The quick scan of critical areas also took about 12 minutes, leaving me wondering how the two scans differed. I found that a full scan finished in about 12 minutes. Whatever made those older editions run so slowly has been fixed. Indeed, the last time I ran this test, it took so long I couldn’t get a good measurement, and the time before that, it ran for six hours. Selecting a full scan does get you a warning that the process might take several hours. Scanning Speeds Upįrom the main window, you can choose the typical quick, full, or custom scan. Where the Windows edition offers a firewall, a virtual keyboard, detection of insecure Wi-Fi, and other bonus features, the macOS version is strictly an antivirus plus a limited VPN. From other panels, you can launch scans, configure the Safe Browsing web protection component, and activate the feature-limited VPN. The biggest one reflects current security status and offers protection statistics. Dark panels of various sizes, shading from green to charcoal, make up its main window. The Mac edition, reviewed here, lacks the nature-themed backgrounds that give its Windows edition such a soothing appearance. Either way, installation is quick and painless, followed by the usual granting of necessary permissions. If you do, you can log into that account to download the Mac antivirus installer. If you don’t already have a Panda account online, you’ll create one during the installation process. Of those, four received perfect scores from both of them: Avast, AVG, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac. Seven of the Mac antiviruses I follow appear in the latest reports from both labs. The lack of lab certification makes it tough for me to know how effective Panda's protection is. However, the labs routinely change out their collection of test subjects, which means that almost two-thirds of the programs I review no longer appear in either set of results. When I first started reviewing macOS antivirus tools, I chose only those that appeared in reports from at least one of the labs. Unfortunately, both omit Panda from their current reports. Two of the labs I follow, AV-Test Institute and AV-Comparatives, test Mac antivirus utilities. I also follow four independent labs that put antivirus utilities through grueling tests and regularly report their results.įor Mac-centered antivirus, I don't have nearly the same resources, so lab results are more important than ever. When I test antivirus utilities on Windows, I rely on a collection of testing tools I coded myself, along with a collection of real-world malware I've put through careful analysis. If you're stuck using an antique version of the OS, perhaps because your Mac is itself a precious collectible, consider ProtectWorks AntiVirus for Mac, which can handle macOS versions as far back as Snow Leopard (10.6). Presuming you keep your macOS up to date, you'll have no compatibility trouble with Panda-it’s still happy with anything from Yosemite (10.10) to the latest. Like Panda, McAfee covers Windows, macOS, and Android devices, but it also extends protection to iOS and ChromeOS. McAfee AntiVirus Plus for Mac offers an unlimited subscription, but that subscription is $64.99 per year. Panda’s price of $96.99 for 10 licenses is middling, higher than some and lower than others.įor true Panda die-hards with oodles of devices, an unlimited subscription goes for $113.99, not a lot more than the 10-license deal. At the five-license level, Panda costs $66.99, a dollar more than a Kaspersky Standard for Mac five-pack. The pricing improves at the three-license level it costs $56.99, a bit less than Bitdefender, ESET Cyber Security for Mac, Malwarebytes, and Total Defense, which all run $59.99 for three. Panda’s prices have dropped a bit since my last review, but at $47.99 per year for a single license, it still starts off more expensive than most. ESET, Trend Micro, and Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus for Mac are among those in the $40 range. As with Windows antivirus tools, the most common price is just under $40. Prices for macOS antivirus programs vary more than on the PC, in part because their features range from simple antiviruses to full security suites. Both go well beyond antivirus basics, making them our Editors’ Choice winners for Mac-centered antivirus protection. If your Mac is unprotected, look instead to Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac or Norton 360 Deluxe for Mac. Furthermore, its defense against malicious and fraudulent websites, which wasn't good the last time I tested it, isn't even working as of this writing. Panda Dome Essential for Mac provides only the most basic protection. The Xprotect and Malware Removal Tool components in macOS don’t come close, and Macs still need antivirus protection. Any Windows machine that doesn’t have a third-party antivirus gets decent protection from Microsoft Defender.
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