- Avast Security Pro for Mac review: Everything a modern antivirus app needs and a little bit more An all-around champion has strong malware-fighting abilities packaged with worthwhile extras.
- Avast Security (for Mac) delivers effective malware protection along with unusual bonus features. It tanks our antiphishing test, but this free utility is still worth a look.
- Free Antivirus 2018 License key + Activation Code For [ Windows + MAC ] is an efficient and antivirus program that is comprehensive. It is one of the most popular antivirus programs available, thanks to your dependable and brand that is trustworthy Avast have created.
- Antivirus Lion Free Trial Kaspersky. Learn more Free trial Kaspersky Total Security Premium security antivirus suite for you your kids on PC, Mac mobile Learn more Free, 30-day trial Kaspersky Internet Security Advanced security antivirus suite for your privacy money on PC, Mac mobile Learn more Free, 30-day trial Kaspersky Internet Security.
- Avira Free Security’s Smart Scan detects security, privacy and performance issues on your Mac all at once – with just one click. Download for free. So much more than antivirus. Avira Free Security also includes a range of privacy and performance tools, including a free VPN (500 MB/month for free), a Password Manager, and a junk file cleaner.
Avast Mac Security. Avast Mac Security is one of the best free antivirus for MAC which helps you.
Macs may be a far less tempting target for malware and viruses, but they’re not immune from attack. Even if you don’t care about adware or being used as a means to infect users on other platforms, it’s still possible to fall victim to ransomware, password theft, or stolen iPhone backups.
Avast Antivirus 2018 Review Free Download Offline For Windows & MAC Avast Antivirus 2018 APK is an essential thing to have on your laptop before you do anything else on it. Moreover, it protects your system from any kind of damage, bugs or viruses.
Accordingly, good antivirus software will protect your Mac on all of these fronts. It’ll catch malware that’s still spreading or in circulation; block ransomware; protect older systems with out-of-date software from security vulnerabilities; prevent your Mac from acting as a carrier for malware aimed at other operating systems; and keep infected files off of any virtual machines you’re running.
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac 10.6.8
Antivirus for Mac cheat sheet
Our quick-hit recommendations:
- Best paid antivirus for Mac:Sophos Home Premium for Mac[sophos.com]
- Best free antivirus for Mac:Avast Free Mac Security[avast.com]
Many antivirus suites provide a decent level of protection, but a few rise above all others by providing the very best in performance. Our top contenders dominate by posting perfect (or virtually near perfect) scores from security research labs, passing our own malware detection tests with flying colors, offering well-designed interfaces, and even throwing in extra features like a firewall or password manager.
Updated 08/15/19: Added our review of Avira Free Antivirus, a worthy free option that’s easy to use and effective.
Looking for Windows antivirus recommendations? You can read about the best antivirus suites for PC on our sister site, PCWorld.
Best overall antivirus software
Sophos Home Premium has the most extensive and up-to-date approach to fighting malware at an unbeatable price.
Sophos Home Premium has it all: Effective malware protection, ransomware monitoring, protection against potentially-unwanted-apps, and additional features that often require separately licensed software. Its cloud-based configuration and generous licensing (up to 10 Macs and PCs) also make it easy to shield friends and family from threats, no matter where they live. (Full details available in our review.)
Best free antivirus software
Though Sophos does offer a good free version of its software, Avast Free Mac Security edges it out as the best free antivirus software for macOS. In security lab tests, Avast detected 99.9 percent of macOS malware, and 100 percent of Windows malware. However, if you want more advanced protection (like ransomware detection), you’ll need to upgrade to paid software.
What to look for in antivirus software
By our reckoning, antivirus software should be able to neutralize a threat before it can begin wreaking havoc. That means preventing the download, installation, or execution of malicious software.
Since you can encounter threats by visiting compromised or malicious websites, receiving virus-laden attachments, or accessing USB drives with malware, good AV software should scan on a continuous basis unless you configure it otherwise. And ideally, files identified as malicious should be quarantined into a special storage area managed by the AV software, with the option to automatically delete files known to be malware or repair normal documents that also carry devious payloads.
