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Mac users often feel that the Mac is so secure that there is hardly any need for a third-party antivirus. But to what extent is that true? We cannot deny the fact that Mac possesses advanced technologies to safeguard your data and to keep you help you safe online.
With the popularity of Mac devices among users, even it has become increasingly popular among the distributors of malware and hackers. A report by Malwarebytes indicates a sharp increase in Mac threats of over 400 percent from 2018 to 2019. The report even suggests that the types of threats are different in the operating system of Windows and Mac.
Unlike Windows devices that are more prone to traditional malware, Mac threats are mostly in the form of adware. If you are facing more than usual and unexpected pop-ups on your Mac, then you might be at risk. But that doesn't give you a reason to panic as there are several third-party antiviruses in the market. Such antivirus comes with several features to provide your device with complete protection against malware.
Our List of 6 Best Free Antivirus for Mac
These are free and paid, and you can choose any of them as per your requirements. Here are six of the best antiviruses for your Mac device are discussed here.
1. Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac
Based on the award-winning Bitdefender antivirus engines, it quickly detects Mac malware and Windows viruses. It provides a host of scanning options from performing deep scans to critical and specific locations. If a threat is detected, Bitdefender will quarantine or remove it. The simple interface makes it extremely user friendly. The free antivirus is very limited in functionality.
For protecting multiple devices, you can take advantage of Bitdefender discount and get the best value for your money.
2. Avira Free Antivirus
One of the most excellent antiviruses that do not cost you even a penny unless you decide to upgrade to the paid version. What makes it even more desirable is its easy usability and the fact that it will not slow down your system. However, you may find the real-time detection function of it to be a little fragmental. The issue with the free version is the ads, but if you wish to get rid of them, you can always go for their premium version.
3. Avast Free Mac Security
As per many lab test reports, it can be considered a reliable option for your device's complete protection against viruses and other malware. Although the tests even suggest that it might not be that effective when it comes to anti-phishing. Hence, with Avast free security, your Mac device will be vulnerable to phishing attacks.
If you plan to switch to the premium version, you can search for Avast coupon codes to get budget-friendly and reasonable prices.
4. Norton 360 Deluxe (for Mac)
It comes with several features to safeguard your Mac device like a password manager, two-way firewall, full-powered VPN, etc. It even finds and deletes duplicate of your pictures and other files from your system. But this antivirus program may hamper the performance of your device. And to remain safe, you need to double-check to make sure that detected threats are blocked.
5. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac
It provides your device with strong antivirus protection and comes with parental control tools. You can do quick scanning, which focuses on critical areas as well as full scanning. But it might not be that strong when it comes to web protection as it has been unable to block all the suspicious websites.
6. ESET Cyber Security Pro
It is one of the oldest antivirus programs in the market, which comes with the features to provide your device online payment protection and webcam protection. But you will have to go for an expensive premium plan if you wish to protect several devices having different operating systems. Apart from minor flaws, it can be considered a very good option for Mac users.
The above discussed third party antivirus programs effectively keep your Mac device safe from hackers and malware. Yes, they have some loopholes, but it's totally up to you to choose the best one.
Conclusion:
You may face a little bit of difficulty in finding a completely free antivirus for your Mac device. A free antivirus mostly wants you to upgrade in the premium version, thus providing limited features and unwanted ads. It even fails to safeguard your Mac device from some severe vulnerabilities.
But that's not the case with all the free antivirus available in the market. The above-discussed antiviruses can be a great option, and the free versions also provide you reliable basic protection against several digital threats. From my personal experience, as I have tested all the antivirus mentioned above before coming to any conclusion, I can say that they won't disappoint you. If you are willing to provide your Mac device basic protection against viruses, spyware, and malware, then you can go for a free antivirus without giving a second thought.
But if you are looking for advanced features, then it is advisable to choose a paid version. Many of the paid antiviruses come along with the free trails before upgrading to the premium version. Thus, from all the above-discussed points, one thing is for sure that your Mac's in-build security features are not at all enough to keep you completely safe against all the digital threats.
Hence it is always better to have an antivirus installed in your system. And it entirely depends on your needs and expectations from an antivirus that is the most important deciding factor if you are confused between free and paid antivirus. New apple mac. However, for complete advanced and robust protection, a paid antivirus is only advisable.
Many say Antivirus software is a myth and it inserts malware in your PCs and Mac. Well, that's not the case as I have tested out several free and paid Antivirus software on my MacBook. A lot of antivirus software for Mac are available; I have run a few of them and they meet my expectations. I hope they are useful to you as well as you're searching for the finest Mac antivirus software.
Well, it's just a matter of time if you want to remove the Mac auto fixer virus but if you want protection from all types of viruses, malware and ransomware, then you need to check our best Mac antivirus software available in 2020. Of course, not all antivirus software protect the Mac from ransomware but a few of them do that.
