Intego Antivirus review 2025

With phishing attacks on the rise, it’s essential to have a robust antivirus on your computer. While many believe that you don’t need antivirus software on macOS devices, there are many benefits to installing one on yours.

This is where Intego comes in. Intego was designed with macOS in mind. It’s intuitive and easy to navigate – seamlessly blending in with the macOS interface. Most importantly, it offers an all-round suite of anti-malware tools to ensure your Mac is malware free.

I worked with the Cybernews research team to thoroughly test Intego Antivirus. In this review, I’ll help you decide if it’s the right option for keeping your Mac secure.

Is Intego antivirus good for Mac?

Intego Antivirus provides legitimate protection for Mac users and includes comprehensive parental controls. However, it is priced on the higher side and doesn’t include features like anti-fraud, anti-phishing, or anti-spam protection.

Intego pricing

Intego is primarily known for its strong focus on Mac security, but it also offers a plan for Windows users. Below, you can find a breakdown of the available pricing plans for both Mac and Windows:

Plan	Price
Mac Internet Security X9	$19.99/year
Mac Premium Bundle X9	$26.99/year
Mac Premium Bundle + VPN	$34.99/year
Intego Antivirus for Windows	$39.99/year

The Mac Internet Security X9 plan offers essential protection for one Mac user, combining VirusBarrier, an antivirus tool that defends against malware threats, with NetBarrier, a firewall that secures your network. Priced at $19.99 per year, this is the most affordable option and is well-suited for those who need strong core security features without additional extras.

The Mac Premium Bundle X9 plan provides a more comprehensive security package for one Mac user. It includes everything in the Mac Internet Security X9 plan – VirusBarrier scarner and NetBarrier – plus additional features such as Washing Machine, which helps clean and optimize your system, ContentBarrier for parental controls, and Personal Backup to safeguard your important files. Priced at $26.99 per year, this plan is ideal for users seeking an all-in-one solution to manage and protect their Mac.

The Mac Premium Bundle + VPN plan offers the most extensive protection for one Mac user, combining all the features of the Mac Premium Bundle X9 – VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, Washing Machine, ContentBarrier, and Personal Backup – plus a VPN for enhanced online privacy and security for your software. This plan is priced at $34.99 per year and is perfect for those who want full protection, both online and offline.

While Intego is primarily focused on Mac, it also offers an Intego Antivirus for Windows plan, providing good antivirus protection for one PC user. This plan includes real-time scanning, scheduled scans, and automatic updates to keep your PC secure from various threats. Priced at $39.99 per year, Intego Antivirus for Windows offers basic protection, but users may find more comprehensive options with other antivirus providers that are specifically designed for Windows.

Intego security features

Intego is one of the best antivirus for Mac as it provides a robust suite of security features, including VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, Washing Machine, ContentBarrier, Personal Backup, Intego VPN, and NetUpdate. These features collectively ensure a high level of security, convenience, and flexibility for users, creating a safe environment for protecting your Mac and sensitive information.

Feature	What does it do
VirusBarrier	Provides real-time protection against malware, viruses, and other threats targeting macOS.
NetBarrier	Acts as a two-way firewall, monitoring and securing your Mac from incoming and outgoing network threats.
Washing Machine	Optimizes your Mac’s performance by cleaning up unnecessary files, duplicates, and system clutter.
ContentBarrier	Offers parental controls that allow you to monitor and manage your children’s online activities, including blocking inappropriate content.
Personal Backup	Allows you to create scheduled backups of your important files to ensure secure storage and easy recovery.
Intego VPN	Provides secure and private internet browsing by encrypting your online traffic and hiding your IP address.
NetUpdate	Automatically checks for and installs the latest updates for Intego software, keeping your protection up to date.

Here are all the Intego features reviewed:

VirusBarrier – Malware and virus scanner

VirusBarrier is at the heart of Intego’s security suite, offering a solid blend of file scanning and real-time protection. During Intego testing, VirusBarrier showed reliable but not flawless results. The quick scan was completed in just a minute, processing over 32,000 files but missing the planted malware.

However, the full scan, which took 5 minutes and covered nearly 750,000 files, successfully detected and quarantined 7 out of 10 malware samples. Although the 70% detection rate could be better, the process was smooth and didn’t strain the CPU, which I appreciated.