Great AV suites also will monitor the filesystem for certain kinds of changes. Ransomware—which is malware that will rapidly encrypt user files like documents and mailboxes and then delete the originals—has become a huge moneymaker on other platforms. As a prime opportunity for attackers, it’s the greatest danger Mac users likely face as a category.
Detecting this pattern and halting it before any files are unavailable should be possible without an anti-malware system knowing the specific innards of a ransomware virus. Sophos, our top pick, includes this feature in the Home Premium version of its 2018 update. Other vendors, like Avast and Trend Micro Antivirus, offer an alternative feature that allows you to whitelist programs allowed to manipulate files in specific directories. So if this particular type of attack becomes rapidly popular, you’ll be protected.
Good antivirus software should also use minimal computational resources. That’s especially the case these days—AV monitoring hasn’t become much more complicated than when it first became available, and faster, multi-core CPUs can easily handle the demands of running AV software in the background without disturbing your active work.
Beyond these primary features, an easy-to-navigate interface and extra features are worth factoring into your decision. Some AV software are full-fledged suites that offer additional options like backup service for essential files, a password manager, parental controls, anti-tracking and privacy modes or options, a more advanced firewall, and the blocking of Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs).
How we test
Each software package is evaluated creating a clean installation of macOS Mojave, cloning it for each AV product, and then booting separately into each one to install a different package. This was to ensure that previous app installations didn’t interfere with new ones—sometimes AV software treats other AV software as an infection.
In addition to visiting malicious websites, downloading known malicious software, and even running said malware, we also reference the most recent reports from two labs that regularly cover macOS malware: AV Comparatives and AV-TEST. These laboratories test AV software against sets of known malware as well as products that are grouped as potentially unwanted applications (like adware).
The latter doesn’t damage or expose your computer or its files but may consume power and CPU cycles. Because the testing effectively looks at a combination of virus databases and behavior, they remain good gauges even after many months. When an antivirus software package lacks a rating from a known security research lab, we do more extensive testing with real malware.
Finally, while we gave props for a lot of different features and behaviors, we marked products down if they lacked any or all of the following:
- A nearly perfect score on macOS malware detection
- Ransomware monitoring
- Native browser plug-in or system-level Web proxy
- A high score on Windows malware detection
Privacy concerns
Using an anti-virus product, especially any that includes tools to also improve your online privacy, may lull you into believing you’re safe from personal and private information leaking out. That’s not quite the case. While there’s no reason to panic, you should consider a few reasonable issues.
First, an antivirus product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools hosted there. This practice is normal and sensible: Some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge. Antivirus software makers also can access their massive databases to examine files with characteristics that trigger their algorithms—certain elements that match known malware. As a result, security researchers discover new viruses, worms, Trojans horses, and the like.
However, helping the greater good means you’ll have to be comfortable with trusting a third-party with your file contents. Where appropriate, we noted privacy policy issues in individual reviews.
Second, this software may also rely partly or entirely on cloud-based checks of URLs, malware, and the like. Accordingly, an AV package might upload every URL you visit, metadata about files, signatures of files, information about your computer’s hardware, a list of running or installed applications, and more. Companies vary on their disclosure of such policies, and may not let you opt out of this kind of sharing. We note issues in each review as available.
Third, anti-virus software makers also get a sense of what behavior is happening on your computer that’s being monitored or blocked, and may use that information for their own purposes. In some cases, you can opt out of this information gathering.
All of our antivirus for Mac reviews
If you have specific requirements or just wish to see other options, below is a list of all the antivirus software we’ve reviewed. We’ll keep evaluating new and refreshed software on a regular basis, so be sure to come back to see what else we’ve put through the ringer.
While we definitely recommend staying with Avast Antivirus, some of you may want to uninstall Avast and go with another security. Or you just want to remove Avast and install it again (re-install).
Anyway here is a step-by-step guide how to completely remove Avast antivirus from your machine running on Windows 10, 8, 7, XP or even Mac OS X. As you can see below, it’s not that easy and it includes lot of steps – five actually.
This guide works for all Avast antivirus solutions: Free Antivirus, Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier, or Free Mac Security.
