Macs have tended to be less of a target for malware in the past, leading some to believe that Macs don’t need antivirus, but the increasing popularity of Macs means this has changed. Don’t find out the hard way that Macs aren’t immune from viruses and other types of malware. While it is typically Windows computers that get news headlines for being attacked by computer viruses, Macs are vulnerable to malware, too. In this collection of Mac antivirus reviews, fully tested by our expert editors, we recommend the best Mac antivirus software to help keep you and your Mac or MacBook safe from whatever rogue software comes your way.

Not everyone is a security expert or knows how to check their Mac for viruses, but you also don’t need to be a security expert to keep your Mac safe. Apple does include some built-in antivirus protection in macOS, but a good Mac antivirus product will do it all for you, protecting your Mac from new and known malware, blocking ransomware, protecting older systems from security vulnerabilities caused by outdated software, and stopping you from passing on Windows viruses to PC-using friends and colleagues.

The most difficult decision for you as a Mac user is deciding which of the multiple Mac antivirus programs on the market is going to do the best job of keeping you and your data safe, and which ultimately offers the best value.

Check out our Best overall Mac Antivirus: Intego Mac Internet Security

Our Macworld experts are here to help, and no-one is better placed to guide you on which antivirus to choose for your Mac than the leading authority on Mac products and products built for Mac (the clue is in our name). We thoroughly test all Mac antivirus products from a usability and functionality perspective and use a combination of our own testing data and AV Comparatives/AV-Test lab data to ascertain which is the most reliable and trustworthy security product for your Mac. These are the security products our own editors would (and do) choose for their own machines, so you can place your full trust in our Mac antivirus recommendations.

Our top pick right now is Intego Mac Internet Security. But depending on the type and number of devices you want to protect, and your budget, you may prefer one of the other Mac antivirus recommendations in our list below. Some cover more than Macs, you can also use them to protect your iPhone, iPad and other devices. You won’t find every Mac antivirus product we’ve tested here, only the very best contenders, meaning you can be sure that any of these products will do a decent job of protecting your Mac. If you are thinking of trying out software that isn’t listed below we may have reviewed it and not thought it was good enough for this round up, in that case, take a look at all the Mac Antivirus apps we’ve reviewed here.

You’ll also find some free options for those of you looking for the best free antivirus for Mac. Although, if value is the most important criteria for you, we also recommend looking at our best Mac antivirus deals round-up. And if you’re running Windows and macOS, also check out the advice from our sister site PC World for the best Windows antivirus.

Want to protect your iPhone? Many of the antivirus solutions below also include support for iOS and other operating systems too. Also read: How to scan an iPhone for malware and stay safe.

Updated January 2025 to added scores from the December 2024 AV Test (from the Independent IT Security Institute). Note that AVTest only includes venders who choose to be included.

Best Mac Antivirus 2025: Reviewed and Ranked

1. Intego Mac Internet Security X9 – Best overall Mac antivirus

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Pros

• Built for Mac.





• Easy set up.





• Good performance.

Cons

• Mac specific (no Windows/Android protection).

Covers: macOS

Intego’s Mac Internet Security X9 combines the company’s VirusBarrier and NetBarrier applications to provide both antiviral protection and network traffic filtering programs. There’s also an Intego Premium Bundle X9 that includes five apps: VirusBarrier and NetBarrier as well as Mac Washing Machine (a Mac cleaner), ContentBarrier (Parental controls) and Personal Backup (a bootable backup).

Intego’s Internet Security costs $24.99/£20.99 for the first year. Intego’s Mac Premium Bundle costs $29.99/£23.99 for the first year. Use our link to get the deal: You can get Intego Mac Internet Security X9 and Mac Premium Bundle here.

The Mac Internet Security X9 is easy to download, install, and configure. It checks for the latest viral definitions and sets up real-time scanning features and intuitive network monitoring, allowing users to see and work with both incoming and outgoing Internet connections on their Mac.

While Mac Security X9 doesn’t offer every feature, it offers impressive configuration and customization to both its VirusBarrier and NetBarrier tools. VirusBarrier performs well in protecting users from viruses, while NetBarrier acts as a firewall that protect

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