Best Antivirus for Mac (2026): Tested & ranked by experts

Macworld It wasn’t long ago that Macs were considered secure enough on their own. But as Apple devices have grown in popularity, macOS has become an increasingly attractive target for attackers. Today’s threats are less about traditional viruses and more about phishing, fake updates, malicious downloads, and scams designed to trick users into installing malware themselves. At the same time, AI tools are accelerating vulnerability discovery and exploit development, making rapid patching more important than ever. Apple includes built-in protections such as XProtect and Gatekeeper, and macOS security is stronger than ever. However, these defenses mainly target known threats and can’t fully prevent social-engineering attacks or credential theft. Modern antivirus tools – with features like anti-phishing protection, malicious site blocking, behavior monitoring, and password and identity safeguards – therefore remain essential for Mac users. To see which ones actually defen