Avast Premium Security for Mac Review: Excellent, But Should You Buy It?

The recent Silver Sparrow macOS malware outbreak serves as a sobering reminder that Macs, contrary to popular belief, are not impervious to attack. Antivirus protection is still needed for Windows and Android, but your Macs need it too.

Avast Security for Mac is free, although paid antivirus programs have more features and perform better in tests. Avast Premium Security for Mac includes additional functions that aren't included in the free version.

The look and feel of this program are quite similar to Avast's Premium Security for Windows. There is a large scan button at the bottom of the main window, which shows the current status of the app.

Core Shields, Wi-Fi Inspector, Virus Chest, and Ransomware Shield are all accessible via the huge buttons at the bottom of the screen. Compared to the free Mac security provided by Avast, the Ransomware Shield panel does not feature a padlock icon.

Is Avast Premium Security a Good Choice?

Avast Security is a top-notch free antivirus program for Mac OS X users. Real-time malware scanning is included in Avast's free version, as well as the ability to scan email attachments and the Internet. Avast does not ask for any personal information from the user during the installation process, unlike other anti-malware products.

Let's look at the test results from two different institutions of higher learning. I could have relied on user evaluations or articles written by bloggers (Avast affiliates) for my investigation, but I'll only utilize AV testing firms I know to be reliable. Only two AV testing laboratories evaluate Macs, even though there are many.

Scanning of Avast Premium Security

You should run a scan as soon as you've installed the antivirus software. The app would ask for Full Disk Access again during the scan if you didn't grant it during installation. That's to be anticipated from an antivirus application.

The size of the disk has an impact on how long it takes to complete the initial scan. Keep on doing what you were doing while the program is minimized. Avast consumes some CPU resources on a Mac, but it does not affect other processes.

It took Avast 10 minutes and 45 seconds to scan 159095 files on my MacBook Pro with the default settings. Virus Chest was suggested as a solution to the problem when it identified one of the attachments as a threat.

Enhanced Wi-Fi Inspector Feature of Avast Premium Security

As previously mentioned, Avast's Wi-Fi Inspector is included even in the free version. While the free edition displays a list of all discovered devices, it does not perform any security checks or provide any more information such as IP addresses. You'll only get a new upsell page if you click on a device other than your Mac or router.

It's possible to get more information on the devices by clicking on them in the Premium edition. "Unknown device" is all you get for some people. Looking at the device's specifics, you can find the device's MAC address, IP address, manufacturer, and a list of any network services it utilizes.

Windows utilities Bitdefender Home Scanner and Avast on Windows let you alter such entries to give them a more human-sounding title. On later scans, they even remember the name. I could not make any changes to the entries using Avast on the Mac. Keeping track of which device has which strange name is all that's required.

You'll be alerted whenever a new device connects using Wi-Fi Inspector's Premium edition. To use this feature, make sure the Monitor checkbox is checked. In the main window, click the Wi-Fi Inspector button, and Avast will display an activity indicator at the top.

Many of these warnings will show up just after you start monitoring because devices turned off during the initial scan have woken up. As soon as the first shock wears off, it's time to start paying attention to the notifications from your new device. You may be the victim of a neighbor's Wi-Fi swipe or even a hacking attempt if you don't recognize the device.

Final Verdict

We're not sure if paying for Avast Premium Security right now is worth it. Not because Avast isn't a top-notch tool (it is), but rather because the free edition of Avast offers so much. Wi-Fi Intruder Alerts and the Ransomware Shield are the main differences between Avast Free and Premium.

Ransomware protection is a no-brainer for some folks, and the $70 annual fee for each Mac is worth it. People who do not need the Wi-Fi Inspector can get by with just the base package, which covers practically everything we discussed so far (sans real-time alerts when new devices hit the network).

AntiTrack and even a tiny quantity of free VPNs per month would make Premium Security worth the price. Not everyone is confident that ransomware and network alarms will do the trick.