1. Locate Avast Antivirus in the Windows/Mac Programs and Features
Then you should see a list of all programs installed on your machine, simply find Avast antivirus, left-click on it, and select ‘Uninstall‘.
Locating Avast Antivirus within the Windows/Mac Installed Programs
2. Start the Avast Uninstall Process
On the Avast Setup window click on ‘Uninstall‘ (orange button at the bottom).
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Version 9
Starting the Avast Antivirus Uninstallation Process
3. Confirm the Uninstall Process
When prompted confirm the uninstall process is legitimate action by clicking on ‘Yes‘.
Confirming the Avast Antivirus Uninstallation Process
4. Confirm the Uninstall Process (Again)
Free Antivirus For Mac
Now Avast offers a really last chance to keep it. If you go with the ‘Renew your Avast Free Antivirus’ option, it will register you for one year.
But you probably want to go with the uninstall, so just click on the ‘Uninstall Avast’ button.
Confirming the Avast Antivirus Uninstallation Process (Again) Avast for mac worth it?.
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Os X Lion
5. Wait Until the Uninstallation Process Finish and Restart Your Computer
Finally the uninstall process should begin now. You can just wait now. It should take only a few minutes. After it finishes click on the orange button ‘Restart computer‘ or the link below ‘Restart later‘ if you plan to restart manually.
Avast is Now Completely Removed and Only Windows Restart is Needed /free-alternative-for-avast-cleanup-for-mac-7276/.
Uninstallation Using the Avast Uninstall Utility
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Review
If you are not able to remove Avast using this standard procedure, you can try to use the Avast Uninstall Utility which is fully automatic and removes all the leftover files from your system.
Avast Free Antivirus For Pc
Additional Notes
Although we have used Avast Free Antivirus 2019 screenshots in this article, these steps are also applicable for all Avast Antivirus solutions (i.e. also for Avast Pro Antivirus, Avast Internet Security, or Avast Premier) running the latest version available.
Avast Antivirus For Mac Review
Steps are relevant for all Windows versions – Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (including Anniversary Update).
Avast Security is a free antivirus that stops malware & finds Wi-Fi security weaknesses. Free Download! In order to view this page correctly, you must have a JavaScript-enabled browser and have JavaScript turned on.
Avast Security Pro (for Mac) adds ransomware protection and Wi-Fi intruder detection to the features found in Avast's free antivirus, but these additions don't merit its high price. The myth that Macs can't suffer viruses, Trojans, or other types of malware attack is busted. Avast Security is a free antivirus that stops malware & finds Wi-Fi security weaknesses. Free Download! In order to view this page correctly, you must have a JavaScript-enabled browser and have JavaScript turned on.
General
What is Avast Premium Security?
Avast Premium Security is our latest multi-platform security solution, which offers flexible and advanced protection for all your devices.
The following Avast Premium Security products are available:
- Avast Premium Security (for PC, previously Avast Premier)
- Avast Premium Security (for Mac, previously Avast Security Pro)
- Avast Mobile Security Premium (for Android, previously Avast Mobile Security Pro)
- Avast Mobile Security Premium (for iOS, Previously Avast Mobile Security Pro)
An Avast Premium Security(Single-Device) subscription protects one device on one platform. An Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) subscription protects up to 10 devices on the platforms of your choice, and allows you to freely transfer your subscription from one device or platform to another.
Can I use Avast Premium Security on multiple devices and platforms?
Yes. You can activate an Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) subscription on up to 10 devices across multiple platforms, and easily transfer your protection from one device or platform to another.
You can activate an Avast Premium Security(Single-Device) subscription on 1 device on one platform.
Check your Avast Account or a confirmation email to confirm which subscription type you purchased.
Is a free-trial version of Avast Premium Security available?
Yes. The following trial versions are currently available:
- Avast Premium Securityfor PC: 30-day trial
- Avast Premium Securityfor Mac: 60-day trial
You can view available trial versions, check the length of a trial, then download an available trial version from the Avast website.
Changes to existing products
How does the launch of Avast Premium Security affect Avast Premier?
