Buying guide · 4 picks
Best antivirus for Mac
Fewer products are tested on macOS, so we only recommend those that appear in AV-TEST's macOS Tahoe test (June 2026) or AV-Comparatives' Mac Security Test 2026. McAfee, Malwarebytes and Surfshark were in neither.
Ranked by the AVSO Editorial Desk
Prices and lab results verified How we scoreEditorial policy
Short answer:Norton 360 Deluxe. Top marks from both labs on macOS, with the highest PUA protection among our picks.
View Norton 360 pricing (opens in a new tab)Best antivirus for Mac: our 4 picks, ranked
Top pick Best overall for Mac
Editorial score 8.8 out of 101. Norton 360 Deluxe
Plan: 360 Deluxe
Why it’s here: Top marks from both labs on macOS, with the highest PUA protection among our picks.
The evidence
Price
$49.99 first year, renews $124.99
View Norton 360 pricing (opens in a new tab)60-day money-back guarantee (annual plans)
Read review: NortonBest Mac + PC household plan
Editorial score 9.0 out of 102. Bitdefender Total Security
Plan: Total Security (includes Antivirus for Mac)
Why it’s here: Perfect AV-TEST macOS score and the best cross-platform protection record overall.
The evidence
Price
$59.99 first year, 5 devices
Best free Mac antivirus
Editorial score 8.5 out of 103. Avast Premium Security (10 devices)
Plan: Avast One Free for Mac
Why it’s here: The free Mac edition was what both labs tested, and it scored at the top of each.
The evidence
Price
Free; Premium from $49.08 first year
Best for precision
Editorial score 8.6 out of 104. ESET HOME Security Essential
Plan: HOME Security Essential
Why it’s here: 99.9% Mac malware protection, zero false positives, one point behind on AV-TEST performance.
The evidence
Price
$59.99 per year, 3 devices
Side by side
Lab results and prices for these picks. Product names open their reviews.
| Compare4 picks | NortonTop pick | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | Editorial score 8.8 out of 10 | Editorial score 9.0 out of 10 | Editorial score 8.5 out of 10 | Editorial score 8.6 out of 10 |
| First year | $49.99first yearLowest | $59.99first year | $69.48first year | $59.99first year |
| Renewal / year | $124.99 | Not stated | $99.99 | Not stated |
| Real-World protection | 99.3%ADVANCED+ | 99.5%ADVANCED+Highest | 99.3%ADVANCED+ | 98.5%ADVANCED |
| False positives | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Performance impact | 4.9 | 8.7 | 5.2 | 9.5 |
| VPN | 200 MB/day | |||
| iOS app | ||||
| Get it |
macOS has built-in protection too
Apple's Gatekeeper and XProtect block known malware and unsigned apps. A third-party antivirus adds broader detection, especially of adware and other unwanted apps, and web protection across browsers.
Frequently asked questions
Do Macs need antivirus?
macOS includes Gatekeeper and XProtect, which stop a lot of known malware. A tested antivirus adds detection of adware and potentially unwanted apps, which AV-Comparatives found the best products catch 94–95% of the time.
Is TotalAV good on Mac?
TotalAV 5.12 scored 6/6/6 in AV-TEST's June 2026 macOS test. It was not in AV-Comparatives' Mac test, so we have only one Mac result for it.
Top pick · Best antivirus for Mac
Our pick: Norton
The fullest feature set, with the steepest renewal. 360 Deluxe: $49.99 first year · 60-day money-back guarantee (annual plans).
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Sources
All accessed
- 1.AV-Comparatives Mac Security Test & Review 2026. av-comparatives.org/tests/mac-security-test-review-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
- 2.AV-TEST macOS Tahoe test, June 2026. av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-macos/macos-tahoe/june-2026/ (opens in a new tab)