antivirus–vergleich.ch
Use case · Apple Silicon

Best protection for Mac M1, M2 and M3

Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) needs native antivirus apps – Rosetta-based solutions are slow and resource-hungry in 2026. We list the lightest suites with native ARM support, ranked by measured system impact.

  1. 1
    ESET

    ESET

    Lightweight security with excellent performance

    system impact

    9.5

    First-year price

    CHF 37.90

    View product
  2. 2
    Intego

    Intego

    The Mac specialist among antivirus solutions

    system impact

    9.4

    First-year price

    CHF 49.90

    View product
  3. 3
    Malwarebytes

    Malwarebytes

    Malware specialist with a lean approach

    system impact

    9.2

    First-year price

    CHF 44.90

    View product
  4. 4
    Bitdefender

    Bitdefender

    Powerful all-round protection with a rich feature set

    system impact

    9.1

    First-year price

    CHF 49.90

    View product
  5. 5
    Avira

    Avira

    German quality with a strong free version

    system impact

    9.1

    First-year price

    CHF 59.90

    View product

Antivirus for Mac M1/M2/M3 – frequently asked questions

Do all antivirus suites work on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)?
Yes, all major vendors (Bitdefender, Norton, Intego, ESET, Kaspersky) ship native ARM builds for Apple Silicon. Solutions still relying on Rosetta 2 are rare in 2026 – avoid them on slow Macs.
Which antivirus is lightest on Apple Silicon?
Intego (Mac specialist) and Bitdefender are the lightest on M-chips in our tests. ESET is also lean. Norton and McAfee show measurably more fan activity.
Do M-Macs need antivirus at all?
Like any Mac: not strictly for malware (XProtect is often enough) but for web/phishing filter, banking protection and anti-tracking it is. Mac-specific malware (Atomic Stealer) also targets M devices.
Do antivirus apps run smoothly on macOS Sequoia (15)?
Yes – major vendors are compatible within 2 weeks of macOS major updates. If system extensions fail: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Extensions → allow explicitly.
How do I uninstall antivirus on macOS correctly?
Do not just drag to the trash – every vendor offers a dedicated uninstaller. Bitdefender: included in DMG. Norton: NRT tool. On Mac this matters more than on Windows because system extensions leave traces.