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Many casual users may think that identifying the best Mac antivirus software in 2019 is rather redundant, given that Macs 'don't get viruses.'

• Best Anti Malware For Macbook Pro
• Best Anti Malware For Macbook 2018
• Best Antivirus Malware For Mac
• Best Anti Malware For Mac
• Best Anti-malware For Macbook
• Best Free Antivirus Malware For Mac
• Best Anti Malware For Mac

Best free antivirus for Mac: Avast Free Mac Security Many antivirus suites provide a decent level of protection, but a few rise above all others by providing the very best in performance. The 'best' is relative to what situation you place yourself and your Mac in. Point being you must protect yourself and use your head by not downloading Adware, Malware etc. Think abut what you're doing prior to doing it. Avast Security for Mac, AVG AntiVirus for Mac and Trend Micro all do an excellent job of detecting both Mac and Windows malware on Mac computers. After protection, the biggest differences among Mac antivirus solutions are security features.

Yet although Apple machines are targeted less than their Windows counterparts, they can still be infected - and the risks are increasing, which is why you need protection.

Every product in this list has been chosen because it's especially designed to protect Mac systems and has scored highly at identifying and removing viruses and malware.

• We've also highlighted the overall best antivirus

The macOS operating system is based on Unix, which is sandboxed, meaning it can be very difficult for viruses to do any damage. Think of them as locked in a little box from which they can’t escape, no matter how hard they try.

This means that you will need specific Mac antivirus software - whether that be the very strongest paid-for protection or a free download that we've picked out at the bottom of this guide - that's been designed to work with the unique demands that macOS has.

So read on for our top choices...

• Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.

Mac antivirus: which is best at detecting threats?

The excellent AV-TEST regularly puts anti-virus programs through their paces, and their most recent tests took place in June 2018 on macOS High Sierra. They tested two key areas: how well the packages detected Mac-specific threats, and how well they protected against Macs in mixed-OS environments being hijacked to spread Windows malware.

While the amount of Mac malware is still considerably less than that targeting Windows, its still 100 times higher than what experts predicted just a few years ago.

For Mac malware, six packages achieved 100 percent detection without false positives:

1. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is one of the most accurate virus protection suites for Apple devices on the market, and it comes with a host of features, including multi-layer ransomware protection, adware removal, and it can also scan for Windows PC malware as well.

If you're concerned about internet nasties, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is the best software for Macs in 2019.

2. Intego Mac Internet Security X9

Intego has been protecting Macs for 20 years, so if there's any software that knows what kind of security Apple machines need, this is it.

It comes with an antivirus engine that cans for the latest Mac threats, as well as Windows and Unix malware as well, and it also features a full firewall for managing network permissions.

3. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac

Kaspersky is a well regarded name in the field of antivirus protection, and it maintains that reputation with its Internet Security for Mac software, which brings a range of features that put much of its competitors to shame, including protection against ransomware, parental controls and tools to make sure you can shop and bank completely securely online.

The huge range of features are certainly welcome, but it can make the interface a bit cumbersome to navigate if you're looking for a particular tool.

4. Norton Security Deluxe

Norton is another brand that's well known in the antivirus world, and the Norton Security Deluxe software helps protect your Mac with an excellent malware detection engine. It can cover a range of devices, so you can have it protect your Macs, or even any Windows PCs you have, or mobile devices. While the security it offers is great, there can be a noticeable impact on system speed when in use.

If you want to keep your Mac feeling as speedy as possible, look at one of the other choices in this best software for Mac list, but if you want robust, dependable protection, no matter what, then Norton Security Deluxe is definitely worth investing in.

The next four achieved between 99.5 percent and 98.4 percent without false positives:

5. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac

Good security that includes social network protection

If you're running the latest version of macOS, macOS High Sierra (10.13), then Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac is a very good choice, as it has been built for compatibility with the recent operating system. It brings antivirus protection, email scam filtering, a social media privacy checker and new ransomware protection tools.

Scanning speed has also been improved since the last version, making it faster to check your Mac for any viruses.

6. ClamXAV

A trusted scanner for macOS

ClamXAV doesn't have the catchiest of names, but it's the antivirus software for Mac that many IT professionals swear by - not least because it only creates AV for Apple computers.

That doesn't mean it's overly complicated - in fact, it has one of the most simple and easy-to-use interfaces out of all the Mac antivirus software on this list.

It's particularly adept at catching viruses in email attachments, and while it doesn't come with some of the internet safety tools of other suites, it's still an excellent choice for protecting your Mac.

7. ESET Cyber Security for Mac

ESET Cyber Security for Mac scores highly from independent testing labs, so you can rest assured that your Mac is being well looked after if you have this installed.

It's not the quickest software to scan your Mac for viruses, but it digs deep into your system to make sure your machine is completely free from viruses, and it has a pretty competitive price tag as well.

