Many of the apps covered in this roundup have earned certification from at least one independent testing lab; some have secured two certifications. As far as basic antivirus protection goes, there are no bad choices here. Even so, a few stand out.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for Mac achieved near-perfect scores from two labs, while Norton AntiVirus Plus for Mac hit perfection with both labs. Both go well beyond the antivirus basics, with useful features to secure your Mac. These two are our Editors' Choice winners for Mac antivirus protection.

However, these aren't the only choices. Review our reviews, select the antivirus that best suits your needs, and install it to protect your Mac. Once you've done that, consider adding a Mac VPN. While an antivirus protects you, your devices, and your data locally, a VPN extends that protection to your online activities, protecting both your security and your privacy.

Editors’ Note: Given that the US government has banned the sale of new Kaspersky security products, we no longer recommend them.

There's another angle to the variation in Mac antivirus pricing. How about paying nothing at all? Avast One Essential for Mac, AVG AntiVirus for Mac, and Avira Free Antivirus for Mac are free for personal use. The best commercial antivirus utilities offer more protection, but if you can't afford the best, at least install a free antivirus.

When you select a new washer, refrigerator, or other appliance, chances are good you research it first. User reviews can be helpful if you discard the very best and worst of them. However, actual test results published by an independent lab give you more reliable information. Two large labs include macOS antivirus apps in their testing, but the number of apps tested varies in each instance. When we first rounded up Mac antivirus apps, we only selected those with at least one certification; however, many of them are no longer included in either lab's test results.

The researchers at AV-Test Institute evaluate Mac antivirus tools on three criteria: protection, performance, and usability. An app can earn up to six points for each. Protection against malware is essential, of course. A low impact on performance is also important. A high usability score indicates a low number of false positives, with legitimate programs and valid websites being accurately identified as safe. In the latest report, about three-quarters of the tested apps achieved a perfect 18 points, with all six points allocated to each of the three criteria.

In the latest macOS malware test by AV-Comparatives, half the charted programs scored 100%. This lab also included a test using malware designed for Windows. Yes, malware written to run on Windows can't affect a computer running macOS, but it could conceivably escape to Windows machines on the network. All the apps we follow scored 100% against Windows malware. This lab also runs a test using PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications). Scores against these less virulent annoyances ranged from 97% to 99%.

Results in macOS-specific tests typically have a much smaller point spread than tests of Windows antivirus utilities. Unfortunately, few programs in the chart received even one certification for Mac protection. On the positive side, some received two certifications. Avast and Norton received the best possible scores from both labs.