# Best cheap/free antivirus for Macs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheap-free-antivirus-for-macs/513760 "2009-10-14T07:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheap-free-antivirus-for-macs/513760/1 "2009-10-14T07:17:33Z")
I know it’s not a huge threat, but it’s still something I want to look into, just in case some kind of virus/spyware/what have you manages to slip through. I don’t have a HUGE amount of data, and my needs are relatively simple: I don’t want to be unknowingly sending screenshots of my passwords to Russian hackers. (Making sure I don’t inadvertently act as a Typhoid Mary to my PC using contacts would be nice, but I hardly download anything sent from PC users in general.) Anyone have experience with the free programs, like Clamxav and iAntivirus? Would I be better off paying for something? If so, how much? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheap-free-antivirus-for-macs/513760/2 "2009-10-14T10:40:18Z")
Can’t help with the actual question as I don’t own a Mac, but I want to point out that, if you are worried about your data, you probably need to look into some encryption. You also sound like you’re worried about [phishing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing), which is still as big a problem on Macs as PCs, and I don’t think antiviruses cover that. Firefox is pretty good about it, though. Oh, and [this link to antivirus reviews](http://antivirus.about.com/od/antivirussoftwarereviews/tp/aamacvir.htm)might be helpful ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheap-free-antivirus-for-macs/513760/3 "2009-10-14T11:54:26Z")
Today’s antivirus software won’t protect you against tomorrow’s viruses. On the Mac there _are no_ “today’s viruses”. Yet. But seriously. (There are a small handful of trojans that can cause problems if you install them; they require user intervention to do so). The folks who need to keep from inadvertently forwarding emails with attachments that can infect PCs with PC viruses generally report good results from ClamXav. I’ve never used it myself. Not familiar with iAntivirus. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheap-free-antivirus-for-macs/513760/4 "2009-10-19T06:40:47Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Today’s antivirus software won’t protect you against tomorrow’s viruses. It will if you have a subscription. That’s the point. Unless you are pointing out that the virus has to infect someone before the antivirus company can add it to the virus database ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheap-free-antivirus-for-macs/513760/5 "2009-10-19T17:04:41Z")
Hmm. The last time I had any need for antivirus software there was no such thing as a “subscription”. OK, I see your point.