8. F-Secure SAFE

F-Secure SAFE is pitched as an antivirus service for the entire family, protecting all manner of devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets as well as Macs, and strong parental controls.

AV-Test found F-Secure protected against 100 per cent of zero-day threats during March and April 2018, as well as 100 per cent of all widespread and prevalent malware discovered during the previous four weeks. However as of June 2018, detection rates of MacOS malware are 96.4 per cent.

Concerns about the suite slowing down the installation of frequently used applications also persist, as does a relative lack of features. Having said that it does offer some nifty capabilities such as banking protection, which blocks specific sites and apps from interacting with your system while you’re logged in, and specific safeguards across the scourge of ransomware.

In short, F-Secure’s user-friendly UI and accurate protection make it an adequate choice, but it is lacking in the feature department.

Do I need free or paid-for antivirus for Mac?

The debate is the same regardless of whether you have a Mac or a PC. Free antivirus products are effective at protecting against threats but they lack certain premium features.

Having multiple systems on a network means cyberattacks have more users and more endpoints to target. Additional management tools that let you set policies can help mitigate this risk.

Macs might be considered safer than PCs, but it still might not be risking it for the sake of saving some money.

Top 5 best free antivirus for Mac in 2019

1. Avast Free Mac Security

Strong all-round protection for your Mac

Avast Free Mac Security goes the extra mile to protect your Mac with an unusually lengthy feature list.

The core antivirus engine offers real-time protection to catch threats when they appear, for instance. You can run on-demand full system scans if you suspect a problem, or launch a more targeted check on specific files, folders or drives. It's even possible to schedule scans to run automatically when you're not around.

A Web Shield warns you about malicious websites, blocks dangerous downloads and email attachments, and protects your privacy by eliminating intrusive ad tracking.

There's an unusual extra in Avast's wireless network scanner, which quickly checks your network, router and connected devices, alerting you to any vulnerabilities.

Mac antivirus software isn't often checked by the independent testing labs, but Avast's most recent results were good, with AV Comparative's 2018 test finding the package detected 100 percent of sample threats.

If you'd like even more, upgrading to Avast Security Pro gets you ransomware protection and instant alerts of Wi-Fi intruders or changes in your network security. A one Mac, one-year licence can be yours for £49.99 ($70).

2. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac

Block the latest malware before it can cause damage

While many antivirus companies try to win you over by piling on the features, Avira Antivirus for Mac takes a simpler, more lightweight approach. There's no web filtering, no network scanning or other security extras: it's purely focused on keeping your system malware-free.

That doesn't mean the package is short on power. Its real-time scanner checks any file the system accesses, picking up threats before they can do any harm. The scheduler enables setting up the app to scan your system automatically, or you're able to check your entire system whenever you like.

As a bonus, the app doesn't just protect against Mac threats. It also uses Avira's Windows experience to pick up any PC-related malware, ensuring you won't share any files that might endanger your friends.

The main testing labs haven't evaluated Avira Free Antivirus for a while, but AV Comparatives last report found the Avira engine blocked 100% of test malware (tying with Avast), and with Avira's strong record on the PC we've no doubt that this is an app you can trust.

Although this list is all about free Mac antivirus, Avira deserves a mention for its commercial Avira Antivirus Pro product. It includes tech support and protects up to three devices with one licence (Mac, Windows and Android) for a cost of £39.99 ($42) a year.

3. Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac

Bitdefender Virus Scanner is a lightweight free malware hunter which can track down and remove both Mac and Windows-related threats.

A simple and straightforward interface makes the app extremely easy to use. A status display keeps you up-to-date on how your system is doing, and four buttons enable running a quick scan of critical locations, an in-depth check of your entire system, or speedy scans of running applications or a folder of your choice.

Although this looks all very basic, use Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac for a while and you begin to notice some very neat touches.

The app doesn't force you to wait a day for your next virus signature updates, for instance. Bitdefender issues updates every hour and Virus Scanner always fetches the latest version before it starts a scan.

An option to exclude files and folders from the scan - network shares, system backups - is another plus, reducing the work the engine has to do and significantly speeding up your scan times.

What you don't get here is any form of real-time protection or web filtering, essential tools for a complete security solution. This simplicity also reduces the chance of conflicts with other apps, though, suggesting Bitdefender Virus Scanner could be a useful second opinion tool which you run alongside another security app.

Quick and easy anti-malware from a big-name provider

Mac antivirus software isn't just about detecting the latest most deadly ransomware, or other high-risk threats. Most tools can also strip out adware and other potentially unwanted programs which may not be highly dangerous, but are wasting system resources and slowing your Mac down.

Malwarebytes has been eliminating the full range of Windows threats since 2006, and the Mac edition is just as simple, straightforward and effective.

