• Avast Security Pro For Mac
• Panda Security For The Mac
• Security For The Mac
• Avast For Mac

Avast Security Pro (for Mac)

Avast Mac Security (formerly Avast Free Antivirus for Mac) offers three shields, on-demand scanning and WebRep clients which are automatically (optionally) installed to Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Avast Free Mac Security caught 99.9 percent of all malware, packs in a password manager, barely leaves a smudge on system impact and doesn't charge a dime. If only it caught 100 percent of malware. Avast Security for Mac is free and protects against malware, malicious websites, and vulnerable Wi-Fi connections. For the highest level of protection, get protection against: For the highest level of protection, get protection against. Avast Free Mac Security caught 99.9 percent of all malware, packs in a password manager, barely leaves a smudge on system impact and doesn't charge a dime.

• Pros

  Certified by one independent testing lab. Speedy full scan. Useful bonus features. Ransomware protection. Wi-Fi intruder detection.

• Cons

  Doesn't add much to free edition's features. Expensive. Poor scores in phishing protection test. Password manager includes only basic features.

• Bottom Line

  Avast Security Pro (for Mac) adds ransomware protection and Wi-Fi intruder detection to the features found in Avast's free antivirus, but these additions don't merit its high price.

The myth that Macs can't suffer viruses, Trojans, or other types of malware attack is busted. Oh, the situation isn't nearly as bad as on Windows or Android, but Macs really do need antivirus protection. There are free options available, including Avast Security (for Mac), but commercial antivirus utilities offer more features and do better in testing. Looking at what this product adds beyond the features in the free edition, it's really hard to justify the price.

This product's main window looks exactly like that of the free edition, except for the absence of the upgrade offer. Plenty of white space surrounds a simple security status indicator. The left-rail menu is also the same as in the free edition. The difference is that clicking Ransomware Shield or Wi-Fi Inspector brings up the component, rather than displaying an upgrade invitation. The look is very different from that of Avast Pro Antivirus, which uses a dark gray background with occasional elements in purple and green.

Pricing and OS Support

Like Bitdefender and Kaspersky, Avast supports macOS versions back to 10.9 (Mavericks). If you have an antique Mac that for some reason can't even run Mavericks, consider ESET, ProtectWorks, or ClamXav—all of which support versions of macOS from 10.6 (Snow Leopard) on. At the other end of the spectrum, Avira, Trend Micro, and Symantec Norton Security Deluxe (for Mac) require macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) or better.

Avast Security Pro For Mac

The most common pricing plan for Mac antivirus runs $39.99 per year for one license or $59.99 for three. Bitdefender, ESET Cyber Security (for Mac), Kaspersky, and Malwarebytes all fit this profile. Price-wise, Avast is on the high end, at $59.99 per year or $69.99 for three licenses. That's expensive, considering that the free edition has all the same features except for Ransomware Shield and Wi-Fi Inspector, which I'll detail below.

Shared Features

This utility shares all the features of the free Avast Security (for Mac), and that's saying a lot. I'll briefly summarize those shared features here, and you can should read my review of the free product for more details.

AV-Comparatives certified Avast's Mac malware protection as effective. In testing, it protected against 99.9 percent of Mac malware and 100 percent of Windows malware. AV-Test Institute, the other major lab that tests Mac antivirus, did not include Avast in testing. Note, though, that Bitdefender and Kaspersky earned 100 percent in both tests, and received certification from both labs.

I don't have the same kind of resources for antivirus testing under macOS as I do for Windows. I did try scanning a folder containing my current collection of Windows malware. Avast detected and quarantined 85 percent of the samples, which is quite good. Only Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus (for Mac), with 86 percent, and Sophos, with 100 percent, have done better. At the low end, McAfee caught 25 percent and Intego just 18 percent.

Avast's full scan finished in 14.5 minutes, which is quite a bit faster than the current average of 24 minutes. The impressive Home Network Security Scanner took less than three minutes to take note of all devices on my network. It found 36 devices and flagged legitimate security problems on two of them.

Phishing websites masquerade as secure sites in the hopes of fooling you into giving away your login credentials. It doesn't matter which browser you use, or which operating system. Avast's scores in my hands-on phishing protection test were extremely poor. The phishing protection systems built into Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer all outperformed Avast, by a long shot.

I learned from my company contacts that phishing protection is fully functional in Chrome and Firefox, but only partly in Safari. The developers are working up a browser-independent version. In a new test using Chrome, Avast scored better than any Mac product except Bitdefender. It tied with Norton and beat out all three browsers. If you're relying on Avast for phishing protection, make sure you use Chrome or Firefox.

