Best Mac Antivirus Software

Through extensive hands-on testing and thorough research of the best antivirus software, we have determined that Bitdefender stands out as the top choice for the best Mac antivirus software. It offers virus protection, malware protection, ransomware protection, phishing protection, zero-day exploit protection, and malicious website protection to ensure hassle-free security for your Mac computer. Additionally, Bitdefender is a dependable option that catches threats 99.7% of the time. 

While we highly recommend Bitdefender, we also suggest exploring our other selections. Each one offers unique features that may better suit your specific requirements.

We love Bitdefender's free version, but our favorite package is the Total Security option. It protects five Mac devices, including your Apple or Android phone, and has a built-in speed optimizer.

When Bitdefender said Total Security they weren't joking. It comes with extras like parental controls, identity theft protection, a virtual file shredder, and a computer firewall. Plus, there's microphone and webcam protection.

Bitdefender doesn't bog down your computer when it scans. That's something that Norton LifeLock has a problem with.

Learn more in our full Bitdefender Antivirus Review.

Not only doesn't Malwarebytes protect your computer, but it also cleans it up if it's already infected. It's also much easier to use than a lot of other antivirus and Mac malware software we've tested for this review.

The only thing that could make it better is if it had some of the extras that the other software on our list offers, like parental controls or microphone and webcam protection.

Third-party tests indicate that Malwarebytes is more likely to slow down your computer than the other options on our list, but we haven't noticed a difference when comparing it to other software on our list.

Read our full Malwarebytes review for more information.

If you want Mac antivirus software you can count on, this is a great pick. In independent testing, Norton blocked 99.9% of all harmful files and sites.

The 100GB of cloud storage, firewall, VPN, and password manager that you get with Norton 360 Premium is a big draw to the software, too. 

Learn more in our full Norton Antivirus review.

Unlike some of the others on our list, you have to pay extra for every additional device with ESET cyber security. This adds up to around $10 to $15 each. That means ESET probably isn't a good pick for families looking to fight a Mac virus.

ESET Smart Security Premium is still a pretty good deal when you consider all you're getting:

• Virus protection with advanced machine learning to thwart unknown attacks
• Anti-phishing and anti-spam protection
• Firewall
• Parental controls
• Webcam protection
• Monthly security report 

Check out our in-depth review of ESET NOD32 Antivirus, a more affordable version of ESET Smart Security Premium.

Webroot's blindingly fast real-time scanning can be used on up to five devices. The only downside is that it has fewer features than some of the other brands on our list. There are no parental controls, for example, and it has limited features on iOS. It has a big price tag for lacking so many features.

For more information, be sure to check out our full Webroot review.

Bitdefender Total Security is the best mix of affordability and features for Mac users. If you're on the fence, check out its 30-day free trial to get a better feel for how the features work with your needs.

For our best Mac antivirus software review, we did hands-on testing and consulted our IT security advisor Pete Canavan. We also researched the performance and speed tests conducted by the AV-Comparatives group on Mac antivirus protection. 

To learn more about how we review products, visit the SafeWise methodology page.

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1. AV-Test, “AV-TEST Award 2021 for Bitdefender,” March 1, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2023.
2. AV-Comparatives, “Real-World Protection Test July-October 2022.” Accessed February 23, 2023.