With Apple already including built-in antivirus protection for Macs you might be wondering “Do Macs need antivirus software?” especially when confronted by pricy monthly subscriptions for services. In this article we’ll explain why you need an extra layer of protection and how to get the best Mac antivirus software deals.
Mac security software adds another layer of protection to what Apple already provides, with features that can help to protect your identity, passwords, and financial details. These are the things that criminals are after, and they’ll often use cunning ways to extract them rather than spending time trying to break past Apple’s defenses in macOS.
Although some of the packages here are solely focused on macOS, others will also protect Android and Windows devices you might also own, and that makes the price of protection much cheaper per computer.
Our best deal this month is Intego Mac Internet Security X9 – you can get it for $24.99/£20.99 a year for one Mac, normally $49.99/£49.99 a year get the deal here.
Good security software should warn you before you click on a dangerous website, or open a ‘phishing’ email with a dodgy attachment, which could trick you into handing over your bank details, passwords, or other sensitive information.
We’ve evaluated many antivirus for Mac solutions from several companies, including free and low-cost options as well as some more feature-packed alternatives. See our round-up of the Best antivirus for Mac. Here we will share the best free antivirus options as well as the best deals we have seen on the paid-for antivirus solutions.
Best free antivirus for Mac
Several companies offer free antivirus software for Mac. However, you should always be cautious using a free antivirus and don’t expect all the features of the paid-for options.
- Avast Security for Mac (read our review) – offers a free option alongside the Premium plan. Get it here.
- Avira Free Antivirus for Mac (read our review) – is free and also includes a VPN. Get it here.
- AVG Antivirus For Mac (read our review) – free version offers basic features. Get it here.
- Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac (read our review) – is free to use. Get it here.
- Intego VirusBarrier Scanner (read our review) – free virus scanner. Get it here.
- Malwarebytes Antivirus for Mac – has a free version as well as a paid version. Get it here.
- Sophos Home – there’s a free plan, plus you can get the full version for a 30-day trial. Get it here.
Cheapest antivirus deals for Mac
You’ll find the following Mac antivirus recommendations in our round-up of the Best antivirus for Mac. We’re just presenting the lower-priced options here, but if you look at the roundup you may find alternative deals that suit you better.
We have a special deal for Intego Mac Internet Security X9 so you can get it for $24.99/£20.99 a year for one Mac, normally $49.99/£49.99 a year get the deal here.
Avast has a summer offer right now, cover for one Mac is $34.68/£39.99 for first year. It’s normally $52.80/£64.99 a year.
Norton 360 Deluxe is usually $49.99 for 5 devices for the first year, but at Amazon U.S. it’s $29.99 get the deal here. In the U.K. the best deal is currently £29.99 for the first year for five devices – get the deal here. There’s also an 83% off deal on Amazon U.K. for three devices for just £12.99. Norton 360 Deluxe is usually $119.99/£89.99 a year.
You can get McAfee Total Protection for five devices for $39.99 for one year in the U.S. usually $119.99 get the U.S. deal here. It’s £34.99 a year for five devices for the first year in the U.K., usually £95.99 get the U.K. deal here.
Bitdefender Total Security is currently 25% off, £29.99 a year in the U.K., and 33% off, $39.99 in the U.S. for a one-year subscription for three devices, get the U.S. deal here / get the U.K. deal here.
Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac is currently $29.99 for first year for one Mac, usually $39.95: Get the U.S. deal here / Currently £19.95 for first year for one Mac, usually £49.99: Get the U.K. deal here.
Best antivirus deals for Mac
The above are our top recommendations, but may be able to save even more money than that. Check our the best deals we’ve seen below.
Top 10 Antivirus Deals
Intego Mac Internet Security X9 – 1 year, 1 Mac
Intego is our top pick for Mac antivirus. It’s the fastest we’ve reviewed, and has an impressive clean-up rate. It comes with a brilliant firewall, too.
Intego has just over 50% off right now. The RRP is usually $49.99/£49.99 for one year/one Mac, but it’s $24.99/£20.99 right now.
Read our review: Intego Mac Internet Security X9 review (2021)
Bitdefender Antivirus For Mac – 1 Year, 3 Devices
Bitdefender is one of our best picks for Mac and there is a great discount, so you can get it for $39.99/£29.99 (usually $59.99/£39.99).
That’s a one year subscription for up to three devices. Get that UK deal here. The same deal in the US is here. Note that this is the price for the first year only.
It’s also worth checking out this deal on Amazon.com: you can pick up a great deal on Bitdefender Total Security. You can get two years cover of five devices for $30.99 (usually $149.99) or one year cover for five devices for $19.99. Get the deal here.
Read our Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review and our Bitdefender Total Security 2021 review.
Norton 360 Deluxe – 1 Year, 5 Devices
Norton is one of our top antivirus picks, so it’s good news that you can get the first 12 months for only $49.99. In the UK, that’s just £19.99 until 5 January.
After that, the first-year price goes up by £10, but that still saves you £55 off the usual price.And speaking of that, do note that the renewal price is $104.99/£84.99 after that first year.There’s also the option of a two-year subscription and get two years for $89.99/£89.99 ($44.99/£44.99 a year) which sounds like a worse deal, but don’t forget you’re getting a discount on both years, not just the first, so it is cheaper overall.
Read our review: Norton 360 Deluxe review
Trend Micro Antivirus For Mac – 1 Year, 1 Device
Trend Micro’s online protection is available with 60% off right now for one year in the UK, or 25% off in the US (where it’s already cheaper).
It’s usually $39.95/£49.95 a year.
Read our review: Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac review
Clario Antivirus 1.5 for Mac
Clario is offering its Mac antivirus software for $50 a year – which is 54% off the usual price of $107.88 a year.
The UK pricing is equivalent – normally £107.88 a year, currently discounted to £50 a year.
F-Secure Total – 3 devices
F-Secure is offering a great discount on F-Secure Total. Cover three devices for $67.49/£49.99 (RRP:$89.99/ £79.99).
You can also cover five devices for $82.40/£59.99 (RRP $109.99/£99.99).
Get the US deal hereRead our review: F-Secure Total review
Panda Dome Essential – 1 Year, 1 Device
Panda Dome Essentials includes top-rated antivirus protection, plus a VPN (albeit with only 150MB of data to use per day).
Right now, there’s 40% off, and this applies not just on the Essential plan but also on Advanced, Complete and Premium.
Avira Antivirus Pro – 1 Year, 1 Device
Avira is well known for its free antivirus which is available for macOS as well as Windows. It’s very effective, too and if you pay for the Pro version you get official support, more regular updates, plus email and web protection.
Read our review: Avira Antivirus Pro review
How to find a good antivirus deal
It can be tricky to know where to start with antivirus. Protecting your tech from malware, ransomware and other cyber attacks is such an important thing to do, but most of the services available appear to be very similar to one another, so it’s hard to understand which are the most secure, and which are the best value.
You can rest assured that we will only share deals here if we think they’re good enough to be worth buying. Everything we share here will be a great saving on a service we trust.
We recommend taking a look at our article all about the best Mac antivirus to help you get a better understanding of which services we like most.
You’ll find that antivirus discounts can be huge, often at more than half price for your Mac or mobile devices. Do note that these are typically first-year deals, and at renewal you’ll pay the regular price.