The real-time protection was generally effective, especially with MacOS, Windows, and Linux threats, but it did struggle with some file types like .exe and .rar. Despite these challenges, VirusBarrier didn’t trigger any false positives, which added to my confidence in its reliability. All in all, it consistently performs well in independent tests, which further reassures me of its reliability

NetBarrier – advanced firewall

NetBarrier is Intego’s two-way firewall that effectively protects both incoming and outgoing traffic on your networks, making it easier to prevent unauthorized data leaks. I found the interface intuitive, allowing you to easily customize settings, manage local network traffic (LAN), and monitor app connections. This is particularly useful for identifying potentially malicious apps.

One feature I appreciated is how NetBarrier automatically adjusts based on your network type – home, work, or public Wi-Fi. Although you need to set this manually the first time, it’s a small inconvenience. The frequent pop-ups requesting approval for new app connections can be disruptive, but once set, you won’t have to deal with them again.

Washing Machine – system optimizer

The Washing Machine app is a reliable tool for keeping your Mac running smoothly. It efficiently scans for unnecessary files like cache, logs, downloads, and trash. During testing, it found a small 32 MB of files, which may not seem like much, but it still helps in keeping things tidy.

The Duplicates feature didn’t find any redundant files during testing conducted by the Cybernews research team, but it’s a useful tool for those who often end up with multiple copies of the same files. I appreciated that it lets you preview files before deciding to delete them – adding a layer of confidence to the cleanup process.

Finally, the Organize feature is great for anyone whose desktop tends to get cluttered. It quickly sorts your files into folders, making it easier to find what you need. The scans are impressively fast, typically under 10 seconds, but could take longer if your storage is nearly full.

Personal Backup

The Personal Backup tool in Intego impressed me with its versatility. Being able to back up files to external media like an external hard drive or USB key provides more flexibility than macOS’s built-in Time Machine. I found the ability to create multiple backups and sync data between two computers particularly useful, especially when managing work across different devices.

What I appreciated the most was the automatic scheduling – having my system backed up to a NAS every morning without lifting a finger gave me peace of mind, knowing that my data was secure and easily restorable whenever I needed it.

ContentBarrier – Parental Controls feature

ContentBarrier is a versatile parental control tool within Intego's security suite that helps parents manage their children’s online activities. It allows for blocking and filtering specific websites, apps, and types of online communication, ensuring a safe browsing experience.

During Intego testing, I found the customization options for web filtering and chat monitoring particularly comforting. It’s great for peace of mind, knowing that you can adjust settings easily to fit the needs of your child’s age. The range of options might seem a bit daunting at first, but once I got the hang of it, I found it straightforward and effective.

While setting up may require some initial patience due to the variety of choices, ContentBarrier’s robust protection makes it worth the effort. It’s a powerful tool for safeguarding your children’s online experiences, giving you confidence that they’re exploring the internet safely.

Intego VPN (Privacy Protection)

Intego offers a VPN called Privacy Protection for both Mac and Windows users. While this VPN isn’t integrated directly into the antivirus software, it is included in the "Mac Premium Bundle + VPN" plan, providing an all-in-one security solution. If you prefer purchasing the VPN separately, that option is also available with its own pricing plans.

Intego's VPN uses the same network of servers as Private Internet Access (PIA). This means it benefits from the reliable and secure infrastructure of PIA, which is known for its large server network and strong privacy protections.

Intego VPN provides several robust features:

• Data encryption. Users can choose between AES-128 or AES-256 encryption, depending on their security needs.
• Protocols. The VPN supports both OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and WireGuard protocols.
• Kill switches. It includes a standard VPN Kill Switch, an Advanced Kill Switch, and Intego Privacy Protection MACE.
• Port forwarding. This feature allows you more control over your network traffic.
• Network automation. Users can set rules for automatic connection or disconnection when joining specific networks.
• Split tunneling. A useful feature that allows you to configure it by app or IP address – especially notable since it’s not commonly found in VPNs for Mac.
• Advanced features. It offers Multi-Hop and Obfuscation, with additional proxy protocols like Shadowsocks and SOCKS5, which are useful for bypassing internet censorship and secure file transfers.
• VPN snooze. Temporarily pause the VPN connection without fully disconnecting.

With over 35,000 servers in 83 countries, the Intego VPN is also useful for unblocking streaming services and accessing geo-restricted content. You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, making it a flexible choice for both individual and family use.