The Online Security browser extension marks up search results to flag dangerous links. It also displays a list of all ad trackers and other trackers on the current page, with an option to actively block these. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac includes a similar active Do Not Track feature.

Avast comes with a basic password manager that installs as a separate application. It handles basic functions like password capture and replay, saving secure notes, and generating strong passwords. The app stores passwords locally, but you can set up syncing between all your macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android devices. However, you won't find any advanced features like secure password sharing, two-factor authentication, or password inheritance.

Ransomware Shield

Everything I've described to this point is also available in the free edition. The premium-only Ransomware Shield component simply prevents unauthorized access to files in sensitive folders. By default, it protects the Documents and Pictures folders for the current user. Naturally, you can add other folders if needed. A similar feature in Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac also protects your Time Machine backups.

To test this kind of access control on Windows, I use a small text editor that I wrote myself, something that would never show up on a list of trusted applications. I don't have such a program for macOS, so I had to disable the feature that automatically trusts Apple and App Store applications.

Operation is very simple. When an untrusted program tries to modify a protected app, Avast pops up a warning. If you've just installed and launched a new photo editor, click Allow. If you don't recognize the program, click Block. Note that clicking Allow only makes the program trusted temporarily. To ensure that new photo editor doesn't get blocked, you must manually add it to the list of Allowed Apps.

This type of access control is an effective tool for ransomware protection, one used by many security tools both on Windows and macOS. However, it does require vigilance on your part. When you see the Ransomware Shield popup, examine it carefully, and only click Allow if you're absolutely sure the program is legitimate.

Wi-Fi Inspector

As noted, you get the Home Network Security Scan even in the free edition. The premium edition adds a component called Wi-Fi Inspector. Despite the name, the main function of this component is to alert you when new devices join the network. It maintains its own simple list of devices. If you click Deep Scan, it launches the Home Network Security Scan.

Wi-Fi Inspector's device list doesn't identify security issues the way the security scan does. On the plus side, it lists the MAC address and IP address for each device, along with the name. For many devices, the name is a clear identification, like neils-ipad or all-in-one-pc, but some come out with names like unknown6542990b6483. If you have basic network skills, you can use those addresses to figure out which device corresponds to a weird name. Bitdefender Home Scanner (a Windows utility) lets you edit such entries to give them a friendly name, and even remembers the name on subsequent scans. With Avast, you'll just have to keep a list of which device matches which weird name.

I did encounter a serious problem with the device list. It found 36 devices on my network, but I couldn't scroll down to see more than the first bunch of devices. My Avast contact confirmed this as a bug. It's not such a big problem, as you can see all your connected devices in network scanner.

The real point of Wi-Fi Inspector is to alert you when a new device connects. Just after installation, you'll probably see quite a few of these, as devices that were turned off during the initial scan wake up. Once you get past that shakeout period, you should pay close attention to the new-device notifications. If you don't recognize the device, it could be a neighbor mooching your Wi-Fi, or even a hack attempt.

Free antivirus for mac downloads. How can the answer be improved? Avast Security is a free antivirus that stops malware & finds Wi-Fi security weaknesses. Free Download! In order to view this page correctly, you must have a JavaScript-enabled browser and have JavaScript turned on.

If you determine that the new connection isn't legitimate, there's not a lot you can do about it. Wi-Fi Inspector offers notification, but no direct way to act on that information. Your best bet is to snap a screenshot of the notification and then find a friend who's a network whiz. Your buddy can use the info from the screenshot to log into your router's settings and ban the device from the network.

Doesn't Add Enough

Avast Security Pro offers certified Mac malware protection, a network security scanner, and a password manager, but those features also come with the free Avast Security. The Pro edition adds ransomware protection that works by banning untrusted applications from modifying your files. It also adds real-time notification of new connections to your network, but offers no way to do anything if you determine the new connection is perfidious. That's not much for $59.99 per year. The only reason to buy this product is if you want to protect your Macs in a business setting, but in that case, you can get better protection for less.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac has certification from two labs, excellent phishing protection, an anti-ransomware feature much like Avast's, and more. Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac also has two certifications, and it comes with a full parental control system, excellent anti-phishing, protection against webcam peepers, and more. These are our Editors' Choice products for macOS antivirus, and they both costs $20 less than Avast.

Avast Security Pro (for Mac)

Bottom Line: Avast Security Pro (for Mac) adds ransomware protection and Wi-Fi intruder detection to the features found in Avast's free antivirus, but these additions don't merit its high price.

In Windows 8, Microsoft reinforced the Windows firewall by expanding its features, added virus protection, device performance checking, apps & browser control, parental controls, etc. and relaunched the software as Windows defender promising that with this pre-installed software, you won’t need to install any antivirus.

