Best free antivirus software for Mac in 2025

After testing 15 antivirus providers, TotalAV, Bitdefender, and Norton all stood out as the best free antivirus for Mac because of their leading in-house and independent lab test stores for real-time virus protection. These free antiviruses for Mac offer the best in malware protection, while maintaining a low impact on your device’s performance.

Since 2009, Macs have come with a free antivirus called XProtect, a built-in software app that automatically scans new apps and files for malware. This works with other native processes to compare potential threats against a database that’s updated daily by Apple. However, Apple’s specialism is not in creative robust antivirus software and as such, your Mac could still be vulnerable to threats if you’re not using a dedicated Mac antivirus.

Although paid antivirus solutions are often recommended for macOS due to their comprehensive protection and added features, there are also well-functioning free antivirus programs that provide solid security without slowing down your device. . Below, I’ve included my results testing 15 free Mac antivirus programs, comparing my results to independent lab test scores to help you find the best free antivirus software for Mac in 2025.

Best free Mac antivirus software to download in 2025: ranked

1. TotalAV

   Best free Mac antivirus with 100% real-time protection
   9.7
2. Bitdefender Antivirus

   Free antivirus software for Mac with minimal system impact
   9.4
3. Norton Antivirus

   Robust protection from a free Mac antivirus
   9.1

Do free Mac antivirus programs actually work?

Free mac antivirus programs offer some protection that may be enough to safeguard your system, but they typically lack features like real-time protection and the latest virus definitions to protect you against emerging threats. Automatic updates, firewall features, phishing protection, and malicious ad-blockers are just some of the premium features lacking in most free Mac antivirus programs.

That’s why I’ve personally tested 15 free antivirus solutions for Mac, comparing my results against industry experts AV-Test and AV-Comparatives. Following my in-house tests, I found that TotalAV excelled as the best free Mac antivirus program. It offers strong real-time malware detection and a beginner-friendly interface, coupled with excellent results from independent lab tests.

Additionally, TotalAV paid version ranked #1 in our best antivirus software testing, offering even more advanced protection and enhanced features for users seeking top-tier security.

Best free Mac antivirus software in 2025

1. TotalAV Free Antivirus – best for macOS protection
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free – best for light system resource usage
3. Norton Free AntiVirus – best for many security components

I tested these Mac antivirus programs by using sample malware files from EICAR (European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research), which allowed me to simulate real virus threats. I also compared this to independent lab test results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, giving me a strong picture of which free Mac antivirus programs offer you the best protection against cyber threats.

1. TotalAV - best overall free antivirus for Mac with real-time protection

TotalAV is the best free antivirus for Mac thanks to a combination of 100% real-time protection scores, advanced security features, and a relatively low impact on your system’s resources.

What do you get for free?

TotalAV's free subscription for Mac comes with core security features that include TotalAV's Smart Scan. This self-launched Mac virus scanner can pick up malware and adware on your system that could be missed by XProtect, letting you choose between ad-hoc scans or a scheduled scan. During my tests, I saw no higher than 2-6% CPU consumption and RAM usage of 300 Mb while scanning my Macbook Pro. I also recently tested this antivirus while gaming, and its system impact was minimal, allowing for smooth performance without noticeable lag. TotalAV was able to detect 10/10 EICAR sample malware files during my in-house testing, a result that’s backed up by 100% malware detection in independent lab testing from AV-TEST.

TotalAV free can also find junk and duplicate files, purging them to keep your device clean. It also includes the WebShield browser extension, which can block malicious ads and malware-infested websites, as well as phishing links in texts and emails. I tested WebShield with free movie streaming sites known to serve up potentially malicious ads, and it was able to block them with ease. Find more information in my full TotalAV review.

What’s not included with TotalAV Free?

Unless you upgrade to a premium TotalAV subscription, the biggest feature you'll be lacking is real-time protection. While TotalAV free will detect malware on your Mac, you won't get real-time scanning that protects you from new, active threats. This means that you also won't get the ability to pre-scan files before you download them – a crucial feature for threats like trojans that can lurk within legitimate software apps.