The app is such a lightweight installation, the size of three digital music files, that you'll barely notice it's there. And while the lack of real-time protection means Malwarebytes can't stop attacks - only remove existing infections - it also ensures there's no real impact on your system resources and the app is unlikely to conflict with other antivirus tools.

Performance is another highlight, with Malwarebytes claiming the average system is scanned in less than 15 seconds. Set it running when you check your emails in the morning and it'll be finished before you are.

Installing Malwarebytes for Mac also gets you a 30-day trial of the Premium edition which is able to detect and block threats as they appear. If you're not interested in this, ignore it; real-time protection will disappear when the trial expires and you'll get on-demand scanning only.

Alternatively, upgrading to Malwarebytes Premium with a one-year licence costs just £29.99 ($38), with another option to protect up to 10 devices for £49.99 ($65)

5. Sophos Home for Mac

The free antivirus market is highly competitive and it can be difficult for individual companies to stand out from the crowd, but the British vendor Sophos has found a way: it gives you more features in its free products than many competitors provide in their paid editions.

On-demand scanning to clean up infected systems? Check. Real-time protection to prevent attacks in the first place? Of course. Browser filtering which blocks access to dangerous sites? Naturally. Parental controls to define the content your child can access online? Yep.

Oh, and you can cover up to three Mac or Windows devices with a single account, and remotely check and manage their status from a central web console - potentially very useful when protecting the whole family.

Sophos isn't just piling on these extras to disguise a weak antivirus engine, either. AV Test's December 2017 Mac detection rate tests showed Sophos delivered the same level of protection as products from Avast, Bitdefender, Kaspersky and other big names.

This works for us, but if you need more, Sophos Home Premium does have some worthwhile extra features: advanced ransomware protection, monitoring of access to your webcam and microphone, live chat and email support, and the option to protect up to 10 devices. It's a strong feature set, and competitively priced at £37.50 ($48) a year.

Mac antivirus: what’s the effect on performance?

Most of us believe that virus protection software has a negative effect on performance, but chances are it’s much less negative than we think: in their tests, AV-Test found that there was no measurable performance drop when using ClamXav, MacKeeper, Kaspersky or Norton. There was a measurable difference with Sophos and Trend Micro (two per cent of additional system load), and with ESET and Bitdefender, which added around four per cent to the overall system load.

Mac antivirus: do I really need it?

That really depends on you. The risk of infection remains pretty remote, and if you practice basic security measures and don’t fall for common scams then you’re very unlikely to suffer from any problems. Even ransomware can be defeated with the cunning tactic of having a backup of anything important.

That said, if you’ve ever experienced the mess malware can make on a Windows system you’ll know that just getting things back to normal can be an incredible time thief, especially if key data has been damaged. Perhaps the question shouldn’t be whether anti-virus is worth the money, but whether your time is more valuable than the cost of a security app.

Best Anti Malware For Macbook Pro

• VPNs are another great way to stay safe online - check out the best Mac VPN

Regardless of the digital world being overrun bycybercriminals, Mac users consider themselves safe due to a common misnomer. Therefore, some Mac users do not agree with the fact that they should also have a third-party security software on the Mac.

But the fact is if you are a heavy internet user and exchange files very often over the internet then you can be a victim of cyber-attack. So, if you are aMac user then you should have a reliable malware removal software installed on it. On the app store, you will find number of malware protection software. But to make it easy for you we are listing 15 best anti-malware software for Mac.

Best Anti Malware For Mac – Malware Removal Software For Mac

1. Systweak Anti-Malware

Best Anti Malware For Macbook 2018

Systweak Anti-Malware for Mac is one of the best Anti-Malware software for Mac as it is easy to use and keeps your Mac safe and secure. It detects and quarantines malicious content on your Mac whether it is an unwanted program or infected files. Moreover, it keeps a check on start-up items for malware and threats. It enables you to scan your Mac in three ways – Deep and Quick Scan. It keeps the virus database up to date to ensure 24*7 security on your Mac. It also allows you to schedule the scan time, date and scan type according to your preferences.

2. Intego

Intego Mac Internet Security X9 is an online protection designed for Mac exclusively. In a test result released in December 2016 it was found that the software was able to detect 96.8 percent Malware. This malware removal tool for Mac automatically scans the attachments as soon as you receive them and other files as soon as you attach a flash drive or an external hard drive to your Mac. If you require a technical support you can submit a request form given on the product website.

3. Sophos Home

This is one of the best malware removal for Mac that is used for malware removal. It protects Mac against viruses, malware, worms and more. This malware cleaner software comes with several features including Parental Web Filtering that allows you to restrict the content your children can view online and Web Protection, which protects you from accessing malicious sites.

It also has a feature of Remote Management to secure multiple devices in any location from a web interface. This anti-malware software for Mac by Sophos is definitely an efficient product for the purpose of malware removal on Mac.

