The best mac antivirus software packages of 2018 are Kaspersky Lab and Symantec. Both Mac antivirus software gives users 100% protection from malware and put a negligible load on the system. Bitdefender and Intego all recorded perfect scores in malware detection, but their system loads were higher than the programs above. So, what's the best (free, probably) antivirus for tech-illiterate folks like parents? I'm sure others here have gone through what I'm doing. I'm looking for something that's lightweight, has few pop-ups, has a pretty friendly interface, is still a pretty good antivirus, etc. Fret not, we have compiled a list of seven of the best free antivirus software for Mac users in 2018 that will give your Mac a steady booster against the latest ransomware, adware and virus online. So, are you ready to find out what are the best free Antivirus for Mac 2018 that will eradicate vicious phishing scripts, and trojans for once. Get the best antivirus for Mac 2018.There are many antivirus out there claiming to be the best. Some are free while others will require you to pay a fee. The choice you make will depend on the level of security you are looking for and your budget.
Best Mac AntivirusKaspersky Internet Security for Mac
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac's top-shelf malware detection and barely there system impact make it the best antivirus solution.
Best Free Mac AntivirusAvast Free Mac Security
Avast Free Mac Security's malware-squashing proficiency, negligible performance impact and included password manager make it the best free option.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers top-shelf malware detection and protects files from ransomware.
After evaluating eight free and paid antivirus products, we've chosen Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac ($40 per year) as the best antivirus for Mac. It had a nearly invisible impact on system performance, and it caught all malware.
Avast Free Mac Security is our favorite free option, as it provided nearly perfect malware protection and an easy-to-use interface with an imperceptible performance hit.
You do need an antivirus program on your Mac. Recent years have seen more Mac malware and adware than ever before, from Trojans to targeted attacks, supply-chain attacks like the XcodeGhost attack and even encrypting ransomware.
Best Antivirus For Mac 2018 Reddirect
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Latest Security Alerts and Threats
— Thousands of people don't bother to change passwords they know have been compromised, a Google study found. ADVICE: Use strong, unique passwords for every online account, and use a password manager to keep them straight.
— Whoops — Apple's update of iPhones and iPads to iOS 12.4 re-opened a flaw that led to a successful 'jailbreak.'ADVICE: There's a slight possibility this could be used to hack iPhones from websites or App Store apps, so carefully choose which apps you install and to which sites you browse, and update to iOS 12.5 when it's ready.
— Scammers are gaming search-engine results so that voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant call phony customer-support numbers when owners request it. ADVICE: Look up customer-support numbers on official company websites and have voice assistants call those instead.
How We Tested
To find the best antivirus for Mac desktops and laptops, we evaluate ease of use, interface and performance impact, we installed each AV program on the same Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina Display running macOS 10.12 Sierra. It was powered by a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7 processor and had 8GB of RAM and 70GB of data stored on a 512GB SSD.
We conducted our own tests in July and August 2017 based on how much each antivirus product affected our laptop's performance. To do this, we used our custom OpenOffice benchmark, which matches 20,000 names and addresses in a spreadsheet. We measured how long it took to run a quick scan and a full scan while the laptop crunched numbers in the background.
We assessed how easy each program was to use and the number of useful extra features it offered (including free add-on software). To gauge how effective each package was at stopping malware, we used the results of evaluations conducted in May 2017 by AV-TEST, a well-regarded independent product-testing lab in Germany, and results from other tests conducted in July 2017 by AV-Comparatives, a similarly well-respected firm in Austria.
Best Mac Antivirus
Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Minimal system impact
Reasons to Avoid
Kaspersky Internet Security is the best antivirus for Macs because it offers both the lowest system impact and some of the best malware-detection rates recorded. It even provides extra security features, including parental controls and options to lock down your webcam and stop websites from tracking your browsing activity. If you're willing to pay to protect your Mac from malware, Kaspersky Internet Security is the best option available.
Best Free Mac Antivirus
Avast Free Mac Security
Reasons to Buy
Excellent malware protection
Password manager included
Reasons to Avoid
Avast Free Mac Security caught 99.9 percent of all malware, packs in a password manager, barely leaves a smudge on system impact and doesn't charge a dime. If only it caught 100 percent of malware, as Kaspersky did.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Ransomware protection
Parental controls
Reasons to Avoid
$38.99
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is one of only a few solutions we tested that offers perfect malware detection. Further, its modern, streamlined interface places on-demand scans front and center. Bitdefender has dropped from first place, though, because its system-impact scores don't match the flawless marks posted by Kaspersky.
