MacKeeper Antivirus Review (2025): 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 antivirus scanner detected 99% of malware in our tests, including viruses, spyware, and ransomware. It allows for full and custom scans, though there is no quick scan option. A downside is that it doesn’t use file caching, so scans don’t speed up after repeated use, unlike competitors like Intego. However, its scanning time is still faster than others such as McAfee, and it doesn’t slow down system performance.

Real-time protection must be manually activated after installation but worked effectively, catching threats instantly. Once enabled, it operates continuously in the background.

Overall, MacKeeper provides excellent malware detection and a smooth user experience, though it could benefit from more transparency during scans and faster subsequent scan times through file caching.

VPN

MacKeeper’s integrated VPN, Private Connect, is a valuable addition, offering better performance than many VPNs bundled with antivirus software. It provides unlimited data, 256-bit AES encryption, and protection against WebRTC and DNS leaks. With 300+ server locations across 50+ countries, it also supports P2P torrenting on select servers.

Performance

In our tests, MacKeeper’s VPN had minimal impact on internet speeds, with only a 20% reduction on nearby servers, comparable to standalone VPNs like ExpressVPN. Speeds dropped significantly on distant servers (e.g., Australia), but it still performed well for basic tasks like streaming. Notably, it works with Netflix, a feature many VPNs struggle with.

Privacy Concerns

The biggest drawback is the lack of clarity regarding its privacy practices. MacKeeper doesn’t provide clear information on whether it follows a no-logs policy, and its VPN is powered by a third-party provider, raising concerns about data security.

Usability

Private Connect is easy to use, offering both manual and automatic connection options, making it convenient for users.

Overall, MacKeeper’s VPN is fast, reliable, and great for streaming, but its vague privacy policy may be a concern for users seeking maximum security. For general use, it’s a solid choice, but privacy-focused users might prefer standalone VPNs.

Other security features

MacKeeper includes a variety of additional security and optimization tools beyond its core antivirus capabilities. Here’s a breakdown of each key feature:

Adware Cleaner

MacKeeper’s Adware Cleaner is effective and fast, detecting and removing adware in under five minutes. Although it’s a standalone tool (unlike most competitors that integrate adware removal into their antivirus engines), it offers strong protection and real-time adware monitoring, although users must manually activate this feature.

Identity Theft Guard

MacKeeper’s ID Theft Guard monitors data breaches linked to your email addresses, alerting you when breaches occur. While not as advanced as Norton’s dark web monitoring, it’s more comprehensive than what many competitors offer. It effectively identifies multiple email addresses associated with your device and provides detailed information about breaches.

Ad Blocker (StopAd)

StopAd blocks ads and trackers, working as a browser extension for Chrome and Safari. It’s simple to set up and works automatically in the background, providing insights into blocked ads and trackers. It performed well in our tests, significantly reducing the number of ads during web browsing and video streaming.

Safe Cleanup

Safe Cleanup identifies junk files like logs, caches, and email attachments, freeing up valuable storage space. While fast and effective, it lacks sufficient prompts before deleting files, potentially leading to accidental loss of important files like email attachments. A review of identified files is necessary before proceeding with deletion.

Duplicates Finder

Duplicates Finder scans for duplicate files, similar photos, and screenshots, helping reclaim hard drive space. It’s easy to use, with clear instructions, but requires manual review of files before deletion. It’s helpful for managing redundant files, though it doesn’t support music or archive files like some competitors’ tools.

Smart Uninstaller

Smart Uninstaller helps fully remove apps, plugins, and browser extensions, going beyond just dragging apps to the trash. It works well but lacks clear warnings about what’s safe to delete, particularly macOS system plugins. Overall, it’s useful for clearing out unnecessary apps, but users should be cautious.

Memory Cleaner

Memory Cleaner shows RAM usage and offers a way to free up memory, but we found it ineffective in providing long-term performance improvements. The memory usage quickly returned to pre-cleaning levels, and closing certain processes could risk system stability. Additionally, MacKeeper itself consumed a significant amount of memory.

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 macOS. 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 Mac, other factors like privacy and identity protection also play a key role. For a similar analysis for Windows or Android, visit our other comparisons:

• The best antivirus for Windows 11.
• The best antivirus for Android.

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: December 2024).

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: December 2024.