Best Mac Antivirus Software. (Sophos with parental controls, Avast's password manager) that AVG does not. Best for Families. Worth considering.

Macs are great, but is your machine infected? But Macs don’t get viruses, right?

Mac operating systems are of course built with inherently better security than the Microsoft option, but the myth that Macs don’t get viruses is just that, a myth.  Recent research by showed that despite a smaller userbase than PCs, malware, ransomware, spyware and phishing attempts, collectively increased by 270 percent in 2017, alone. Free versus paid for So basically when it comes to security and peace of mind for your Apple Mac, you have two options; either free or paid for. Free anti-virus software’s main advantage is just that, it’s free. And that can be a very enticing offer. On the plus side, you get security software that is free, and in many respects is just as good as it’s paid for siblings, at least when it comes to basic security. On the downside, it does tend to come with advertising, and free versions are also quite often time-limited. There’s also the fact that with free antivirus, there’s a manual element involved. Generally, it’s up to you to remember to run a scan, and you don’t get all the comprehensive protection and added benefits that come with the premium options.

If you are on an extremely limited budget, then a free antivirus is a better option than none at all. But, and it’s a pretty big but, the price for complete security and peace of mind, could cost you a lot less than you think. Paid virus protection systems often include useful extras such as backup and recovery tools, useful if your Mac crashes, but they also invariably come with Mac unique performance enhancement utilities that ensure that your Mac runs as efficiently and optimally as well. There is also the advantage of high quality customer support and technical back-up, often lacking in free software versions.

One more thing before we go any further: In real terms all of the below choices have scored very highly in independent 3rd party testing. In terms of protection and detecting threats, the difference between all of them in stopping malware dead is literally non-existent, or at least around the same difference as splitting hairs under a microscope. That means we’re not going to go into microscopic detail about all of it. But suffice to say, they are all: • Very good antivirus products • They will keep your Mac safe • They are all very good at what they do • They will all give you peace of mind.

Basically, just because you’re on a Mac doesn’t mean you aren’t spoiled for choice. So with that said, here’s what we consider to be The best antivirus for Mac as of July, 2018. Antivirus Product Sophos Home Premium Norton security Premium Kaspersky Internet Security Rating ★★★★★ ★★★★☆ ★★★★☆ Best For Value and usability for home users Trusted and well-known provider Performance and anti-tracking Price Trial Period 30 days 30 days 30 days Virus & Malware Detection ✅ ✅ ✅ Ransomware Protection ✅ ✅ ✅ Parental Web Control ✅ ✅ ✅ Devices covered Up to 10 Up to 10 Up to 3 24/7 Customer Support ✅ ✅ 🗙 Sophos Home Premium Best Value and Ease of Use for Home and Non-Commercial Use. Sophos Home Premium is a hecking good antivirus for Mac ✅ Great value ✅ Easy to use ✅ 24/7 email and chat support???? Free version is limited is a highly recommended and well respected security option for Mac. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Sophos, initially at least, is that it’s free; kind of. Basically, when you install Sophos you get the full premium version free for 30 days. After that 30-day period, while you’ll get to keep some of the features like real time anti-virus and parental web filteringsome of the premium options will no longer be available.

But that said, does have it all going on, including some features you’d normally only find in separately bought software. Now, yes, the free version does rate very highly, and is effective.

It will keep viruses and malware off your Mac, but the premium version is worth considering. As well as excellent virus protection it also comes with ransomware monitoring, real-time cloud-based configuration protection, and a very modest but generous 10 licenses from only one subscription. Now, while that does bely the fact that this is anti-virus for domestic use, that’s not something to sniff at.