best anti virus internet security for mac

Best Anti Virus Internet Security Software On This

I ran a custom scan challenging McAfee to clean up a USB drive containing the samples I use for Windows antivirus testing.

Security companies handle macOS antivirus protection in a variety of ways.

McAfee is unusual in that all the security products, from antivirus to feature-packed mega-suite, support multiple platforms.

Subscribing to McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac) means getting protection for every macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS device in your household.

That bounty of protection helps us overlook the fact that the testing labs dont certify McAfees protection on macOS, and that Windows users get a raft of features that dont carry over to the Mac.

You log in or create your account, enter your registration code, and download to your Mac.

Best Anti Virus Internet Security Software On This

Dont lose that number If you must reinstall the software on this same device, youll need that number, not the registration code.

Virus removal service normally costs 89.95, so this is a good deal.

If the experts cant fix the problem, McAfee refunds your purchase.

You must sign up for automatic subscription renewal to get this pledge, but that seems reasonable.

You can read my review of McAfee AntiVirus Plus for details on what you get with the other platforms.

Briefly, the Windows edition is loaded with features not found on the Mac, the Android edition offers both antivirus and antitheft, and the iOS edition (as expected) is relatively feature-limited.

Both have a simple menu across the top and a panel at left that shows security status and lists your protected devices.

The rest of the main window is mostly whitespace, with some buttons at the bottom that access useful features.

The Windows edition has a PC Performance item in the top menu, which isnt present on the Mac.

And while both include a button to scan for viruses, the Windows edition also displays buttons to remove trackers, speed up your apps, and check for app updates.

Norton is also cross-platform, supporting macOS, Windows, and Android, but your 99.99 per year Norton subscription gets you five licenses, not an unlimited number.

On the flip side, Norton is a full suite for Windows and includes Mac features you dont get from McAfee, most notably a no-limits VPN.

You pay 29.95 for ClamXAV (for Mac) just once, which lets you install it on all of the Macs in your household.

A three-license ProtectWorks subscription costs a bit less, at 44.95 per year.

Of course, you can also get antivirus protection for your Mac with zero cash outlay by choosing Avira Free Antivirus for Mac or Sophos Home, both of which are free.

For those stuck running an old operating system, ClamXAV or ProtectWorks AntiVirus (for Mac) may be a better choice, with support back to Snow Leopard (10.6).

I follow four such labs for my Windows antivirus reviews, and two of those also release regular reports on Mac antivirus.

Since my hands-on testing setup, developed over a period of years, is mostly Windows-based, those two sets of lab results are especially important to my Mac antivirus reviews.

More recently, McAfee doesnt appear in the test results from this lab.

Nor has it been included in test reports from AV-Test Institute.

AVG, ClamXAV, ESET, Malwarebytes, ProtectWorks, and Sophos Home Premium (for Mac) also lack recent results.

Kaspersky came close, missing out by one-half point from AV-Test.

Best Anti Virus Internet Security For Mac