After the update to application version 19.7, we will automatically upgrade existing Avast Premier users to Avast Premium Security.
What happens after the upgrade?
- You can continue to use all features that were included in Avast Premier.
- From the end of September, Avast Premier users will receive an additional upgrade to Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device), which allows you to activate Avast Premium Security on up to 10 devices across multiple platforms.
How does the launch of Avast Premium Security affect Avast Internet Security and Avast Pro Antivirus?
Avast Internet Security and Avast Pro Antivirus are no longer available for purchase and we are in the process of discontinuing support for these products. Existing users are gradually being upgraded to Avast Premium Security.
What happens after the upgrade?
- You can continue to use all features that were included in your previous version of Avast Antivirus.
- Avast Premium Security is an upgrade to your current Antivirus protection. It includes all the features included in Avast Internet Security, and additionally includes Webcam Shield, Data Shredder, and automatic updates in Software Updater.
- You are upgraded to Avast Premium Security(Single-Device). Depending how many PCs your original subscription protected, you may receive an additional upgrade to Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) from the end of September. The Multi-Device subscription option allows you to activate Avast Premium Security on up to 10 devices across multiple platforms.
How does the launch of Avast Premium Security affect Avast Security Pro?
After the update to application version 14.0, we will automatically upgrade existing Avast Security Pro users to Avast Premium Securityfor Mac.
What happens after the upgrade?
- You can continue to use all features that were included in Avast Security Pro.
- Avast Premium Security for Mac offers increased stability, and a refreshed user interface.
- You are upgraded to Avast Premium Security(Single-Device), which protects 1 Mac.
How does the launch of Avast Premium Security affect Avast Mobile Security Pro?
Avast Mobile Security Pro continues as Avast Mobile Security Premium with no changes to product features or functionality on both Android and iOS.
Upgrade
How can I manually upgrade to Avast Premium Security?
If you use Avast Premier, Avast Internet Security, or Avast Pro Antivirus, you can manually upgrade to Avast Premium Security:
- Open the Avast Antivirus user interface and go to
☰Menu ▸ Settings. - Go to General ▸ Update.
- Select Update Now in the Get Avast Premium Security box.
Avast Free Antivirus For Mac Os X Lion
When will my product automatically upgrade to Avast Premium Security?
Refer to the relevant information below according to your platform:
- Windows: We will begin gradually upgrading users after the release of application version 19.7. This process may take several months, so we recommend immediately upgrading to Avast Premium Security from within your Avast Antivirus user interface.
- Mac: We will begin gradually upgrading users after the release of application version 14.0. You can expect to receive the upgrade before the end of September.
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Download
- Windows: Updating Virus definitions and Avast Antivirus application version
- Mac: Avast Security for Mac - Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I upgrade to Avast Premium Security before my previous Avast subscription expires?
When you purchase an Avast software subscription before your current subscription expires, the new subscription period automatically includes the amount of time remaining on your previous subscription. If our system fails to connect the subscriptions properly, contact Avast Support so that we can extend it manually.
Free Antivirus For Mac
Subscriptions
How can I activate my Avast Premium Security subscription?
For detailed instructions to activate your Avast Premium Security product, refer to the relevant article below:
The number of devices you can activate depends on which Avast Premium Security subscription option you purchased.
How can I upgrade from Avast Premium Security (Single-Device) to Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device)?
If you already have an Avast Premium Security(Single-Device) subscription, upgrade to Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) by either clicking a notification within an installed Avast Premium Security product, or by purchasing Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device) from the Avast website.
How can I transfer my subscription to another device?
If you have Avast Premium Security(Single-Device), you can activate your subscription on one device. If you want to transfer your subscription to an alternative device, uninstall Avast Premium Security from the original device before activating your subscription on the new device.
If you have Avast Premium Security (Multi-Device), you can activate your subscription on up to 10 devices simultaneously. If you no longer wish to use your subscription on an activated device, you can uninstall Avast Premium Security and activate your subscription on an alternative device.
For detailed instructions refer to the article below:
Can I get a refund if I am unsatisfied with Avast Premium Security?
Avast offers a 30 day, money-back guarantee from the date of purchase for most products.
