PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

PCMag UK

avast! Free Antivirus for Mac

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
- avast! Free Antivirus for Mac

The Bottom Line

Product not yet reviewed by PCMag Editors.

Pros & Cons

avast! Free Antivirus for Mac Specs

Free: Yes
OS Compatibility: Mac OS
Tech Support: FAQ
Tech Support: Forum
Tech Support: Web ticket.
Type: Personal
All Specs

Editor's Note: Product not yet reviewed by PCMag Editors.
With the recent Flashback outbreak still not completely under control, more and more Mac users are waking up to their need for antivirus protection. The latest avast! Free Antivirus for Mac (free) boasts a new GUI and automatic updates. It scans for malware on demand and in real time, and offers the bonus of Web reputation reporting.

Like Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition version 8 (Free), Avast is specifically free for non-commercial use. Avira Free Mac Security (Free) has been released as a free product for any users, commercial or consumer.

In addition to scanning the whole system, Avast can specifically scan local, network, or removable volumes, scan the user's home folder, or perform a custom scan. It specifically looks for Mac viruses, unlike Avira, Kaspersky Virus Scanner (for Mac) ($9.99 direct), and VirusBarrier x6 ($49.95/year direct) which also check for Windows viruses passing through the Mac. However, users can oversee both Mac and Windows systems using the free Avast Account system.

Real-Time Protection

Real-time protection comes in the form of three shields. The Web Shield ensures that you don't accidentally download malicious files. File System Shield checks all files on access. A malicious file that tries to launch will get quarantined instead. The Mail Shield checks your email communications and quashes any malicious attachments.

You can view the level of activity for each shield in a real-time graph, or dig into reports on exactly what actions they've taken. Popup notifications keep you apprised of the program's protective activities in real time. You can limit popups to critical messages and control how long they stay onscreen.

Web Reputation

Avast's web reputation system isn't specific to any one operating system. Also bundled with avast! Free Antivirus 7 (free, 4 stars) and avast! Internet Security 7 ($69.99 direct for three licenses, 3.5 stars), the web reputation browser button displays a red or green icon for sites with an overall bad or good reputation.

Reputation information comes from users like you. When you click the button you can rate the site on a five-step scale from bad to good and also tag it with any of five good and five bad attributes. The browser button's icon also shows whether the site has a low, medium, or high number of votes.

Avast! Free Antivirus for Mac is available as a free download at www.avast.com/free-antivirus-mac.

More Antivirus reviews:
•   SpyHunter 1.4.42
•   ThreatTrack Vipre Internet Security Pro 2016
•   IObit Malware Fighter 4 Pro
•   PC Pitstop PC Matic
•   ThreatTrack Vipre Antivirus 2016
•  more

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.

Final Thoughts

- avast! Free Antivirus for Mac

avast! Free Antivirus for Mac

None

Product not yet reviewed by PCMag Editors.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

Read the latest from Neil J. Rubenking

Read full bio