Fortunately, TotalAV offers a TotalAV Antivirus Pro trial for 7 days, which gives you the chance to test the differences between the software risk free. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee that gives you a longer trial period – and as one of the cheapest antivirus solutions available for Mac, you can start for just $29.00/year with a 80% TotalAV discount!

Best for

TotalAV free is best for Mac owners who want basic but strong antivirus protection without the need to pay for a subscription. However, upgrading to a premium package offers even further protection and access to a robust VPN for powerful privacy tools and even stronger web protection.

2. Bitdefender - free virus scanner for Mac with a light system impact

Bitdefender is the best free antivirus software for Mac owing to its minimal impact on your device during scans and a 100% malware detection rate. These results come from both independent lab tests and my own in-house testing.

What do you get for free?

Bitdefender's free antivirus for Mac includes essential real-time malware scanning tools, plus anti-phishing features. There's also built-in ransomware protection and access to 24/7 customer support. Overall, I was surprised to find that the free version is just as powerful as the premium package. However, it's important to note that with Bitdefender Free, you can cover only a single device.

In my tests, Bitdefender Free blocked all 10 sample malware files from EICAR, which closely mirrors independent lab tests. Bitdefender received an almost-perfect rating of 99.94% in previous tests, but in the most recent round of AV-TEST lab testing, this was upgraded to 100% real-time malware protection. System resource allocation was impressive too, keeping Bitdefender’s CPU usage under 5% and RAM usage under 500 MB during scans.

What’s not included with Bitdefender Free?

Bitdefender's paid subscriptions grant a lot more functionality from a cybersafety point of view. While the free tier doesn't lack crucial antivirus features, only premium users will get Bitdefender VPN, a password manager, parental controls, and secure file shredding. The VPN has a powerful layer of data encryption and could easily unblock websites and avoid detection during my tests – it also ranked very well in my colleague’s Bitdefender VPN review.

To access features like the VPN and password manager, you’d have to upgrade to a premium subscription that varies in price. For $9.99/year, you can protect 1 device with Antivirus Plus. However, the best plan is also the best-value plan – Bitdefender Total Security covers 3 devices for $19.99/year. If you’re interested in seeing how these features perform, there’s a generous 30-day free trial for new users on the free version.

Best for

Bitdefender is well-known for securing consistently high malware protection scores in independent lab tests. It’s also one of the few mac antivirus programs that offers real-time protection to completely free users.

There’s more general information on Bitdefender’s features in our Bitdefender antivirus review.

3. Norton - free Mac antivirus with strong protection features

Norton is the best free antivirus software for Mac thanks to an extended 60-day free trial and powerful 100% malware protection. While it lacks a truly-free version, this is the longest free period you’ll find in a Mac antivirus and it’s well worth testing for yourself.

What do you get for free?

Since Norton’s free trial is a trial version of the full product, you can access all of Norton’s features by trying the 60-day free trial. This includes full access to real-time malware and ransomware detection, and anti-phishing tools. If you're trialing one of the more advanced packages, you'll also be able to use a custom firewall, cloud backup, Norton's VPN, a password manager, parental controls, and dark web monitoring.

Overall, Norton’s virus scans are adept at detecting malware on your Mac. Of the 10 sample EICAR files added to my device, Norton was able to detect 100% of malware during my in-house tests. Norton also scored perfect 100% malware-detection results in the latest round of independent tests from AV-TEST, as well as in most recent iterations of those tests.

What’s not included with Norton Free?

While there’s no free version of Norton, the 60-day money-back period is the longest you’ll find in an antivirus program for Mac. It’s the best way to try out full protection without any risk. Decide to upgrade, and you’ll pay between $29.99 and $99.99 for the first year of service. Keep in mind that Bitdefender enables auto-renewal by default for active subscriptions. If you'd prefer to avoid auto-renewal, check out our antivirus without auto-renewal option.

Best for

Norton’s free 60-day trial is best for short-term use if you want to avoid paying for a subscription. Since the free trial gives you all paid features, this trial is also well-suited to somebody who needs robust protection in the short term – for example, if you’re torrenting, traveling and using mobile internet hotspots, or working in a less secure environment than usual.

Our full Norton antivirus review has a more detailed breakdown of features.