To request a refund for an Avast product for Windows or Mac, contact Avast Support and provide your name, order number, and the reason for your refund request.
For more information, refer to the article below:
Download and Installation
What are the system requirements for Avast Premium Security?
- PC: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (SP2) (32 or 64-bit), 1 GB RAM, 2 GB free hard disk space.
- Mac: macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or higher with 500 MB of hard disk space.
- Android: Android 5.0 (Lollipop, API 21) or higher.
- iPhone/iPad: iOS 10.0 or higher.
How can I download Avast Premium Security?
Download your preferred Avast Premium Security product using the relevant direct link below:
How can I install Avast Premium Security?
For detailed instructions to download and install your Avast Premium Security product, refer to the relevant article below:
- Avast Premium Security 19.x for Windows
- Avast Premium Security 14.x for Mac
- Avast Mobile Security Premium 6.x for Android
- Avast Mobile Security Premium for 1.x iOS
- All supported operating systems
- Pros
Certified by one independent testing lab. Speedy full scan. Excellent phishing protection for Chrome and Firefox. Network security scanner. Password manager. Website rating. Active Do Not Track. Free.
- Cons
Poor phishing protection in Safari. Password manager includes only basic features.
- Bottom Line
Avast Security (for Mac) delivers effective malware protection along with unusual bonus features. Phishing protection only works well in Chrome and Firefox, but this free utility is still worth a look.
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Vs Sophos
For years, Mac users basked in the mystique of virus-free computing. It wasn't true, alas, and as time goes on we see more and more Mac-specific malware attacks. The situation may not be nearly as bad as for Window or Android, but prudence still dictates that you install antivirus protection on your Macs as well. Avast Security offers Macs protection against malware along with advanced features including a password manager and a network security scanner, all for a cost of exactly nothing.
- $0.00
- $29.95
- $49.99
- $39.99
- $44.99
- $99.99
- $39.99
Installation went quickly, though I did find I had to separately activate the password manager and the Online Security browser extension from the Tools page. You'll also find Avast's SecureLine VPN on that page, but it's not free like the others. When you click to activate, you get a choice of signing up for $2.99 per month or starting a 30-day trial.
The product's spacious main window features a large status indicator centered in an otherwise-empty white region, with a menu down the left side. It's a very different appearance from Avast Free Antivirus on Windows, which uses pops of purple and green on a dark gray background.
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Os X Lion
Pricing and OS Support
Like Bitdefender and Kaspersky, Avast supports macOS versions back to 10.9 Mavericks. If you have an antique Mac that for some reason can't even run Mavericks, consider ESET Cyber Security (for Mac),
Like Sophos and Avira, Avast offers full antivirus protection for free. Avast Security Pro (for Mac) costs $59.99 per year for one license or $69.99 for three. The Pro edition adds ransomware protection and real-time notification when new devices connect to your network. The free edition is strictly for non-commercial use; in a business setting, you must pay up.
Good Malware Protection Scores
When reviewing
It took years to develop my hands-on tools and tests for Windows. Most of them don't carry over to the macOS platform. Hence lab results become extremely important for my Mac antivirus reviews. Two of the labs I follow, AV-Test Institute and AV-Comparatives, test Mac antivirus, and Avast participates with one of them.
Experts at AV-Comparatives test Mac antivirus products using the latest macOS malware. They also evaluate each product's ability to detect Windows malware. Why? While a Trojan written for Windows wouldn't run on a Mac, the Mac could serve as a carrier.
Avast managed 99.9 percent protection against Mac malware. That's very good—better than most. However, Bitdefender and Kaspersky exhibited 100 percent protection. In the Windows malware test, Avast detected 100 percent of the samples. Avast security v13.3 patch for mac. Most competing products also took 100 percent. However, Webroot only caught 75 percent, and Intego Mac Internet Security X9 got just 18 percent. Like most tested products, Avast received certification from AV-Comparatives for Mac antivirus protection.
Having one certification is good; having two is better. Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Sophos are among the products that received certifications from both labs for Mac malware protection.