Best Paid and Free Antivirus Software for Mac in 2020
To make it easy for you, I have decided to break down the list into two parts: free antivirus software for Mac and paid Mac antivirus software. So here we go…
Quick Access:
Best Free Antivirus Software for Mac
#1. Avast Security
Ever since my childhood days, whenever I heard of Antivirus, first thing that came to my mind was Avast Antivirus. That was probably the best antivirus software those days and it's still on the top when it comes to the free version.
Avast provides features like real time protection along with a full system scan. Other than this, it allows you to run custom scans so that your Mac is always safe. Moreover, if you're often using the internet and visiting various websites every day, it blocks websites with malicious attempts on your Mac.
Overall, Avast is one of the best Antivirus software for Mac that is available for free! The best part is it doesn't affect the system performance in any way and it scans the complete system quickly as compared to other antivirus software programs.
#2. Sophos
Sophos is the most underrated antivirus program, but believe me, it's one of the finest antivirus packages available for Mac. It comes with initial Home Free plan of 30-day trail period and I am sure you'll love the premium features offered by this software.
That doesn't mean it's just free for 30 days, but you will not be able to use a couple of premium features available in the paid plan after that. Be it a virus, ransomware, Trojans, malware etc., it quickly scans to stop, remove and prevent your Mac against every possible vulnerability.
The best thing I liked about Sophos Home Plan (of course paid after 30 days) is it comes with parental control. This allows you to block certain websites that you don't want your kids to open. You can try this free plan from Sophos on three devices simultaneously ensuring that all your systems are safe!
#3. Avira Antivirus
When a software protects your Mac in real-time in the background, you couldn't ask for more! It is always running in the background to detect instant virus, malware, Trojans etc. trying to creep into your Mac and it blocks it right away!
The free plan from Avira also comes with a browser safety feature in the form of extension or add-on for different browsers. With this, it blocks the unsafe websites and those blogs/websites that use different tracking codes to extract your browser or system information without your permission.
Take note that it only supports the Mac systems that are running on macOS versions released after 2017. So if you didn't update your Mac, consider it to update with the latest macOS version right away to take full advantage of Avira free antivirus plan.
#4. AVG
AVG is known for the transparency it brings to the table! It's very sharp in terms of protecting your Mac with the automatic updates that it gets in its database. AVG runs in the background right when your Mac starts and if it doesn't, make sure you enable it to launch automatically on Mac startup.
As it runs in the background, you can perform your tasks on your Mac without any worries as it automatically blocks the malicious activities in the apps or websites you are visiting.
Take note that the full system scan is on the slower side as compared to Avast. So if you're looking for a solution that can do a full system scan, this might not be an ideal choice for you. Other than that, it's worth as it comes for free!
Quick Access:
Best Free Antivirus Software for Mac
#1. Avast Security
Ever since my childhood days, whenever I heard of Antivirus, first thing that came to my mind was Avast Antivirus. That was probably the best antivirus software those days and it's still on the top when it comes to the free version.
Avast provides features like real time protection along with a full system scan. Other than this, it allows you to run custom scans so that your Mac is always safe. Moreover, if you're often using the internet and visiting various websites every day, it blocks websites with malicious attempts on your Mac.
Overall, Avast is one of the best Antivirus software for Mac that is available for free! The best part is it doesn't affect the system performance in any way and it scans the complete system quickly as compared to other antivirus software programs.
#2. Sophos
Sophos is the most underrated antivirus program, but believe me, it's one of the finest antivirus packages available for Mac. It comes with initial Home Free plan of 30-day trail period and I am sure you'll love the premium features offered by this software.
That doesn't mean it's just free for 30 days, but you will not be able to use a couple of premium features available in the paid plan after that. Be it a virus, ransomware, Trojans, malware etc., it quickly scans to stop, remove and prevent your Mac against every possible vulnerability.
The best thing I liked about Sophos Home Plan (of course paid after 30 days) is it comes with parental control. This allows you to block certain websites that you don't want your kids to open. You can try this free plan from Sophos on three devices simultaneously ensuring that all your systems are safe!
#3. Avira Antivirus
When a software protects your Mac in real-time in the background, you couldn't ask for more! It is always running in the background to detect instant virus, malware, Trojans etc. trying to creep into your Mac and it blocks it right away!
The free plan from Avira also comes with a browser safety feature in the form of extension or add-on for different browsers. With this, it blocks the unsafe websites and those blogs/websites that use different tracking codes to extract your browser or system information without your permission.
Take note that it only supports the Mac systems that are running on macOS versions released after 2017. So if you didn't update your Mac, consider it to update with the latest macOS version right away to take full advantage of Avira free antivirus plan.
#4. AVG
AVG is known for the transparency it brings to the table! It's very sharp in terms of protecting your Mac with the automatic updates that it gets in its database. AVG runs in the background right when your Mac starts and if it doesn't, make sure you enable it to launch automatically on Mac startup.
As it runs in the background, you can perform your tasks on your Mac without any worries as it automatically blocks the malicious activities in the apps or websites you are visiting.
