- Avast for Mac Free Download: Every computer user knows the importance of an antivirus software. So that they don’t get any kind of Trojan horses and virus. By putting the right security at a place then you need to worry about the virus.
- Best free antivirus for Mac: Avast Free Mac Security Many antivirus suites provide a decent level of protection, but a few rise above all others by providing the very best in performance.
There is a popular opinion that Mac systems are inherently more secure than Windows. In fact, most Mac users don’t even bother to use an antivirus or anti-malware software. Objectively speaking, that opinion may or may not be true. Mainly because that depends on a variety of factors like the number of Mac users, how they use their system, how computer literate they are, etc. However, over the past few years, the threats to Mac users have been increasing, thanks to quickly spearing malware, ransomware, and adware.
I have had installed Norton Antivirus 12 (formerly 11) for my mid-2009 MacBook Pro and iMac before that for several years, however, I switched to Trend Micro's Titanium Internet Security for Mac 2014. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free Full Version That’s wherever Malwarebytes Anti-Malware might help, offering your existing antivirus pc software a increase and picking right up any security threats that it misses.Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is specially great at finding and removing probably unwelcome programs (PUPs). Avast Security for Mac detected 100 percent of the Mac malware threats we used in our lab tests, earning it a place as one of the best Mac antivirus programs. When we started to download our zip file of malware samples, Avast quickly moved the entire folder to the Virus Chest, Avast’s name for its quarantine folder. Malwarebytes protects you against malware, ransomware, malicious websites, and other advanced online threats that have made traditional antivirus obsolete and ineffective. Download Malwarebytes for free and secure your PC, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Read: Best Malware Removal Tools For Windows
Avoid MacKeeper
I bet you might have seen ads on websites (mostly porn sites), telling you to clean your Mac with MacKeeper. And while it’s legitimate software (as in not a virus), but it’s nonetheless useless and a waste of resources. Also, uninstalling MacKeeper isn’t easy as well. So, no matter what you do, avoid MacKeeper at any cost.
Instead, it is essential that you use a good anti-malware software so that not only you can be safe but also avoid spreading malware, ransomware, and viruses to other users. Here are some of the best anti-malware software for mac.
Read: How I Removed Malware From my WordPress Site
Best Anti Malware for Mac
1. Malwarebytes
When it comes to dealing with malware and other nasty stuff like rootkits, there is no other software that more popular than Malwarebytes. Other than it being able to remove malware from Mac effectively, the best thing about Malwarebytes is that it plays nice with your other antivirus software if you’ve already installed any. In fact, most users including me use Malwarebytes as a backup and perform weekly scans just to make sure that the system hasn’t been infected or has infected files.
To scan your system all you have to do is install the application, launch it and hit the scan button. As soon as you hit the button, it can do a quick scan for malware, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), rootkits, adware, spyware, virus, etc., both in your system memory and hard disk. If it finds any threats, it will automatically quarantine those threats.
For in-depth scanning, select the custom scan option. Do keep in mind that the custom scan can take a couple of hours depending on the amount of data you have on your hard disk.
Download Malwarebytes (free, $40 for pro version)
2. Systweak Anti-Malware
Systweak Anti-Malware is a dedicated malware scanning and removal software for MacOS. Just like Malwarebytes, Systweak Anti-Malware scans for malware, rootkits, viruses, and adware in your hard disk and system memory. Once it finds a threat, it automatically quarantines it. If you know that Systweak Anti-Malware quarantined a false positive, you can restore the file or app with just a single click. For regular, deep, or custom scans, you can create custom schedules.
If you know a file or folder to be safe, you can exclude them from scanning avoiding any possible false positives by adding them to the exclude list. Of course, Systweak Anti-Malware always runs in the background and protects your Mac system from malware and PUPs in real-time. Other features of the software include start-up scan, memory scan, and beginner friendly user interface.
So, if you unsatisfied or looking for a good alternative for Malwarebytes you should try Systweak Anti-Malware.
Download Systweak Anti-Malware ($40)
3. Bitdefender
Bitdefender is another popular software to protect your mac from various threats like malware, virus, trojans, adware, spyware, unwanted software, and much more. The best thing about Bitdefender is that apart from protecting you from regular threats, it can actively scan in multiple layers and protect your system from ransomware. Other than that, Bitdefender can also keep an eye on cross-platform threats so that you don’t unintentionally spread malware, virus, or other infected files to your friends, colleagues or family.