Scan Choices
Avast offers several scans to improve your Mac's security. A full scan on the Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch that I use for testing took 14.5 minutes, just a hair over Intego's 14 minutes, and quicker than the 18 minutes required by Avira. The average for recent products is 24 minutes, so Avast proved quite speedy. Norton is the current speed champ, completing a full scan in 10 minutes.
There's a separate scan for removable volumes, though you can configure the full scan to include them. I scanned a thumb drive containing my Windows malware collection and found that it quarantined 85 percent of them. For comparison, Avira detected 82 percent of these, while Sophos Home (for Mac) wiped out every single one.
There's no predefined quick scan, which makes sense given the speed of the full scan. The custom scan settings confused me, though. As with the full scan, you can add file locations to exclude from scanning, and configure it to scan Time Machine backups. But the full scan's settings include those
You can schedule a daily, weekly, or monthly scan if desired. Settings for a scheduled scan include two additional choices. You can set it to skip scanning if your device is running on batteries, and you can have it wake from sleep if necessary, to perform its scheduled scan. Avira Free Antivirus for Mac not only offers scheduled scanning, it defaults to a weekly scan with no effort on your part. Sophos skips scheduled scanning, relying instead on real-time protection.
Network Security Scan
The final scan choice doesn't look for malware. Rather, it collects information about all the devices on your network and flags any security problems. On my own network, the scan finished in just under three minutes.
The scanner correctly reported that my main router has an open port that could theoretically become a point of attack. It's true that the port is open, as my ISP uses it to run remote diagnostics when necessary. But that function requires a key that only the ISP has.
More interestingly, it found serious problems with a network storage device (fortunately, one that I'm not currently using). Not only does this device have numerous open ports, it's vulnerable to a buffer overrun attack. Avast advised updating the firmware; I just unplugged it.
The report also serves as a list of everything that's connected to your network, identifying each by name and type. It's similar to the output of Bitdefender Home Scanner. With both products, I found devices with names like unknown6542990b6483—not much help! Bitdefender includes an option to edit the name and type, and it remembers your edits in subsequent scans. I'd like to see that ability in Avast.
Antivirus For Mac 10.4
Excellent Phishing Protection in Chrome and Firefox
In the Windows realm, one thing that differentiates Avast's premium product is better protection against phishing sites, those fraudulent sites that imitate secure sites and try to steal your login credentials. The free Windows edition scored very poorly, while the premium edition did an extremely good job. Based on initial round of testing, the Mac product's phishing protection, both free and Pro, seemed to match that of the free Windows product, meaning it's not very good.
I learned later that Avast's phishing protection is not fully functional in Safari. The developers are working on making it completely browser-independent. In the meantime, they advise using Chrome or Firefox. Norton was also having problems during my original test, so I tossed those results and started fresh.
My phishing protection test uses URLs reported as fraudulent, but not yet verified. Typically, these are only a few hours old. That's
I simultaneously launch each URL in Safari on the Mac and in a browser protected by long-time antiphishing champ Symantec Norton Security Premium. I also launch each in Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, relying on the browser's built-in protection. If any of the five browsers throw an error message, I discard the URL. A true phishing fraud masquerades as a secure site and tries to capture your login credentials. Any URL that doesn't match that profile also gets junked.
I've written a Windows-based tool that handles launching URLs and capturing results. On the Mac, I copy and paste each URL into Safari and manually record the result. When I have enough data, I dump the five reports into Excel for comparison.
The malefactors that perpetrate these phishing frauds are clever. They're always devising new techniques to get past security software. That being the case, I report results not as hard figures but as the difference between the product under test and the others.
Tested using Safari's incomplete phishing protection, Avast's detection rate lagged Norton's by 32 percent, and Norton itself was having a bad day. All three browsers soundly drubbed Avast. When I retested using Chrome, Avast tied with Norton and beat the detection rates of the three browsers. That's impressive. Of the Mac security products I've tested, only Bitdefender did better, beating Norton by 5 percentage points.
While phishing is browser-agnostic, phishing protection is not. Bitdefender beat Norton by 5 percentage points, but its Windows cousin more than doubled that gap. Even Symantec Norton Security Deluxe (for Mac) didn't detect many frauds that its Windows edition caught.