After Windows 8, 8.1 released and then Windows 10 and with them, new versions of Windows defender arrived but even after years of improvements, do you believe that Windows Defender is strong enough to protect your PC? It’s way better than Windows firewall but the software isn’t even close to the standard of virus & spyware protection that antivirus software are providing for years. Windows defender can identify very few virus, spyware and PUPs. It lacks quick, custom, scheduled and boot time scanning. Neither the performance tools it provides are strong enough to take on tune-up utilities.

So, the thought of depending on Windows defender thinking that it will keep you protected from all latest viruses, spyware, adware, PUPs and privacy threats is plain stupid. You need a good antivirus and if you can afford, you should have the best antivirus available right now to keep sensitive data available on your PC protected. And that’s why more and more people are installing Avast antivirus.

Available in both free and paid versions, Avast antivirus surpasses the Windows defender and challenges many popular antivirus software through its free version only and with the addition of premium features in its Internet Security, Premier and Ultimate versions, the antivirus software outpasses every other premium antivirus software available in the market.

Avast Free Antivirus

With a user base of over 400 million happy customers, Avast Free Antivirus is the most downloaded antivirus for past few years. The free version comes with all the standard antivirus features. You will get the top level of protection from viruses, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, trojan horses, malware, phishing and PUPs with real-time threats scanning in PC and on the network.

The software automatically scans every unknown file before it reaches you to ensure that your data is 100% secure. If it isn’t able to identify, it sends the suspicious file to cloud using the CyberCapture feature and the cure is sent to all avast users if it’s a threat. The Avast free antivirus uses multiple levels of security to keep you safe even from the newest, never-before-seen threats.

• Wi-Fi Inspector – Automatically detects weakness in your home WiFi and captures strangers piggybacking your network
• Smart Scan – Finds those cracks from which malware can slip into your system: unsafe settings, weak passwords, out of date software, etc.
• Gaming Mode – Not only blocks Avast notifications but also those coming from your Windows so that you can totally enjoy playing the game on full screen without getting interrupted by disturbing notifications
• Behavior Shield – Avast doesn’t only scan files to find malware, it also keeps an eye on the behavior of the software to that even the smartest malware can’t escape.

The interface is so simple and straight forward that you don’t need to even consult the manual or use software’s help. From the left hand side, click Protection to view all the important tools such as Scan, Virus Chest, WiFi Inspector, Software Updater, etc. Privacy & Performance consist of other important tools such as VPN, Password protection, Webcam Shield.

Below on the left, you’ll find the option to Upgrade your free Avast antivirus to Avast Internet Security, Avast Premier or Avast Ultimate protection. And at the bottom, Settings is provided to manage language, virus chest size, Scan settings, Popups, Sound, Alerts, etc. to personalize the antivirus according to one’s need.

Avast Internet Security Antivirus

Panda Security For The Mac

Avast Internet Security is the first premium version of the antivirus which expands to provide online protection for a safer shopping, separate space to run suspicious apps without putting your PC at risk, advanced firewall to block eavesdropping of hackers and keeping eye on what goes in and out from the system, stop spam and phishing attacks and provide extra layer of ransomware security to keep your personal photos and file safe from unwanted changes.

All of this at just $59.99 per year and you can get even more discount by paying for up to 3 years in advance.

Security For The Mac

Avast Premier Antivirus

The Avast Premier version is the most loved version among the customers who want total protection because with Avast Premier along with getting all the security benefits of Avast Internet Security, you will get essential webcam protection to prevent hackers from monitoring you via webcams, the feature to shred sensitive files so that they can never be restored and the auto-update feature for all the apps into your PC.

These additional features make up to you for just $79.99 per month

Avast Ultimate Antivirus

Avast Ultimate Antivirus, is not a separate premium version but rather a software bundle that comes with Avast Premier, Avast Passwords Premium, Avast Cleanup Premium and Avast SecureLine. Together all of these software not only provide the highest level of security but also easy password remember and protection, PC Clean up tool to remove junk space, empty RAM and make PC Fast. The Avast SecureLine included provides premium Avast VPN which not only allows you to browse internet anonymously but also to unblock websites & apps which are otherwise blocked in your geo-location.

Avast For Mac

The Avast Ultimate will cost $119.99 per year. PC Tune Up tools, VPN and Password protection tools are essential. If you use your PC more than a normal computer user and for comparatively more important tasks, you will need these software sooner or later. So, instead of going with other companies to purchase similar software, I recommend you to purchase Avast Ultimate software bundle because not only it will cost you very less but it also provides these tools with most powerful features and frequent updates just keep making them more and more amazing.