Take note that the full system scan is on the slower side as compared to Avast. So if you're looking for a solution that can do a full system scan, this might not be an ideal choice for you. Other than that, it's worth as it comes for free!
#5. Bitdefender
If quick malware detection is your sole purpose, one cannot get a better antivirus program than Bitdefender. The blazing fast speed at which it detects all types of viruses, Trojans, malware etc. is simply amazing!
With multiple scan options, you are your own boss to decide which mode you want to use to scan your Mac. It's easy to navigate through the various options and it doesn't affect your system speed in any way!
The only set back of this free Bitdefender version is it doesn't provide protection to your browsers or email apps on your Mac. One more thing, it will always ask you to upgrade to a paid plan every now and then. Rest, everything is fine if you're looking for a free Mac antivirus software.
So these were some of the finest antivirus programs available for free for your Mac. Now, let's have a look at some of the paid ones that stand up to your expectations.
Best Paid Antivirus Software for Mac
You simply cannot entrust your precious Mac to a free antivirus program irrespective of the best security features. Better be safe than sorry by getting a paid plan of any of these Mac antivirus software packages reviewed below.
#1. Norton 360 Deluxe
Norton is one of the most trusted companies when it comes to Mac Antivirus software. It's been used by thousands if not millions of users around the world currently.
The best part about this software is it lets you scan the system when you are not active on your Mac. Other than this, there are many other scanning options that you can use. With excellent malware detection, it can protect up to five of your systems simultaneously with this 360 Deluxe plan which costs $59.99/year (as of writing this).
Norton comes with unlimited usage of VPN and a password manager for Mac as well along with the antivirus software. Now that's just like icing on the cake as you don't need to buy a separate VPN for Mac now. It's a bit expensive for sure but given the 24/7 technical support via phone and chat, it makes it worth every penny you spend!
#2. McAfee Total Protection
Safeguard all your data, passwords, IDs used to log in various websites, browsers and a lot more with McAfee Total Protection plan on your Mac. While all the antivirus programs usually slow down your Mac, McAfee has a variety of tools that can actually improve your system performance.
With encrypted storage features and home network security, it's a perfect antivirus software for those who are looking to get it for their regular use at home, be it individual or a complete family (up to 10 devices).
Not just your Mac, but you can also safeguard your iOS devices, Android or Windows systems if you have any when you choose multiple devices plan.
#3. Malwarebytes Premium for Mac
Malwarebytes might not be considered the best of all but it certainly is an option to try if you have minimal needs for your Mac in terms of protection. Of course, you can try the free trial offered by Malwarebytes but I am sure you will love it.
There are a lot of users who think Norton or McAfee is far better than this antivirus software and it is true up to some extent as I have personally used a few of these software on my Mac. Of course, it's easy to use navigation and super fast scans can get your eyeballs rolling for this software.
Besides this, there is hardly any impact on your Mac when Malwarebytes is scanning your system in the background while you work on your regular tasks on Mac. Overall, this would be my third option if I had to choose anything after Norton and McAfee.
#4. Kaspersky Internet Security
Online shopping has rapidly seen upward curve because of internet speeds and a plethora of websites offering various discounts. With that comes the threat of leaking details of your card, bank accounts, personal information etc. And this is where you need Kaspersky's Internet Security for Mac.
The online attacks are blocked by Kaspersky when you visit certain websites and it's much more than just an antivirus as it safeguards everything on your Mac. Be it a virus, malware, Trojan, ransomware or any other scripts that try to creep into your Mac, Kaspersky's Internet Security plan for Mac blocks them right away!
With perfect malware detection, amazing parental controls and handful of privacy tools, it stands on top for many users who are looking for the best Antivirus for Mac. The only set back is that it impacts your system heavily when you scan your Mac. You can avoid your work when the system is being scanned. That's the only way out! Rest, everything is perfect!
#5. Bitdefender Total Security
As compared to all the paid antivirus programs available for Mac, Bitdefender is cheaper. If you ever wanted the fastest antivirus software, this one should be your first choice as it's one of the cheapest options too. Within a matter of seconds, it can scan thousands of files on your Mac. That's really SUPER FAST, indeed!
Besides the audio, video, and software, it can also scan files like PDF, ZIP etc. which isn't possible in most of the antivirus programs. The always-on scanner option lets you run the Bitdefender in the back-end ensuring that your Mac is safe 24/7 when you turn it on!
The best part is it comes with an adware blocker which is hardly offered by any of the antivirus companies. When you select five devices plan, you can use it on your devices running different operating systems like macOS, iOS, Android, Windows and others.
These are some of the finest Mac antivirus software that are available in the free trial and paid versions as well.
Summing Up…
If I were you, I would have definitely selected the free plan first, test out which works perfectly as per my Mac data and files and then move ahead with the paid plans respectively. So which one of these antivirus programs for Mac are you going to get for your system? Do let us know in the comment section right away!
Best Mac Computer Virus Protection
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Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.
Best Free Antivirus For Mac 2020
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