Site Rating and Do Not Track
Like McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac), Avira, Trend Micro, and several others, Avast marks up results in popular search engines with green for safe, red for dangerous, and gray for unknown. You can click to vote a page up or down. Simple!
Clicking the Online Safety toolbar button displays the status
Digging into the settings for Online Safety reveals a hidden gem: SiteCorrect. If you mistype a site name, this feature offers to change to the correct name. You can even set it to automatically make the fix, with no prompt. However, in testing, I couldn't tease it into action. I tried pyapal.com, pcmga.com, whitehous.gov, wallmart.com, and many others, with no reaction from SiteCorrect.
Basic Password Manager
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac 10.7.5
Like Avast's Windows antivirus, this product includes
There's no limit on the number of devices, and you can sync your passwords between them all, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. Avast doesn't keep your passwords in the cloud. Rather, it uses your Avast account to authorize syncing data that's stored locally on your devices.
Once you've enabled syncing on a device, that device becomes an authenticator for adding more devices. The new device displays a numeric code, and the existing device gets a notification with the same code. If the numbers match, just click to approve. What if you lose all your devices? On installation, Avast sends an email with a recovery link; don't lose that email!
On each of your devices, you create a master password to protect the local password stash. The master passwords need not be the same, but who'd want the confusion of making them different? Avast offers advice on creating a strong password, with a color-coded line representing the strength of what you've typed. It's not easy to get all the way to green, but Avast doesn't require it. In fact, it accepted 'Password' as a master password.
Avast offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. When you log in to a site, the extension offers to save your credentials. If you come back to the site, it fills your saved credentials. Clicking the key icon in one of the fields brings up a menu showing all the credentials you've saved. And it handles two-page logins like what Google uses.
Avast doesn't use the typical menu of logins attached to its toolbar button. Rather, you click the button and launch the main application. Unlike the Windows edition, this is a separate app, not integrated with the main antivirus. Its main window is seriously tall and skinny, like something you'd find on a smartphone, and you have only limited control over its size. Clicking an item opens its details, with a link to open the site itself.
Avast Free Antivirus Features For Mac Cnet
You can also use the password manager to sync and share secure notes between your devices. These are simple, unformatted text snippets, suitable for saving such things as locker combinations and non-digital passwords.
The left-rail menu offers simple icons to manage passwords and secure notes, and one to bring up the password generator. By default, it generates 18-character passwords using all character types. You can set the length anywhere from four to 30 characters using a slider.
Download Antivirus Software For Mac
Avast analyzes the strength of your master password when you first create it, but not when you update it. Avast Pro Antivirus on Windows can analyze your passwords, flagging any weak or duplicate ones. The free Windows edition used to include this feature, but it was recently enhanced and redefined as a Pro-only feature.
This password manager handles all the basic tasks and no more. Fancy features like secure sharing, two-factor authentication, and password inheritance aren't here. But you do get it along with the antivirus, at no charge, so if it does enough for you, go ahead and use it.
Worth a Look
AV-Comparatives certified Avast Security as an effective Mac antivirus. Impressively, it offers a network scanner and password manager, features often reserved for full security suites. On the other hand, the password manager handles basic functions only—nothing advanced. And while Avast earned great stores in my hands-on antiphishing test, that function currently works well in Chrome and Firefox, but not Safari. But the pros outweigh the cons. If you're looking for free Mac antivirus protection, give it a try, along with Sophos and Avira, and see which you like best.
For truly top-notch Mac security, you'll need to lay out some cash. Our Editors' Choice products in this realm are Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac. Both received certification from two labs. Both scored well in our hands-on antiphishing test. Bitdefender's AutoPilot mode means you can set it and forget it. And Kaspersky goes above and beyond feature-wise, with full-scale parental control, protection against webcam peeping, a network attack blocker, and more.
Bottom Line: Avast Security (for Mac) delivers effective malware protection along with unusual bonus features. Phishing protection only works well in Chrome and Firefox, but this free utility is still worth a look.
- $59.99
- $0.00