Best Mac antivirus

Although macOS has been built to withstand malicious attacks and there have been comparatively few viruses written to target Macs specifically, you can still be exposed to a rise in new viruses and malware in the future. Antivirus software will protect and secure your computer from the worst online nasties. 

Our Mac antivirus lab tests involve subjecting both free and paid-for antivirus products to tens of thousands of threats, including viruses and phishing attacks designed to compromise and steal your data.

We repeat this three times a year, as new threats are emerging all the time and we want to be sure the best antivirus we recommend will consistently protect your computer.

Free antivirus is simple and stays active unless shut down or replaced. Paid-for antivirus comes with a range of additional useful features. Typically, the first year of protection is relatively cheap, then the renewal price usually costs noticeably more. 

The best free Mac antivirus from our tests

Only logged-in Which? members can view the free Mac antivirus test results below. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.

The free Mac antivirus we tested

All the free Mac antivirus we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the free Mac antivirus test results below. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.

Avast One Basic (Mac)

Available from avast.com

Most recently tested December 2024

Additional features Basic VPN

Need to know Free, one license

Avira Free Antivirus For Mac

Available from avira.com

Most recently tested December 2024

Additional features Basic VPN, tune up tool, password manager (needs to be installed separately)

Need to know Free, one license

The best paid Mac antivirus from our tests

Only logged-in Which? members can view the paid Mac antivirus test results below. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.

The paid Mac antivirus we tested

All the paid Mac antivirus we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the paid Mac antivirus test results. 

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.

Bitdefender Antivirus For Mac

Available from bitdefender.com

Most recently tested December 2024

Additional features Time machine backup protection

Need to know Paid, initial price £40, renewal price £40, three licenses

Eset Home Security Essential (Mac)

Available from eset.com

Most recently tested December 2024

Additional features None

Need to know Paid, initial price £35, renewal price £35, one license

Do you have a Windows PC or laptop instead? See our expert pick of the best antivirus for Windows

F-Secure Internet Security (Mac)

Available from f-secure.com

Most recently tested December 2024

Additional features Parental controls, banking protection, F-Secure Browsing protection (Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari)

Need to know Paid, initial price £40, renewal price £40, one license

Norton 360 Standard (Mac)

Available from norton.com

Most recently tested December 2024

Additional features Firewall, password manager (browser add-on for Chrome, Firefox and Safari only), tune-up tool (Norton Clean)

Need to know Paid, initial price £28, renewal price £65, one license

How we test antivirus

Protection from malware

We fire three batches of malware at antivirus over a year of testing to ensure standards haven’t slipped and the antivirus remains effective against the latest malware. Our specialist lab operates ‘honeypots’, which are like digital fishing nets designed to capture thousands of strains of murky malware and viruses. We have more than 60 honeypots around the world and these capture up to 400,000 files every day and up to 146m over a year.

We use 10,000 samples of unique malware to test each antivirus. We ensure that the antivirus software doesn't let you pass on infected files to other people, even if the files haven’t been opened by you first. Antivirus that pesters you with confusing messages and warnings or wrongly zaps a file that you actually want to use (known as a false positive) are punished in our testing.

Ability to avoid scams

Most antivirus products claim to protect you from scam webpages and emails. To test this, we click on links contained in phishing emails – hoax emails sent in the hope that the recipient will enter confidential information or click on a dodgy link or open a dodgy attachment. 

This is so we can measure whether the antivirus stops you from proceeding to these dangerous scam websites designed to steal your data or infect your machine. We throw in a few genuine emails, too, to see whether the software wastes your time by flagging emails and websites that are safe for you to access.

Easy to install and use

We buy and install each antivirus on a ‘fresh’ computer, and rate this process, including what is and isn’t included. For paid-for software, we also rate how easy it is to stop the software licence from automatically renewing and charging you after it expires.

When installed, we rate the initial setup process and first scan, looking to see if it's beginner friendly. We look for security software that not only identifies threats, but warns you clearly and talks to you in jargon-free language. Points are deducted for confusing or scaremongering alerts (especially if the motive is upselling) and any ambiguous action that could compromise security.

Extra features

The main things that separate paid-for and free antivirus are the added extras they come with. If you’re spending money on protection, then you should expect an array of additional and potentially useful features. If the supposedly premium features aren’t worth the money, we’ll flag that to you. 

