Best antivirus for Mac in 2025: I tested your top software options

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is an excellent, feature-rich antivirus system with comprehensive protection and threat removal on Mac — in fact, Bitdefender is our pick for best antivirus overall. The software detects all kinds of malware, including ransomware, and will disinfect threats or quarantine them for removal. You can run both on-access and on-demand scans for real-time protection across your whole system or customize for specific locations without too much demand on your machine. 

For Mac users, Bitdefender blocks adware and phishing attacks and secures Time Machine backups. You can also install the Traffic Light browser extension to identify trackers, block phishing attempts, and scan for malicious web links. An Antivirus Plus subscription includes data breach protection and VPN service, though it’s limited to 200MB per device, per day, as well as live customer support. Like many antivirus software options, there are other Bitdefender features that are available only to Windows users. 

Review: Bitdefender Total Security: One of the top antivirus options you can buy

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus costs $50 per year for one device and $70 per year for three, though the software is often discounted to under $30 annually, and you can try it for 30 days before committing to a subscription. There’s also a free tier, which does basic manual scans and works well as a backup to built-in or other third-party antivirus protections. Bitdefender is known and trusted in the security space and scores highly in independent lab tests for both protection and performance. 

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus features: On-access and on-demand scanning | Anti-phishing and anti-tracking features | Traffic Light browser extension | VPN (limited) | Live customer support

Malwarebytes is a user-friendly anti-malware tool that protects your Mac from all kinds of threats, including Trojans, botnets, adware, spyware, cryptominers, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). When a threat is detected, the app quarantines it to be reviewed and either deleted or restored. You can run on-demand scans with a no-cost subscription — making Malwarebytes Free a great choice as a second-opinion scanner — or upgrade to the $45-per-year Standard plan for real-time (on-access) and scheduled scanning. 

Review: Malwarebytes: Solid, free protection with a user-friendly interface

The Malwarebytes interface is simple and easy to navigate, with settings for balancing scan speed with system performance and Trusted Advisor security recommendations for your device. You can also add the Browser Guard extension, which detects and blocks malware and third-party ads and trackers, to Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you want additional privacy and security features, you can upgrade to Plus ($60 per year), which comes with VPN and anonymous browsing, or Ultimate ($120 per year), which includes identity protection and personal data removal services. These plans are on the pricey side, but you can try Plus for 14 days at no cost, after which you can downgrade to the free or standard plan. 

Malwarebytes isn’t typically included in independent test results, but it performs well without much drag on your machine. 

Malwarebytes features: On-access, scheduled, and on-demand scanning | Browser Guard extension | VPN (on Plus and Ultimate plans) 

Avast is another well-known name in the antivirus space, and its products also consistently score well in independent lab tests. Avast One Basic is a no-cost, easy-to-use software for Mac that protects your device from malware — including ransomware — with additional privacy and security features you’ll usually have to pay for with other products. If Avast identifies a threat through a real-time, scheduled, or manual scan, it’ll quarantine it for removal. 

With a Basic subscription, Avast will also scan dedicated email apps for malicious attachments, provide network security assessments, remove online trackers, and check your email address against known data breaches. You also get VPN service, though it’s limited to just 5GB per week. An upgrade to Gold ($7 per month) will get you additional features for protecting your privacy and improving system performance, while a Platinum subscription ($10 per month) adds identity protection and 24/7 customer support. Avast also has a $3-per-month Silver tier on Windows that is in development for Mac at the time of writing. 

Avast has been flagged in the past for compromising customer data — a $16.5 million settlement was reached with the Federal Trade Commission last year. You’ll also encounter frequent upselling in the Avast app when using the free plan. 

Avast One Basic features: On-access, scheduled, and on-demand scans | Email and network protection | App monitoring | VPN (limited for free users) 

Norton offers comprehensive, real-time protection for your devices against cyber threats, including viruses, malware, and ransomware, with additional privacy and security tools like a VPN, password manager, and dark web monitoring for all Norton 360 subscribers. With its antivirus software, you can scan your full system or targeted folders, set up quick scans for high-risk areas, or customize your own, and the app will quarantine any threats for further action. Other useful tools include a file cleaner and a startup manager for improving your device’s performance. 

Norton 360 Standard ($40 for the first year) covers three devices, while Deluxe ($50 for the first year) allows up to five devices and adds parental control and privacy monitoring features. The highest tier — Select Plus — costs $100 for the first year, covers 10 devices, and includes identity theft protection from Lifelock, credit monitoring, and up to $25,000 in insurance for stolen funds. Note that these plans renew at a higher rate: $95, $120, and $190, respectively. Norton also has a basic antivirus plan that costs $30 per year ($60 to renew) for one device with limited additional features. There’s no free tier, but you can sign up for a seven-day trial of any plan. 

Norton’s app is easy to navigate, though there is some setup required via web if you want to utilize all of the add-ons and extensions. Norton 360 scores highly in independent tests, with a 100% malware detection rate and minimal performance impact. If you need to protect multiple devices or want additional features, Norton is worthy of consideration. 

Norton 360 features: On-access, scheduled, and on-demand scans | Website scanner | File cleaner | Firewall, VPN, and private browser | Password manager | Dark web monitoring | Parental controls | Identity theft protection (on Select Plus plan) | 24/7 live support 

In some cases, the best antivirus software for Mac may be the one that’s already working to protect your device: Apple’s built-in XProtect scans your system in the background, no installation or user input needed. XProtect runs on access, meaning it checks for malware whenever you launch or change an app or when its virus signatures are updated, and will detect and block known threats from running. It also works in tandem with Apple’s other defensive features like Gatekeeper and Notarization to keep your system safe. 

For the average Mac user following cybersecurity best practices when browsing or downloading apps, XProtect provides decent antivirus protection — for free. The downside: You can’t run manual or scheduled scans to check for malware, but a second-opinion scanner like Malwarebytes Free or Avast One can provide an additional line of defense. You’ll also miss out on extra privacy and security features offered by third-party software, though if antivirus is what you need, XProtect does the job. 

XProtect features: On-access scanning | Identifies and removes malware | Specifically for Mac users