MacKeeper Antivirus Review (2026): Is it the right choice?

Full Review

MacKeeper is a strong security suite for Mac users, offering robust real-time malware protection along with a variety of optimization tools like ID theft protection, adware monitoring, and system cleanup. Its interface is user-friendly and visually appealing. Although slightly pricier than some competitors, it comes with flexible plans and a money-back guarantee.

Anti-Malware

MacKeeper’s anti-malware protection delivers near-perfect detection results and consistently fast scanning speeds. The full system scan, accessible via the Security tab, thoroughly inspects the device for malicious software such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware. Although there’s no dedicated quick scan option, users can initiate custom scans to target specific files or directories.

In independent testing, MacKeeper successfully identified 97% of malware samples, promptly offering the choice to delete or quarantine infected files. Quarantining provides users with an organized list of suspicious items for later review. The real-time protection feature, once enabled, continuously monitors all file downloads and system activity, immediately blocking threats before they can cause harm.

Unlike some competitors that use file caching to shorten repeat scans, MacKeeper performs each scan from scratch, ensuring consistent accuracy at the expense of time savings. Despite this, its performance remains faster than many alternatives and operates without noticeable system slowdowns. While additional visibility into the number of scanned files would improve transparency, MacKeeper’s malware defense remains exceptionally strong, combining accuracy, reliability, and efficiency for Mac users.

Anti-Phishing

MacKeeper’s anti-phishing protection is primarily achieved through its real-time threat detection and ID Theft Guard tools. The real-time engine continuously inspects web downloads and file interactions, blocking phishing attempts embedded in attachments or malicious sites before users can interact with them.

The ID Theft Guard further strengthens this layer of defense by scanning the web for breaches involving user email addresses. Once activated, it provides 24/7 monitoring and immediate alerts if a user’s credentials appear in a data breach. Verification is handled securely through email-based authentication, after which users can view the breached source, compromised passwords, and take corrective action through direct password reset links.

While not as expansive as Norton’s dark web monitoring, MacKeeper’s coverage surpasses that of many competitors like Intego or TotalAV, which either lack this feature or limit monitoring to a single account. The system occasionally marks breaches as “Sensitive” for legal reasons, but it still displays compromised passwords so users can take manual action. Overall, MacKeeper’s phishing protection offers comprehensive, proactive monitoring to safeguard users from identity and credential theft.

VPN

MacKeeper’s integrated VPN, Private Connect, enhances online security by encrypting internet traffic and concealing the user’s IP address. It provides unlimited data, AES 256-bit military-grade encryption, and both DNS and WebRTC leak protection. With over 300 server locations across more than 50 countries, it supports P2P torrenting and reliably unblocks popular streaming services like Netflix.

Performance is a standout feature: in testing, speed dropped by only about 25% when connected to the nearest server, comparable to premium standalone VPNs like ExpressVPN. Even distant connections, such as to U.S. servers from Europe, maintained acceptable upload speeds and stable streaming. Only extremely remote servers showed significant slowdowns, but general browsing and video playback remained smooth.

The main downside lies in transparency — MacKeeper’s VPN is a third-party service, and its data-logging policies aren’t clearly disclosed. Despite this concern, the VPN remains user-friendly, easy to enable from the dashboard or menu bar, and can auto-connect on startup. For everyday browsing and streaming, Private Connect is a fast and practical solution within the MacKeeper suite.

Other Security Features

MacKeeper includes several supplementary tools that enhance overall system security and performance beyond its core malware and VPN components. StopAd is a lightweight browser extension that blocks intrusive advertisements and online trackers on Safari and Chrome. It operates automatically once installed and provides real-time metrics on blocked ads and trackers. In testing, it effectively eliminated YouTube ads and prevented multiple tracking attempts from various websites.

The Adware Cleaner complements this by scanning specifically for adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUAs). It completes scans in under five minutes, efficiently removing persistent adware that can clutter browsers or slow performance. Like other modules, real-time adware monitoring must be manually enabled but works seamlessly afterward.

The Safe Cleanup feature identifies and deletes unnecessary junk files such as caches, logs, and unused language packs. It also removes mail attachments to reclaim drive space, though users should manually review files before deletion to avoid losing data. Duplicates Finder and Smart Uninstaller further assist by identifying redundant files and fully removing unused apps or plugins, ensuring a clean and optimized system.

For privacy and performance, MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner and Login Items modules allow users to manage startup programs and view memory usage in real time. Memory optimization results were inconsistent, but the tools provide visibility into resource-heavy processes. Update Tracker helps patch outdated software to close security loopholes, while the Find & Fix utility provides an all-in-one scan summarizing issues across security, privacy, and performance.

Overall, MacKeeper’s additional features offer a comprehensive ecosystem for device maintenance and threat prevention. While some tools, like Memory Cleaner, lack lasting performance impact, others—such as StopAd, Adware Cleaner, and Smart Uninstaller—significantly improve Mac security hygiene. The interface is intuitive, the features work cohesively, and the product stands out for balancing protection with usability across its suite.

Test score comparison

We conduct in-house anti-malware tests and review the results from AV-Test, a German lab renowned for its objective evaluations. Below is the average of the last 10 AV-Test results for Windows. Their scoring criteria are:

• Protection (1-6): Effectiveness in blocking malware.
• Performance (1-6): Impact on system speed.
• Usability (1-6): Frequency of errors like false alarms.

We calculate a final score using this formula:

Final Score = 60% Protection + 20% Performance + 20% Usability.

While these results influence our choice of the best antivirus for Windows 11, other factors like privacy and identity protection also play a key role. For a similar analysis for Android or macOS, visit our other comparisons:

• The best antivirus for Android.
• The best antivirus for Mac.

Note: Brands not listed in the table either do not participate in AV-Test trials or are tested too infrequently, such as Surfshark Antivirus.

Source: AV-Test (Last updated: November 2025).

Price comparison

We’ve compared the prices of the top antivirus products for Windows. To make it a fair comparison, we looked at what it would cost us, to protect a  single Windows PC with the most essential features:

• Anti-malware
• Anti-phishing (web protection)
• Firewall
• Password manager
• Unlimited VPN (no data limit)

A few notes:

• Some brands are missing features, lowering their value for money.
• Prices are second-year prices in the USA, without first-year discounts.
• Prices are rounded up for readability (e.g., $99.99 becomes $100).

Brands have different prices outside the USA. See those on their website.

User reviews

We’ve compared the user reviews of all antivirus brands. We’ve used the scores and review count of TrustPilot, a leading user review platform. 

We consider scores above 4.0 very good. Lower scores indicate that the brand might have a poor product or customer service. McAfee’s scores, for instance, are worrying.

Source: TrustPilot. Last Update: November 2025.