NetUpdate – apps updater

NetUpdate is a basic tool in the Intego suite. Its main job is to update the other Intego apps. While it works fine, it feels like this feature could have been built into the main apps to make things simpler. It’s helpful but not as important as the other tools Intego offers.

Intego test results

When evaluating antivirus software, independent lab results are critical indicators of the software's effectiveness. I reviewed the latest findings from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, two of the most respected independent testing labs in the industry, to see how Intego Antivirus stacks up.

In the most recent evaluation conducted by AV-TEST in June 2023, Intego VirusBarrier received impressive scores in several key areas:

• Performance. The Intego software had a minor impact on system speed, with a score of 5.5/6, indicating that it runs efficiently without significantly slowing down your Mac.
• Usability. Intego scored 5/6 in usability, meaning it produced very few false positives, ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Protection. The standout here is the perfect 6/6 score in protection, ensuring that your Mac is safeguarded against a wide range of malware threats.

AV-Comparatives also tested Intego in 2024, focusing on its ability to detect Mac malware. The results are as follows:

• Mac Malware Protection. Intego achieved a 99.1% detection rate, slightly below some competitors but still very strong.
• Windows Malware Detection. Impressively, it detected 100% of Windows malware threats on a Mac, ensuring cross-platform protection.
• Mac PUA Protection. The 93% score in potentially unwanted applications (PUA) protection indicates that while effective, there is room for improvement in detecting these lower-risk threats.

Overall, these test results confirm that Intego is a reliable antivirus option, particularly for those using Mac devices, offering robust protection with minimal system impact.

Intego installation process

Intego Antivirus is specifically designed for macOS and Windows devices. While it doesn’t offer a dedicated iOS or Android app, it does provide a way to scan iOS devices for potential threats when they are connected to a Mac via a USB cable.

During Intego tests on a UTM Virtual Machine set up on a MacBook Air 2022 (M2, 8GB RAM, Sonoma 14.6.1), I found the installation process to be a bit complex. Even though there’s a single installer, it essentially installs six different apps for features like VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, and more, which can feel disjointed compared to other antivirus solutions that bundle everything into one app.

Finding the VPN installer was also challenging; it wasn’t visible in my account and required searching through the support page. Once I finally logged into VirusBarrier, the rest of the apps were accessible without additional logins, which was convenient. However, the VPN required a separate login, which added an extra step.

Intego’s installation process isn’t as smooth as other antivirus solutions, with a fragmented setup that may be challenging for first-time users. While this approach could enhance security, managing multiple applications might feel a bit complicated for some.

Intego customer support

Live chat support	✅ Yes
Phone support	❌ No
Email support	✅ Yes
Knowledge database	✅ Yes

When it comes to Intego customer support, I don't have much to complain about. You can reach out to their live chat from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Central US Time, and the Virtual Assistant is available 24/7 for immediate help. Their support agents are quick to respond and helpful in resolving issues, though it's a downside that live chat isn't available 24/7.

If live chat isn’t an option, you can submit a request and receive an email response. Just be aware that filling out the form requires quite a bit of information, including your email address, first and last name, country, product name, serial number, and OS version.

For those who are more tech-savvy, the knowledge base is a good resource, offering a variety of troubleshooting topics and setup manuals.

Bottom line: is Intego antivirus good?

Intego Mac Internet Security is a great option for Mac users because it’s specifically designed for macOS, which means it offers protection that really suits the needs of Mac owners. With features like VirusBarrier and NetBarrier for security, real-time scanning, and strong parental controls, it’s well-equipped to keep your Mac safe from a range of threats. Additionally, the Personal Backup tool stands out by allowing you to back up your important files to external drives with ease, making it simple to recover your data in case of unexpected issues.

However, there are a few drawbacks to consider. The cost is on the higher side, particularly if you want the VPN, which is only included in the most expensive plan. Additionally, Intego’s plans typically cover just one device, which may be limiting for users needing multi-device protection.

Another point to consider is Intego’s layout and installation process, which is more fragmented than other antivirus solutions. While this setup may enhance security, it’s not as user-friendly as having everything integrated into a single application, and it might be overwhelming for first-time users.

That said, if you’re focused on securing a single Mac with tailored protection, Intego remains a solid choice despite these considerations.

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