The 7 best antivirus for Mac
Today we bring you a compilation of the best antivirus for Mac so that you can protect your system against possible threats.
Although Apple is known for not having viruses in its system, there are cases in which you may find yourself in an unwanted situation and that is why we have prepared a list of the best antivirus for Mac .
There are people who for different reasons prefer to always keep their computers safe, especially if they contain very valuable and vital information for their lives, following the popular saying ‘prevention is better than cure’.
But if Apple does not have a virus then …
Do you need an antivirus for Mac?
The short answer is that it is generally not necessary. This is because its operating system incorporates different security protocols that make it difficult to access. However, this does not mean that it does not exist, has existed and will exist malware that puts your system at risk.
The increase in sales and use of Apple products in recent years has brought with it an increase in malware. For this reason, many people are interested in the best antivirus for Mac and thus be able to use them on their computers.
It is important to emphasize that compared to Windows there are almost no risks to your security. In fact, a large part of the viruses that enter Mac do so through Windows applications along with web pages and emails.
However, if you are not sure of the sites you browse, the applications you download, or you simply have bad luck with viruses, then it may be a good idea to install protection on your computer.
Types of antivirus
At this point you are probably wondering if you need an antivirus for your Mac . In the market there is a wide variety of offers and depending on what you are looking for, one or the other will suit you.
In this article we have compiled a list of the best antivirus for Mac, each analyzed individually, showing our opinions on their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, important data and general analysis of their operation.
We have divided them mainly into 2 categories that are self-explanatory, free antivirus for Mac and paid. You probably already know that paid products tend to provide more functionality and coverage in their programs, although this does not mean that free Mac antivirus are not reliable or functional.
Free Antivirus for Mac
This is the option for people who do not want to invest in an antivirus but at the same time want to protect their computer from what may happen. There are a wide variety of options to choose from and we have chosen the ones that seem most optimal to us.
Say that they are all very good options and surely meet expectations.
Avast Free Mac Security
Avast has very good malware protection reaching 99.17% threat detection. This places it among the best antivirus for Mac not only because it’s free but also because of its reliability.
Outstanding features
Unlike its free competitors, Avast has an email scanning system to ensure that nothing strange enters through links, files and messages.
However, it lacks some features that other antivirus include such as parental control. They also don’t have an advanced firewall or webcam blocker.
A plus is also that it has an extension in Google Chrome that indicates when a page is safe to visit or can be potentially harmful.
Interface
At first glance, it is a relatively simple interface, although not as simple as others. Provides with a wide variety of data for fans of analysis and research. For this reason it can be a bit complex.
Avast Opinions and Conclusions
Avast is one of the best free antivirus for Mac due to its high level of protection and its additional bonus for scanning emails. Despite not having some features that others offer, it has a good scanning speed.
Finally, the design of its interface is more aimed at users with a medium-high level because it has many tabs, menus and data that a beginner user could miss.
Avira Free Antivirus Mac
It has moderately good protection from threats but it is not the best by far. It can detect 93.33% of malware coming from Windows , which is a high percentage but it does not reach the 99% that others have. These are data to take into account to select among the best antivirus for Mac.
Outstanding features
One of its good things is that it has little impact on your computer’s speed when scanning in the background. However, when it does a full scan it is much slower compared to Avast.
To be free, it has a good system performance comparable to many other paid antivirus.
Interface
Here comes the best of Avira. Its interface is similar to that of other applications for Mac which stand out for their simplicity, elegance and functionality. This program is very intuitive and uncomplicated to use, easily accessible to any user.
Opinions on Avira and conclusions
This antivirus enters this list of the best antivirus for Mac especially for its simplicity in use. Not all users have the same facility to use this type of software and Avira is the ideal choice for these people.
That it is simple does not imply that it is a bad antivirus since it has a good percentage of protection and detection of threats. What I mean is that there are other free antivirus for Mac that have better features and at the same time are more difficult to exploit. Everything is to try since they are free and keep the one that best suits your needs.
Sophos Home Security Free
It has a fairly high score but far from the best in malware detection at 98.4% . Despite this result, it is honestly still a fairly high number and has other benefits that give it added value.
Outstanding features
You have 2 differentiating characteristics among your competitors that are worth highlighting. The first is that you can link with up to 10 other devices from a single account . The second is that it has a remote control that allows access and monitoring of processes from another computer.
As for parental control, it is a delicacy to have remote control of the systems linked to the account. You can set filters on the pages that you do not want your children to visit and also keep a history of the attempts to access those pages.
Interface
Sophos has a simple and easy-to-use interface. Nothing out of the other world in terms of aesthetics or functionality, but at the same time it is not complicated to handle.