4. Panda

Another in the list of our best anti-malware for Mac is Panda. It is useful for the users who often connect their system to the internet. It slightly makes your system to work slow but if you are having high end hardware and fewer apps you may not feel the difference. Panda security suit comes with a searchable knowledge base on which you can find solution common issues as well.

Best Antivirus Malware For Mac

5. Norton Security

When it comes to cyber security, Norton by Symantec is a well-known name among best Mac anti-malware software. Norton is providing cyber security from years. In the standard subscription, you will get a money back guaranteed protection, under this protection you can protect one Mac. The app claim to protect your Mac from viruses, spyware malware and other online threats. This malware removal software for Mac also safeguards your identity and online transactions.

6. Bitdefender

Another best anti-malware software to protect your Mac from malware attacks is Bitdefender. Comparatively, it quickly detects and blocks phishing threats and viruses. Bitdefender scans received files and emails or messages quickly to ensure that there is no harmful component in them. It destroys malware for both Windows and Mac because malware for Windows cannot destroy your Mac but it can travel through emails or messages and can harm Windows computer of your friends which makes it the best Mac anti-malware software.

7. Kaspersky

Kaspersky is much focused on internet security. It is tested over many parameters and can be considered as a strong anti-malware protection software. There is an extra feature in Kaspersky which helps you to monitor the online activity of your children. This software is also loaded with other useful features such as real-time scanning and virtual keyboard, which helps you to complete your online shopping and transactions safely.

8. McAfee Total Protection

This malware removal software for Mac is capable blocking malware, ransomware, spyware and all other unwanted programs on your Mac. It comes with safe web browsing that helps & prevents you from visiting malicious sites, downloading dangerous content and from phishing attacks as well. Within the app, there comes a password manager with which you can manage all the passwords from one single app. McAfee Total Protection is an all in one combo with several functionalities. And prior to all it has perfect scan engine for virus detection and malware removal.

9. Avast

With Avast, you can regularly scan your system and it can also scan your files as soon as you open them. You can experience a little bit dip in the performance of your system but if you have set your Mac on gaming mode then you can watch videos and play games without any interruption.

Avast Mac malware removal tool comes with 24-hour telephone support and in addition to that you can also find online knowledge base and FAQs.

Best Anti Malware For Mac

10. AVG

If you are looking for a free protection software for your Mac then AVG will be the best anti-malware for Mac. It is having both paid and free version available on its website you can choose according to your requirements free version is having limited capabilities but if you are not a heavy user then it is also enough for you. In the free version, you will find basic protection from the virus spyware and ransomware, Blockage of unsafe download, links and email attachments. You can also scan your removable disks and drives in the real time.

11. ESET

Because of increasing number of Mac users’ hackers cannot ignore them and because now they are also targeting Mac users you need an efficient security software for your Mac. Eset is fit for all the basic security requirements of your Mac and at the same time you will notice your system lagging much. It is loaded with features which are best suitable for home users such as it is having gamer mode which allows you to enjoy your favorite games and online videos without any interruption which makes it the best malware removal software for Mac.

12. Avira

Another choice for you, if you are looking for free security software, is Avira. A free version is enough to protect you from basic threats and also comes with some basic optimization utilities. You will also find paid version over the website with some add on features such as parental control and device controls which helps you to protect your Mac from unauthorized access through external devices.

13. Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac

Trend Micro has various products for system security, but the best malware protection software by McAfee is Antivirus for Mac. It protects your Mac from ransomware, malware, and all the other online viruses. It comes with email protection that keeps spams out of your inbox so that no malicious content could reach you in the form of an email. Also, protects you from viruses which enter into the Mac to steal personal data. It is one of the most used malware removal software for now. Make sure, you get one now.

Best Anti-malware For Macbook

14. F-Secure Anti-Virus

Best Free Antivirus Malware For Mac

Next in the list of best Mac anti-malware software is F-Secure. Like other security software F-secure protect your system from harmful infections. It is having other features too such as gaming mode and transaction protection but the security is a little bit less rigid. It is also having internet security which keeps you protected online. This malware removal tool for Mac scans your incoming email, messages attached pen drives and allows you to create a safe backup. You can get support over the phone on weekdays until midnight.

15. Total AV

Best Anti Malware For Mac

This anti-malware software for Mac is a package that provides you with several features. It defends your Mac from ransomware, spyware, adware, malware and all other online viruses. It comes with real-time protection that scans your downloads and installs every time you access them. It also has a remote firewall that allows you to block and unblock connection requests. Total AV malware removal software protects your Mac from phishing and spoofed websites that can steal your data and personal information.

So, these were the best anti-malware for Mac you can choose any one of them as per your choice and requirement. Because of emerging cybercrime, it is better to have an extra layer of security on your system because you store your personal financial and professional data on your Mac so you should not take a chance with its security.