macOS is not immune to malware — and the myth that Macs don't need antivirus has been thoroughly debunked. Mac-targeted malware incidents increased by 50% in 2025. The good news is that Mac-specific security tools tend to have minimal system impact, and several excellent options exist at every price point.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Malwarebytes Premium are the top performers in independent Mac-specific tests. For free protection, Malwarebytes Free handles on-demand scanning effectively, while macOS's built-in XProtect catches the most common threats.
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