Opinions on Sophos and conclusions
Among the best antivirus for Mac that are free, this is a good candidate especially for families who do not want to spend a lot of money on an antivirus. By having the remote control available one can know if their children are trying to access pages that are not suitable for them and at the same time protect their systems from possible threats.
AVG Antivirus Free
Together with Avast it has excellent protection, being able to detect 99% of threats . This is essential information for the proper functioning of a product of this style.
Outstanding features
It is a relatively simple antivirus since it has a main function and focuses on fulfilling it to perfection. This function is as mentioned before the protection of the equipment.
On the other hand, the only downside is that it only detects and cleans malware. In other words, it doesn’t offer any additional features that others have. The result of having a functionality is that it is easy to use.
Interface
Probably one of the best interfaces of all the antivirus analyzed. Its use is intuitive and you don’t have to be a genius to know how to handle it. It has few buttons to choose from and few tabs to get lost in, which according to the user can be positive or negative.
Opinions on AVG and conclusions
For its ability to protect the system which is the main task that it has to perform and for its ease of use we include AVG in the list. We especially recommend it for those users who do not want to be too complicated when it comes to cleaning their computer and keeping it protected.
Premium antivirus for Mac
For those who are willing to make an investment and ensure that their devices have the best quality of protection. Antivirus paid options offer several more advanced customization options that free ones do not.
Kaspersky Internet Security
Kaspersky has almost perfect protection, detecting 99.17% of malware, although other unofficial tests give it 100%. But that this does not influence you when deciding because it incorporates a wide variety of defensive systems such as a password processor, backup copies and encrypted files.
Outstanding features
This antivirus has many security packages adapted to your needs, however these are not free. The basic version of this software does not have all the features that its packages offer.
Another aspect to note is that they have a virtual keyboard that prevents the entry of keyloggers. Keyloggers are a type of malware that detects everything you have typed on the keyboard. Some virtual keyboards like the ones you can find in some online banks avoid this type of practice.
Interface
Unlike other antivirus, this one presents an open and airy interface that leaves a wide space between texts and buttons.
Opinions on Kaspersky and conclusions
If you plan to buy the entire coverage package then this is probably one of the best paid antivirus for Mac. Since it has so many protection-oriented features such as file encryption or the virtual keyboard, among others. Now, if you are looking to use its basic package then you may find better options on the market for the basic price.
BitDefender Virus Scanner
BitDefender has the best protection against malware and ransomware reaching 100% in AV tests. It is because of this fact that it is one of the best antivirus for Mac on the market.
Outstanding features
An interesting component is that it allows you to locate the device on a map as long as it is connected. Although without a doubt its main characteristic is that of the protection already mentioned above.
A negative aspect is that it does not have a VPN or software to make backup copies if these are aspects that you are looking for in an antivirus. Another may be that the initial system scan is slow, although this I do not think is something to assess since it is only done at the beginning.
Interface
Its interface does not seem very complicated to use, although unlike the best antivirus for Mac that are free, it offers many more features as it is paid.
Bitdefender opinions and conclusions
If what you are looking for is the best protection on the market, this is undoubtedly the best choices. Now since all paid antivirus compete with each other, then there are very few differences, it is a matter of priorities. Anyway, almost all of them offer a free trial period so you can see how they work.
Norton Security
Norton has an excellent protection system, equaling its competitors with 99.17% detection of Windows malware. It should be noted that although there is little malware coming from Mac, Norton was able to detect and clean all malware from Mac.
Outstanding features
Paradoxically in this section Norton stands out more for the negative than for the positive despite entering our list of best antivirus for Mac and then I tell you why.
The main negative is its price. For what it offers it seems an excessive price and there are free Mac antivirus that offer comparable features saving the distances. On the other hand, Norton has a high impact on the system when scanning and is a bit slower than others.
Interface
It is beautiful although at first it can be a bit confusing because some options are in tabs that are not intuitive at first.
Opinions on Norton and conclusions
Perhaps the question in this section would be why it is included in this list if it seems that it has more good parts than bad. The fact is that Norton at least in my eyes was always one of the most famous antivirus for computers and that is why I wanted to make a special mention of it. At the same time reiterate the issue of prices and how there are other antivirus with more competitive prices.
So is it worth installing an antivirus on Mac?
Regardless of whether you install an antivirus on your computer, it is always good to make good use of the internet. If you browse through safe sites and don’t download unknown or suspicious applications, you shouldn’t have any problems. Emails can contain harmful links and files that are not Mac dependent and you should pay special attention to what is downloaded.
Now anyone can get a virus on their computer and if you want to make sure you can catch them in time it is good to have a protection system installed.
Of all the free options, we recommend Avast Free Mac Security and of the paid options, choose between Kaspersky Internet Security or Bitdefender Virus Scanner.
Thank you very much for your attention. I hope that this list of the best antivirus for Mac will help you to decide on the one that best suits your needs.