Norton 360 Deluxe
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Noticeable system impact
Norton 360 Deluxe may offer excellent protection, but it charges more (after the first year) than its competitors do, without offering as many perks. Norton AntiVirus Plus offers similar protection for a single Mac, but with fewer perks. Still, both have always-on-call customer support.
AVG Antivirus for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Free
Reasons to Avoid
Comparatively high background impact
AVG Antivirus for Mac
If you're looking for the best antivirus for Mac without having to pay, AVG AntiVirus for Mac is not too shabby, with its 99.9 percent detection rate and easy-to-use design. Unfortunately, other free competitors provide extras (Sophos with parental controls, Avast's password manager) that AVG does not.
Best for Families
Sophos Home
Reasons to Buy
Remote manageability
Low system impact
Reasons to Avoid
With Sophos Home for Mac's simple interface and low system-performance impact, you'll barely realize the program is shielding you until you need it. Anyone with young children at home will find Sophos' parental controls useful, as they allow for remote scans and checks, and let you block sites by category. Sophos even keeps a log of when users try to reach banned pages. This program's major drawback, though, is its lackluster malware-detection rate.
Avira Free Antivirus for Mac
Reasons to Buy
Solid malware protection
Reasons to Avoid
Once our favorite, Avira Free Antivirus for Mac is no longer the best antivirus for Mac. That's because it is a hair shy of perfection in its malware detection, and fell behind in system-performance testing, earning some of the higher performance impacts recorded.
McAfee Antivirus Plus
Reasons to Buy
Familiar user interface
Reasons to Avoid
Unproven detection rates
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McAfee® AntiVirus Plus
While McAfee's unlimited licenses mean you can support a whole family of Macs (and PCs and Android devices, too), this program's lack of special features (for a paid version) make it hard to recommend. Further, we don't have malware-detection testing scores for McAfee, so its protection powers are unproven.
In spite of persistent rumours circulating online about Mac OS’ supposed invincibility as opposed to Windows systems, the truth is a completely different sordid tale. On the contrary, Mac OS is just as vulnerable to malware attacks as Windows 10 or its older versions are. Also, the argument that more malicious malware is coded with Windows users in mind because Windows OS is a more common platform, doesn’t hold much water either. In fact, Apple’s trademark Mac operating system witnesses regular threats online, so it’s pertinent to have a solid Antivirus solution. Of course, there are paid Antivirus on the App Store, but who wants to spend precious money when there are some of the best free Antivirus for Mac 2019 waiting to be downloaded in a jiffy?
The only problem is collating and reviewing these fantastic anti malware solutions. Fret not, we have compiled a list of seven of the best free antivirus software for Mac users in 2019 that will give your Mac a steady booster against the latest ransomware, adware and virus online. So, are you ready to find out what are the best free Antivirus for Mac 2019 that will eradicate vicious phishing scripts, and trojans for once and for all? Let’s get started-:
1) Avast Free Mac Security [Best Antivirus for email scanning and phishing protection]
One of the most renowned antivirus security suites for a while now, Avast is quite effective in quickly performing full-system malware scans, malware removal and seamlessly sifting through various web activities such as javascripts, downloads, web pages, etc. So much so, it can even scan specific email threads, and attachments without affecting your workflow.
In fact, Avast also proffers phishing protection, and an intrinsic drag-and-drop scanning for individual files. Of course, you can scan attached volumes and external drives for potential infections.
Moreover, you won’t be overwhelmed by this free application’s interface which comes across as quite straightforward and modest thanks to a navigation pane on the left comprising a real-time graph that encapsulates Avast shield’s activity. Avast also consists of five primary buttons that allow users to swiftly check the summary of security stats of their Mac.
2) Bitdefender Internet Security [Best Antivirus for deep scans and auto-updates]
With a gamut of scan options at its disposal, Bitdefender Virus Scanner proffers quick deep scans of your entire system, and can even target specific locations. Adorned with a streamlined and sleek interface, Bitdefender can also be initiated to scan critical locations such as the entirety of your system library as well as your Mac’s launch agents thanks to its triple scanning modes. This is a great relief for those users who want to bypass lengthier scans when facing shortage of time.
But, the real novelty factor that injects Bitdefender into our lineup of the best free Antivirus for Mac 2019 is its nifty update download mechanism. That is, Bitdefender automatically updates hourly malware definitions, so as to give your system a prior edge should it get infected with malware before a scan even commences.
Not to mention, this helps in providing a quick fix for blacklisting specific locations from system scans. Moreover, Bitdefender is endowed with the ability to swiftly search for malware inside various archives and file types such as ZIP, RAR, PDF, PKG, et al.
