You can also run a quick or full scan, but there is no option to scan a specific file or location on your Mac. The app offers real-time protection, which can be disabled at any time from the system tray. While it lacks the web and mail protection features of Avira Antivirus Pro, both products use the same antivirus module. If you're after the best security available, you can't really go wrong with Avira Free Security. However, Avira has been included in comparative tests such as AV-TEST for years, and it has gotten a maximum protection score almost every time. Expert comparative tests exist, but many macOS security solutions aren't included in these tests, largely due to a lack of demand. Unlike their Windows counterparts, Mac users often have a hard time figuring out which antivirus offers the best protection.
On top of that, Avira Free Security comes with some additional features, such as a VPN, junk cleaner, and password manager. The company has a long history of providing reliable antivirus solutions, always ranking among the top contenders in independent comparative tests.
So if you're on the market for an antivirus, Avira is surely one of the first names to pop in your head. Malware that targets Apple's systems has grown increasingly common, as evidenced by the recent spread of a new virus that targets Apple's M1 devices exclusively. It has long been established that you definitely do need an antivirus on macOS.