Since Bitdefender always runs in the background, it can block any and all threats in real-time. Of course, Bitdefender also scans your system occasionally. If needed, you can create custom schedules with various configurations and scan settings. Bitdefender also has other features like backup protection, safe files, parental controls, secure shopping protection, etc.
Simply put, if you need a full-fledged software that can do much more than blocking and removing malware then give Bitdefender a try.
Download Bitdefender ($50 – $70 according to the version you choose)
4. Avast
Just like Bitdefender, Avast is not just an anti-malware software, it is a anti-virus software that can scan and protect your system from a wide range of threats. In fact, if you’ve ever searched for a anti-virus software, you should have definitely heard about Avast.
Using Avast you can regularly scan your system and create your own schedules to better protect your system. Along with anti-malware security, Avast can also protect your system from infected emails, unprotect WiFi network, and ransomware. Other features of the software include real-time protection, detailed security reports, browser protection, ability to shield you from dangerous downloads and PUPs, etc.
As good as the software is, while using Avast, you should be ready for a little bit of performance dip, at least, that is my experience while using Avast. Other than that, Avast is a pretty good and reputed software to protect Mac system from online and offline threats.
Download Avast (free, $70 for pro version)
5. AVG
AVG is yet another popular software that can protect you from malware, viruses, trojans, adware, and other threats. The good thing about AVG is that you can scan your system for threats related to Mac, Windows, and Android so that you don’t spread viruses or malware to other systems. Also, thanks to the simple and minimal design, using AVG to scan or create scanning schedules is pretty easy and straightforward. Moreover, unlike Avast, AVG always runs in the background and provides real-time protection for free.
As good as it is, when you try to download AVG from the official site, you will be redirected to the CNET website. So, be careful while installing it on your system as CNET has a habit of bundling adware and other toolbars along with the software you are trying to install.
If you are looking for all-around protection with real-time threat analysis and blocking then you should go with AVG.
Download AVG (free)
6. Sophos Home
Another popular opinion amongst Mac users which is more than just an Anti-Malware. Sophos Home comes with a bunch of extra features including a live chat support.
Sophos offers features like Anti-virus and ransomware security along with anti-malware protection. The programme also lets you remotely manage your devices. Yes ‘Device(s)’, Sophos home can be used in up to 10 devices for the paid version and 3 devices for the free version. Doesn’t end here, Sophos Home also lets you put on parental controls so that none of your devices reach the unprotected side of Web.
Download Sophos Home (30 day trial, $27 yearly for premium)
Wrapping Up: Best Anti Malware for Mac
If you are looking for a dedicated anti-malware software that plays well with other antivirus and firewall software then go with Malwarebytes. As a premium option, you can also try Systweak Anti-Malware. If you are looking for a full-fledged anti-virus software that can extend the protection to viruses, adware, ransomware, and other threats then go with AVG as it provides real-time protection for free. You can also try Bitdefender.
In general, if you know what you are doing on the Internet and don’t download the cracked software or porn, you’ll probably don’t need an anti-virus and/or anti-malware software. That said, if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy or if you are buying a computer for your parents, it’s a good idea to have an anti-malware installed.
That’s for now. If you think I missed any of your favorite anti-malware software then command below and share it with me. It will also help other Mac users.
Read: Top 10 Free Portable Anti-Malware Software to Have on Your Pen Drive
While it's unlikely you'll ever run into malware for the Mac, you may want to consider an antivirus tool anyway—if not to protect yourself, but to protect your Windows-using friends from any malware you may inadvertently send their way. We think that Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac is the best choice, and it's free.
Update: Our previous recommendation for Mac Antivirus was 'nothing.' We know many of you choose to use nothing, but we also know you don't come to the App Directory to not get any suggestions at all. Besides, malware is starting to become a bit more prevalent on the Mac, and even the safest browsing habits don't protect you completely. So, we now officially recommend Sophos as our Mac antivirus of choice.
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![Sophos for mac Sophos for mac](/uploads/1/2/6/8/126880532/418780629.jpg)
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac
Platform: OS X (10.4+)
Price: Free
Download Page
Price: Free
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Features
- Compact, easy-to-use interface that can be used for custom on-demand scans of files, folders, and drives, or scheduled, periodic full scans of your Mac.
- Also scans files on your Mac for known Windows malware, trojans, and viruses, and deletes or quarantines them so you don't risk spreading them to someone else via network share, USB drive, or email.
- Deletes or quarantines known threats, gives you the option to quarantine anything suspicious that may be a new threat or dangerous file.
- Runs quietly in the background, scanning emails, downloads, and any other files on access, stopping you from opening them before they can do any harm.