3) MalwareBytes Anti-Malware [Best Malware remover]
The Mac iteration of Malwarebytes initially rolled out as an adware removal tool, but as of today, it’s also doubled up as a prolific application for safeguarding your Mac against malware. Now it is an exclusive malware removal tool. You won’t have to fiddle with any extra controls on the UI which comes off as quite simple and decluttered. Just launch MalwareBytes, hit Scan button, and MalwareBytes will populate a list of possibly infected files and weed them out.
Further, MalwareBytes is one of the best free Antivirus for Mac 2018 if you want to quarantine pernicious MacOS malware (such as Fruitfly) off your system and perform deep scans in a jiffy.
Besides, this free anti malware solution doesn’t interfere with other Antivirus programs and can also work as a complementary program for tracking down malware in real-time. In fact, MalwareBytes is not an always-on solution, so it doesn’t really exhaust your Mac’s resources. However, the only downside is that MalwareBytes only tackles Malware, so it can’t give real-time protection against any other forms of security loopholes.
4) Sophos Antivirus [Best Lightweight Antivirus]
Don’t be swayed by Sophos Antivirus’ slow scan speeds, this free Antivirus is a beast when it comes to quarantining unknown files that merely exhibit dubious behavior. Also, Sophos incorporates real-time online protection features that come in handy against all sorts of trojans, virus, phishing scripts, et al. Not to mention, Sophos is pretty lightweight, doesn’t hog system resources and can non-intrusively perform crucial background checkups.
Coming on to the interface, at first glance it comes across as fairly compact considering how easily Sophos managed to cram in robust features in one program. Also, navigating the menu is a cakewalk as users can seamlessly initiate a full-system scan directly from the top of the main menu, and even configure exemptions. All in all, Sophos doesn’t disappoint wee bit in tackling malicious malware.
5) Avira Free Antivirus [Best Antivirus for Spyware and adware protection]
If you are seeking an antivirus that strikes a fine balance between quick access to advanced utilities and ease of use, look no further than Avira. It takes a centre-stage on many fronts, for instance, Avira is equipped with standard spyware and adware protection and can effortlessly block tracking as well as intercept harmful websites online.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry about updating Virus definitions since they are updated in a timely fashion. Plus, Avira comes bundled with 5GB of free online storage and offers one-click deletion of malicious files which make it one of the best free Antivirus for Mac on the market.
This free Antivirus solution has also got you covered if you want to check scan history or initiate automation, that is, smoothly carrying on with your activities while it scans the system in the background without interrupting your workflow. Overall, Avira makes rendering full system scans just as simple to execute as file-specific and scheduled scans.
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6) AVG Antivirus [Best Antivirus with smooth interface]
Beneath AVG’s simplistic design lies a robust security engine that detects and eradicates Mac-specific virus, spyware and malware in real-time. It works like a charm for eliminating threats on your iPhone, too. In fact, considering how pioneering AVG AntiVirus has been over the years, it not only helps protect important system files on your Mac, but also prevents you from inadvertently infecting friends on other devices.
Moreover, the Resident Shield of AVG is quite formidable as it runs quietly in the background. How? Well, every file that you run, copy, or save gets automatically scanned quickly by AVG without nagging users with pop-ups.
We were also impressed with the drag & drop functionality proffered by AVG for easily singling out specific suspected files or folders. Of course, you can get automatic online updates as well as run thorough scans of your entire Mac with a single click.
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7) Comodo Antivirus [Best Antivirus for real-time protection against trojans]
Rounding off our lineup of the best free Antivirus for Mac 2019 is Comodo which personifies comprehensive virus protection. In fact, Comodo is a proactive Antivirus which provides foolproof protection against Trojan horses, virus, and worms in Mac OS X systems. Thanks to its state-of-the-art virus protection, you can avail an on-demand scanner, frequently updated database of known viruses and an always-on real-time protection.
If you were thinking this program is a stripped down version of a premium product, you would be sorely mistaken. In fact, Comodo Antivirus comes loaded with some goodies such as in-depth reports on viral activity, superior protection against zero-day malware in any drive or file and the ability to even scan compressed .zip files, where virus often take refuge.
On the UI front, at first glance you would be awestruck with how easy it is to drag and drop objects onto the dock for a quick virus analysis. Moreover, you are also entitled to get automatic online updates for up-to-date virus protection. All in all, Comodo boasts a pretty attractive user-friendly interface.
And…that’s a wrap! So, did you like our roundup of the best free Antivirus for Mac 2019? Did we miss out on any good Antivirus solutions that you know of? Sound off in the comments. Don’t forget to download these software by clicking through the links.
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