Top antivirus for Mac: compared

The top free antivirus programs compete closely in a lot of areas, so to help you choose the best program for you, here’s a comparison of the best free antivirus software for Mac, focusing purely on features available in the free tier:

How I tested and selected best free virus protection for Mac

Overall, I tested 15 different antivirus software programs for Mac, whittling the list down to find the best free antivirus software. All of my in-house tests were performed on a Macbook AIR running macOS Sonoma 14.7.2 and using malware test files from EICAR. I started by loading sample malware onto my device and testing each scan function from my chosen providers, starting with quick scans, before moving onto more in-depth scanning functionality. It was only after gathering my test results that I compared them to industry lab tests from AV-TEST to ensure no bias. The following criteria were most important to me:

1. Malware detection rate: An antivirus is only as good as its ability to detect malware. I focused specifically on antivirus solutions with a detection rate in the high ninetieth percentile range, both in my own tests and in independent lab testing.
2. Free features: Since you’re looking for the best free antivirus software for Mac, I focused on solutions that don’t lock all their features behind a paywall. Norton was a special exception thanks to its unusually generous free trial period.
3. Performance impact: You don’t want your device to slow down to a crawl when you’re scanning for viruses. I considered the impact of each program, trying to ensure I only chose Mac antivirus software that kept CPU usage below 5-10% and RAM consumption low.
4. Multi-device support: Ideally, you want to use an antivirus that works across more than one device. While many Mac antivirus solutions limit you to one device per account, most offer the ability to cover more devices if you upgrade.
5. Usability: Usability is still an important factor, especially for antivirus beginners. I took into account how simplified each user interface was, and whether it was difficult to figure out how to use each feature.

How to check for a virus on Mac for free

Macs have a built-in antivirus and security suite that includes XProtect, Gatekeeper, and a malware removal tool. However, it’s much better to use a third-party antivirus for complete protection and peace of mind. If you notice any unusual behaviour on your Mac, such as unfamiliar applications, excessive pop-ups, or system slowdown, don’t wait – scan your device for malware by following the steps below.

Step 1: Download and install the free antivirus software for Mac

First, you’ll need to choose and download a free antivirus software for Mac. After testing 15 providers, I recommend choosing TotalAV – while it doesn’t offer real-time protection, it scored 100% malware detection in my in-house tests and independent lab tests. If your macOS device has a virus, TotalAV should be able to take care of it quickly.

Step 2: Open the app and click Scan button

Once you’ve installed TotalAV, look for the button that lets you launch a scan. You'll see the option to "Run a Smart Scan" on your dashboard, but this is essentially a quick scan of your device. If you’re concerned about malware, I recommend opting for a full scan instead.

1. Click on the TotalAV logo on the left-hand side of your dashboard
2. Select "Malware Scan"
3. Choose "System Scan"

Once you’ve completed the scan, you’ll see a results page indicating whether any malware has been found as well as steps on how to quarantine and remove it from your device. When I ran a full scan in this way, it only took 5 minutes to scan 350,000+ files on my Mac.

Step 3: If any viruses are detected, follow the antivirus instructions for removal

If TotalAV detected malware during your scan, it'll let you know once the scan is finished. You can then review any detected threats in a list and decide what to do with them. TotalAV will either allow you to quarantine or delete the potential threats.

• Quarantine: This lets you isolate the affected file so that it can't impact any other files or processes on your device.
• Delete: If you're certain that the file shouldn't be on your Mac and is harmful, then you can ask TotalAV to purge it from your device.

Once you’re finished, I recommend running a final scan to be sure that TotalAV has caught everything and that any malware you detected has been successfully removed.

TotalAV: Best free antivirus for Mac

Paid vs free antivirus software for Mac devices

The main difference between free and paid Mac antivirus is typically seen in more limited protection against viruses – most free solutions don’t include real-time protection. What’s more, you could miss out on a number of useful features that are usually included in paid-for versions of the software.

For example, TotalAV offers 100% malware protection; however real-time protection that scans new files and constantly looks for threats is only available in paid tiers. If you’re a free TotalAV user, you’ll only be scanning for viruses when you manually trigger a scan yourself. This limits the protection available to you, regardless of the excellent detection results.

