scan.
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Scan Individual Files
Scan Individual Files - Can the software scan individual files?
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Scan USB and External Media
Scan USB and External Media - Does the software have the ability to scan electronic devices attached to your Mac?
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Custom Scan
Custom Scan - Can you customize your scan?
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Scan Archives
Scan Archives - Can the software scan your Mac & online history for viruses?
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Full Scan
Full Scan - Full Macintosh operating system scan – often taking hours.
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Optimized Scanning
Optimized Scanning - An optimized scan will use the capabilities of modern multi core CPUs, thus this option is only available to people with high end computers.
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Pause/Resume Scan
Pause/Resume Scan - Can this software pause & resume your scans?
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Set Exclusions
Set Exclusions - Select files for exclusion from an anti-virus’ scan.
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Features
Alerts / Notifications
Alerts / Notifications - Does the software provide relevant alerts as to what's going on in your Mac system?
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Scheduler
Scheduler - Can you schedule your virus scans?
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Adjustable Security Levels
Adjustable Security Levels - Can you increase the security in place over your system, or could you even decrease the security levels – sometimes a firewall will inadvertently block an IP address that a game is using to play online.
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Auto Scan USB
Auto Scan USB - Does the software automatically scan any USB attached?
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Password Protected
Password Protected - Is the anti-virus software itself protected by a password?
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Updates
Automatic Updates
Automatic Updates - Updates for the virus software (software must be kept ahead in the game against viruses constantly) can be automated.
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Manual Updates
Manual Updates - Option that updates are manually carried out.
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Rollback Update
Rollback Update - Load your Apple computer from an earlier point, usually after your system has been fatally compromised.
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Help & Support
Phone
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Email
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Live Chat
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Knowledgebase / FAQs
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Forum
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Operating systems
macOS Ventura (v13)
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macOS Monterey (v12)
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macOS Big Sur (v11)
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macOS Catalina (v10.15)
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macOS Mojave (v10.14)
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macOS High Sierra (v10.13)
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macOS Sierra (v10.12)
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Mac OS X El Capitan (v10.11)
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Mac OS X Yosemite (v10.10)
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AV-TEST March 2023
Protection
 6 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A N/A
Performance
 6 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A N/A
Usability
 6 N/A N/A 6 N/A N/A N/A

Anti-virus software for Mac explained

Last updated: July 2023.

Many people used to believe that Mac computers were completely safe from viruses and didn't require any anti-virus protection. However, this is not true. Even though Macs are generally more secure than Windows PCs, they can still fall victim to cyber-attacks. Installing high-quality anti-virus software to safeguard your computer and online data is crucial. This simple step can make a significant difference in protecting your Mac from potential threats.

It's essential to remember that Mac computers are generally more secure than Windows PCs but are not entirely immune to cyber-attacks. We recommend installing high-quality anti-virus software to protect your computer and online data. Even Apple now quietly suggests using anti-virus software to safeguard against potential threats. It only takes one successful virus to cause significant damage to your Mac, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

It's always a good idea to take precautions and protect your computer against cyber threats. Macs may be more secure than Windows, but that doesn't mean they are completely immune to attacks. That's why it's recommended to use high-quality anti-virus software to safeguard against potential threats. Mac anti-virus products have become increasingly popular and provide layers of protection against various threats. It's about protecting against malware, phishing attempts, fake websites, and more. Plus, it's always a good idea to protect your Windows-using friends and colleagues by avoiding passing on any viruses. Stay safe and secure with the right anti-virus software.

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