It may be that a free antivirus – which are increasingly comparable to paid antivirus – will meet your needs just as well. It's also worth noting that some features may be exclusive to Windows versions of antivirus.

Will it slow down my computer?

Virus protection scans should operate silently and discreetly in the background, without reducing your system to a crawl while they carry out their routine virus checks. 

We undertake a range of everyday tasks on our test computer while the software operates and compare this with the performance when the antivirus wasn't installed. We flag any antivirus that makes simple tasks, such as opening a web browser or saving files, that take ages. This is known as our 'use of resources' assessment. 

We regularly revisit the antivirus on sale to see if there are any more popular brands that need testing and when we find them, we do.

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

Do Macs really need antivirus?

Relatively few viruses target Macs, and macOS has built-in protection to help it withstand malicious attacks.

But you could still be exposed to a rise in malware in future. With Mac ownership increasing, criminals are now actively targeting the Mac ecosystem. Apple has been proactive at suppressing current threats, but a number have become persistent. One of the more notable is a virus called Adware, which bombards you with ads linking to malicious websites that can fully infect your Mac.

Apple can currently dictate what is made available on its app store and monitors existing apps for any stowed malware and other malicious software – a level of control not found on Windows. And macOS also includes App Sandbox, which keeps your apps separate from system components, so it’s easier to remove one app if it gets infected by a malicious program.

Ultimately, though, if you're looking for more in-depth online security, antivirus will be a necessary upgrade. Security measures offered by macOS are better than nothing, but based on our tests there are noticeable flaws that leave it vulnerable – most notably, weak phishing protection. The best free Mac antivirus provides top-notch protection and, provided you can put up with the occasional ad, gives you peace of mind that won’t cost a penny. 

Key features for Mac antivirus protection

• Anti-phishing Whether the software provides a browser extension that protects you from phishing attacks.
• Backups Some antivirus includes additional safe storage to backup files, folders and pictures, storing them on the antivirus's cloud. This also helps secure important docs from ransomware attacks as the backups are stored within the antivirus company's secure databases and/or cloud service. If you don't renew your antivirus subscription, you'll lose access and the data may be deleted entirely after your subscription ends. Be sure to check the T&Cs for confirmation. Alternatively, some antivirus protects Apple's built-in Time Machine backup feature.
• Parental controls Used to control access to the internet and programs. These can limit access at specific times of the day or block certain sites entirely.
• Password manager Whether you get access to a password manager tool, either within the main software or via a web browser extension.
• Tune-up Whether this software can scan and clear your device of junk or duplicated files, folders and pictures, which manufacturers claim helps prevent devices slowing down. Some also monitor applications and deactivate those not in use.

Join Which? Tech Support – stay on top of your tech and get unlimited expert one-to-one support by phone, email, remote fix and in print.

Already a Tech Support member? For one-to-one technical advice, including advice on which antivirus to install, scan the QR code above to go to our Tech Support booking tool. Reading this on your phone or tablet? Click to go to our Tech Support online booking tool.

How do I check my Mac for viruses?

If you’re concerned that your Mac is already infected with malware, here are a few signs to watch out for:

• Your Mac is running much more slowly than normal
• You notice new apps and or browser extensions you don't remember downloading
• Random pop-up notifications and ads appear
• You receive odd security alerts without running any system scan
• Stored contacts receive random messages from you that you haven't sent
• Your files are locked down and ransomed to restore access (never do this as you still may not gain access after you pay)

If any of the above sounds familiar, you need to take action. Start by doing the following:

First, open Finder and check the Applications folder for any strange apps you don't remember downloading. Delete these, then empty the Trash Bin. Follow the same steps in the Downloads folder.

Next, download a quality free Mac antivirus that's capable of thoroughly scanning your computer while offline. Avoid a paid-for version, as your payment detail may be compromised and sent to the criminals behind the malware. 

Once the antivirus is installed, disconnect your Mac from the internet and reboot it in safe mode. Run a full system scan to catch any malware viruses on your hard disk and delete them. You can then once again reboot your computer. It would be advisable to update your passwords, as these may have been compromised. 

If you had any USB memory sticks connected at the time you think your computer was compromised, it would be best to give these devices a full scan with antivirus, too.