However, they’re not that effective so not having them doesn’t matter as you’ll still get excellent real-time protection. I also noticed that the Mac app lacks the web and email protection features that are present in the Windows app. But I couldn’t tell which features were locked behind a paywall with Avira’s free plan. The Mac app was pretty easy to use with features neatly arranged and labeled in the left pane.

File shredder - Permanently deletes sensitive files beyond recovery, making them irrecoverable by hackers.

Startup Optimizer - Improves your Mac’s boot time by blocking unnecessary apps hogging your RAM.

VPN - Lets you browse the web anonymously without exposing your real IP address, but it caps your monthly limit to 500MB.

Password manager - Stores unlimited passwords with an in-built password generator and 2-factor authentication to keep your vault secure.

Safe shopping browser extension - Blocks phishing links, ads, and trackers for secure online transactions.

Besides that Avira’s free plan for Mac also includes: Out of the 1300 complex threats I exposed it to, Avira detected and blocked 1295 of them - an excellent score of 99.6% and way above the industry average.

Avira uses cloud technology to keep its real-time protection at par with fast-emerging threats. With Avira’s free version, you’ll get advanced real-time protection. You can improve your Mac’s performance with Avira’s smart scan Best Parental Control for iPhone & iPad.IPVanish VPN vs Private Internet Access.

Best free malware scanner for mac