Can anyone recommend a free or pay antivirus software?

Terme51 wrote:

Can anyone recommend a free or pay antivirus software? It's confusing. One supposedly legitimate review praises one brand, another trashes it.

Thanks in advance.

Not advised. Typically third party competes directly with Macs own built in security.

Are you having an issue?

Apple uses its Software Update service (which also drives the system software updates that show in the App Store) as a mechanism for installing “background and critical” updates that are installed silently in the background with no notifications to the user.

The macOS uses these to combat malware:

Gatekeeper mechanism, central to security services, which tries to ensure that any code loaded is ‘safe’. Code signatures are only part of this.

XProtect checks the security and integrity of files, including in broader ways too, vulnerable document types, such as JPEG images, are also screened to ensure that they’re not malicious.

Apple’s Malware Removal Tool (MRT) an app which often complements XProtect’s signature-based screening, and can automatically remove all traces of many different species of malware.

System Integrity Protection (SIP) which ensures that nothing can tamper with key system files, or even Apple’s bundled apps.

ref: macOS - Security - Apple https://www.apple.com/macos/security/

One supposedly legitimate review praises one brand, another trashes it.

The reason is that they are all advertisements.

macOS already incorporates all the virus protection it needs. Install nothing else. Read Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community.

Malwarebytes is commonly recommended here.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/ download the free version.

jblissuno wrote:

Beware Malwarebytes: they try to sucker you into the pay options, and they're a maze to cancel out of....

That's incorrect…

"Download Malwarebytes for Mac (the free version) and you get a 14-day

trial of the premium version with automatic (real-time) virus and

malware protection. After 14 days, your trial reverts to a limited

disinfection scanner."

I can’t find the app called “malware bytes”. It is in the App Store?

Beware Malwarebytes: they try to sucker you into the pay options, and they're a maze to cancel out of....