As a free user, you also miss out on useful cybersecurity features like phishing protection and web protection, which block malicious links and malicious websites. You’ll also lack bonus features like Dark Web Protection, which can alert you if your details appear in a breach, giving you time to fix the problem before it spirals.

That said, free macOS antivirus protection is generally enough if you’re using your computer for basic tasks. Unless you’re torrenting, streaming from questionable websites, or constantly connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, basic protection offered by XProtect and TotalAV free would suffice.

Does MacOS really need antivirus?

Mac software has always been considered more secure than Windows, but that doesn’t mean that it’s completely immune to viruses. In 2023, Statista reported that macOS adware and malware still accounted for 13% and 11% of device infections, respectively. Then, in 2024 security analyst Patrick Wardle identified around two-dozen new macOS malware categories that pose a risk to out-of-date and unprotected Mac devices.

While free antivirus software for Mac devices can offer basic protection, one of the first drawbacks of free software can include outdated virus definition databases. If you use a free program or rely on your Mac’s built-in software, it may not be able to block the latest malware threats as seen emerging in research like Patrick’s. What’s more, you might not have the real-time protection required to stop these malware threats from making their way onto your device in the first place, leaving you reactive instead of proactive in protecting yourself.

How do I know if my Macbook has a virus?

In most cases, malware causes unexpected behavior from your device; these strange behaviors can indicate that your device has been infected so that you can take the action needed and start a scan:

1. Slower performance: You’re used to your device, so you should notice if it’s performing more slowly than usual.
2. Pop-up ads: Pop-up ads are common on some sites, but if you see an increase in adverts or pop-up ads that appear on your desktop, this could indicate malware.
3. Unrecognized programs: See an application that you don’t recall installing? This could be a malicious program that’s managed to sneak onto your device.
4. Browser problems: If your homepage was changed without your input or searches are continually redirected to unexpected pages, it could mean your device is infected.
5. Battery drain: Battery suddenly not lasting as long as it used to on a laptop or mobile phone? This could indicate malicious background activity that’s draining power.

The best thing to do if you’ve noticed such unusual behaviors is to run a scan with an antivirus that’s known for 100% malware detection, like TotalAV. Thanks to the 30-day free trial, it won’t cost you anything, but you’ll be able to identify and remove the problem if your device is infected. For longer-term protection, you can simply use TotalAV free, which still offers respectable and powerful protection for Mac.

Get TotalAV’s free trial

Final thoughts: best free antivirus protection for Mac in 2025

It’s worth paying for an antivirus, even if you solely use Mac hardware, because the best paid Mac antivirus offers more and better protection than free versions. That said, some free apps do come close in matching this functionality. After testing 15 Mac antivirus providers, TotalAV stood out as the best free antivirus for Mac. It boasts 100% malware detection rates in both independent lab tests and in my own in-house testing. Coupled with an easy-to-use interface and low impact on system resources, I found TotalAV to be the best antivirus solution for Mac if you want to avoid paying for a subscription.

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Free antivirus for Mac FAQ

Is there a 100% free Mac antivirus?

Yes, there are a couple of 100% free Mac antivirus programs, most notably TotalAV and Bitdefender. Macs come preinstalled with XProtect, a native antivirus that offers some protection. However, I recommend choosing TotalAV if you’re looking for more robust real-time protection against the latest threats.

Does Mac have a free antivirus?

Yes, Macs have a built-in antivirus known as XProtect that offers virus protection against a known database that’s updated daily by Apple. However, it doesn’t offer the most robust protection and could fail you against emerging and complicated malware and ransomware threats. It also offers no protection against more complex phishing and web-based attacks. I recommend TotalAV or Bitdefender for free solutions offering better protection.

Can I scan my Mac for viruses for free?

Yes, you can manually scan your Mac for viruses for free by using one of the best free antivirus software for Mac – TotalAV, Bitdefender, and Norton. While Norton is the only one of these programs lacking a truly-free tier, its generous 60-day free trial lets you perform full system scans without any loss of functionality compared to paid accounts.

How to protect a Mac from viruses for free?

Protect your Mac from viruses for free by installing TotalAV or Bitdefender Free. These antivirus solutions for Mac offer 100% malware detection and anti-phishing tools that will add another layer of protection on top of your device’s native XProtect antivirus software.