Is Max NTFS app safe for Macbook?

AnnaP95 wrote:

It’s a hard drive that I have for years and it contains many files which I wouldn’t wish to lose.

Then you should have a backup of all the data stored on that drive. Sooner or later that drive will either become corrupted or have a hardware failure. Plus someone could accidentally modify a file (catastrophic edit, or even deletion). Many people forget about needing to backup their external data drives and other external media such as the cloud.

Never heard of Max NTFS and it does sound a bit sketchy since it is modifying the system which is not something an app from the App Store should be doing. Yes, it probably needs that functionality in order to work, but the App Store should not allow for that to happen. Which is why some apps are only available for download directly from the developer outside the App Store. As others have mentioned Paragon is one of the most common third party providers for NTFS drivers. Tuxera is another developer that has been around for years.

Normally we would recommend using exFAT file system for any drive that will be shared between macOS & Windows, but unfortunately Apple changed the exFAT (and FAT32) driver in macOS 14.x Sonoma, so there appears there may be some growing pains & bugs with the rewritten driver at this time.

Is this a hard drive that you need to share with a Windows PC from time to time? Or just a new hard drive that you plan to use only with your Mac, but that came pre-formatted with NTFS?

If this is a new drive, and you just need to be able to write to it, it may be easier to use Disk Utility to reformat it in HFS+ (Mac OS Extended (Journaled, non-case-sensitive)) format than to mess around with a NTFS driver.

Is Max NTFS app safe for Macbook?

What you deem "safe" is up to you. Personally I would not use anything that requires altering the system in the manner described. Absolutely not.

Read Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community, especially this relevant passage:

• Never install something without first knowing what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to get rid of it when you don't want it any more.

This site is full of pleas for help from people who installed things, perhaps years ago, and are only now attempting to undo the damage. Of course we do our best to help; that's what we're here for, but why ask for trouble.

If that app wants you to install something else not available from the App Store to make it functional, it seems to me that's attempting an end run around Apple's acceptance criteria.

The only product I am aware of that has widespread acceptance is Paragon Software's Microsoft NTFS for Mac. I have no personal experience with it but I know it is commonly used for that purpose.