- Light on system resources while running in the background.
- Installs like any other Mac application, and uninstalls just as easily—no complicated packages or components to manage or configure.
- Sophos' 'Live Antivirus' feature updates your app the moment new threats are detected or found in the wild. The feature also performs real-time lookups to see if files accessed are in the SophosLabs database, even if they're unfamiliar to the app.
- Supports OS X up to 10.8 and back to 10.4, and is completely free for all versions.
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Where It Excels
Sophos actually has an excellent breakdown of the history of malware for the Mac going all the way back to 1982. The fact that the article exists should remind Mac users that while they're not the primary target for malware authors, they're by no means invulnerable. The size of the article however should issue some confidence that the risk—while present—is by no means critical.
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Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac stands out in a somewhat crowded field of Mac antivirus apps because it doesn't just scan your Mac's files and folders on demand, but it does it quietly in the background without tapping your already precious system resources in the process. The utility also keeps its own constantly-updating database of Windows viruses, trojans, and other threats, so if you inadvertently download a Windows virus or trojan that won't harm you, you don't run the risk of sending it off to someone else by forwarding the message, or you won't infect other computers on your network (or any Windows partitions or virtual machines you run on the same hardware) via shared drives. Sophos is smart enough to tell you 'Hey, this won't hurt you, but we're going to quarantine/delete it so you don't accidentally email this attachment to someone else.' That's a huge benefit—and it keeps you from being that guy no one likes.
Another banner feature Sophos offers that its competition doesn't is its live, real-time access to SophosLabs. 'Live Antivirus,' as it's called in the app, gives you an added layer of protection. The app automatically identifies and quarantines suspicious files, installers, and other packages that may not be well known threats yet, but definitely exhibit behavior suspicious enough that Sophos is looking into them.
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Best of all though, in our testing, Sophos was one of the most resource-light antivirus apps on the Mac, which is impressive considering the features it offers.
Where It Falls Short
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac isn't perfect, however. Even though it's pretty resource light, it wasn't the lightest in our tests. It just hit the sweet spot between resources and features. Also, support for Mountain Lion came a few months after its launch, so Sophos wasn't exactly right there with those people who upgraded on launch day.
Sophos For Mac
![Malwarebutes Or Avast For Mac Malwarebutes Or Avast For Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/8/126880532/985077943.png)
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The Competition
ClamXav 2 uses the open source ClamAV virus scanning engine. It can also detect both WIndows and OS X malware, scan on demand or on a regular schedule, and it's probably a bit more lightweight and easy on system resources than Sophos. It's compatible with OS X 10.5 or higher. The only trouble with ClamXav is that its definitions come a bit more sporadically than we'd like (daily, usually, sometimes, if they feel like it) and while performing scans is easy, tweaking all of the settings and getting the app scanning proactively is a little more effort than I'd like to see. Still, it's an excellent alternative, and one of the first you should check out if Sophos isn't cutting it for you.
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Avast! Free Antivirus for Mac is the Mac version of our current favorite for Windows, and for good reason. The researchers at AV Comparitives found that Avast detected 100% of the Mac malware that went through it, an honor that few other utilities won (they didn't test Sophos, unfortunately). It's free, it works, it's lightweight, but the only catch is that it only scans for Mac-specific malware, which won't matter to you if you're in an all-Mac ecosystem, but if you, like most of us, share the world with Windows users, thinking of them doesn't hurt.
Avira is another free utility worth a look. It also picked up 100% of the Mac malware that passed through it with no false positives. Avira's UI and options are perfect for non-technical users, and it offers strong protection against known Mac threats. Again, there's no Windows protection in the app, and both the scheduling and custom scan options are a bit anemic, so power users may want to shy away from it. If you're installing it on your non-technical friend or family-member's Mac however, it's a great option.
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For more suggestions, make sure to check out AV Comparitives' full 2012 report on Mac antivirus tools—there are more in there we didn't list here.
Malwarebytes For Mac Download
We're not trying and settle the antivirus-versus-no-antivirus debate; it's been raging for years and isn't going to stop now. For a great and thorough perspective on the issue, check out my old colleague Neil Rubenking's take at PC Mag's SecurityWatch blog, and The Safe Mac's approach to the topic.
Mac Os Malwarebytes
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Malwarebytes For Mac
Whatever you do though, it's probably not necessary to plop down money for a Mac antivirus suite. The threats don't warrant you dropping money on software to keep you safe, and too many of them do more harm than good (especially the ones looking to get your money). They're just not worth it, especially when there are more effective, robust, free options like the ones above available to you.