Intego antivirus review 2025
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Some Mac users assume antivirus software isn’t necessary. However, malware and phishing threats targeting macOS are increasingly common. Having reliable security software adds a critical layer of protection, especially as online threats evolve.
Intego is a dedicated antivirus solution built specifically for macOS. It offers strong real-time protection, on-demand scanning, and an advanced firewall, as well as a clean, user-friendly interface.
Intego’s standout features, like Washing Machine and ContentBarrier, go beyond basic malware defense. However, these are only available on higher-tier plans, making the cheaper options feel limited given their price. In this review, I looked into what Intego antivirus can offer in 2025 and whether it’s still a solid choice for Mac users.
| ⭐ Rating: | |
| 🥇 Overall rank: | #15 out of #27 |
| 💵 Price: | From $19.99/year, 1 device |
| ✂️ Free version: | No |
| 🖥️ Platforms: | Windows, Mac |
| 🔥 Coupons: | Intego coupon 60% OFF |
Our team of researchers thoroughly tests antivirus software following a well-established testing process. In unison, our experts combine in-house and independent testing lab findings with first-hand experience to help you make informed decisions about each product. Learn how we test antivirus software.
Intego antivirus pros and cons
Visit Intego to learn more about the features
Is Intego antivirus good for Mac?
Intego Antivirus provides legitimate protection for Mac users and includes comprehensive parental controls. In fact, it’s one of the best Mac antivirus providers in general. However, it is priced on the higher side and doesn’t include features like anti-fraud, anti-phishing, or anti-spam protection in its cheapest plan. Spam and phishing protection is available for premium subscribers who have Intego Web Shield feature.
How much does Intego antivirus cost?
Intego antivirus starts at just $19.99/month, which makes it more budget-friendly than Norton’s entry plan ($29.99/month) but pricier than Bitdefender’s basic tier ($9.99/month). Compared to top antivirus brands like TotalAV, which starts from $19.00/month for the first year, Intego’s pricing is in the market average.
| Mac Internet Security | Mac Security and Performance | Mac Premium Bundle | Intego for Windows | |
| Devices | 1, 3, or 5 | 1, 3, or 5 | 1, 3, or 5 | 1, 3, or 5 |
| Advanced ransomware protection | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (standard malware detection) |
| Real-time protection | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| VPN (Privacy Protection) | ✅ Yes (if getting a bundle) | ✅ Yes (if getting a bundle) | ✅ Yes (if getting a bundle) | ✅ Yes (if getting a bundle) |
| Password manager | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Anti-malware scanner | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Anti-phishing protection | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 1st year price | From $19.99/month | From $26.99/month | From $34.99/month | From $39.99/year |
| Renewal price (per year) | From $49.99 | From $49.99 | From $84.99 | From $39.99/year |
Mac Internet Security includes VirusBarrier (antivirus) and NetBarrier (firewall), offering core malware and network protection for one Mac. It’s the most affordable option and ideal for essential security coverage.
Mac Security And Performance adds the Washing Machine (system cleaner) to the core tools, helping optimize your Mac. It suits users who want better performance alongside antivirus protection.
Mac Premium Bundle includes all of Intego’s top tools: VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, Washing Machine, ContentBarrier (parental controls), and Personal Backup. Considering the abundance of features, it offers the best value for all-in-one Mac protection.
Intego Antivirus for Windows provides real-time protection for 1, 3, or 5 devices, scheduled scans, and auto-updates for one PC. While it covers the basics, non-Mac users may prefer a Windows-focused alternative, like Norton or Bitdefender, or any of the other antivirus providers for Windows.
For the first year, I recommend getting the Mac Premium Bundle plan, as it has a lot more features that could be useful for the whole family. However, if you want to save, Mac Internet Security is a solid choice with enough security features to keep your device protected.
Getting started with Intego
Intego is built for macOS and Windows, but it lacks mobile apps. You can scan iOS devices via Mac, but there’s no dedicated iOS or Android support.
In my test on a MacBook Air (M2, Sonoma 14.6.1), the setup was functional but slightly difficult. A single installer actually installs six separate apps (VirusBarrier, NetBarrier, etc.), making it feel fragmented compared to all-in-one antivirus suites. The VPN setup was especially tricky. It wasn’t visible in the dashboard and required searching support pages to find.
Once installed, tools like VirusBarrier work well and don’t require repeat logins, but managing multiple apps may feel overwhelming for new users.
In-house Intego antivirus testing results
Intego antivirus was last evaluated by independent labs AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives in 2024. The September 2024 AV-TEST gave Intego top scores for performance and usability and a slightly lower score for protection. The May 2024 AV-Comparatives test rated Intego’s protection at 99.1% – at the time, the lowest score out of tested providers.
However, as these tests are quite old, our research team ran our in-house investigation into Intego’s security suite. The tests were conducted on a macOS 14.6 virtual machine with 4GB allocated RAM running on a MacBook Air M2. Intego was tested in three categories: malware detection, ransomware detection, and phishing protection.
Malware detection
Our research team tested Intego antivirus by planting 10 malware samples and running a full antivirus scan. The whole scanning process took about 6 minutes. During this time, Intego detected 9 out 10 malware samples. It means that for malware detection, Intego antivirus for Mac has a 90% success rate. This aligns with AV-TEST findings in 2024, so there has been little improvement in this department.
Ransomware detection
Similarly to the malware detection test, our research team planted 10 ransomware samples and ran a full antivirus scan. The process took around the same amount of time as with malware detection, but this time with far better results. Intego antivirus was able to detect all 10 planted ransomware samples, resulting in a 100% success rate. This score is reassuring if you keep highly sensitive data on your device.
Phishing protection
To test how Intego antivirus deals with phishing, our research team enabled the Safe Browsing feature that’s part of Intego VirusBarrier. Once this part was set up, every protection feature on the Firefox browser was disabled. Our team used phishing samples from phishtank.org and then filtered through confirmed phishing websites. However, out of the 20 tested phishing websites, Intego antivirus was not able to block any of them.
Overall, I was not impressed by Intego’s in-house test results. Despite having multiple apps that should be dealing with these basic threats, Intego’s performance was average, at best. In terms of overall protection, it may have performed better in the independent lab tests.
Intego security features
Intego is one of the best antivirus programs for Mac when it comes to feature availability, such as 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 it does |
| 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. |
Below 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 fairly flawed results. It performed quite poorly in our in-house phishing tests.
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 slightly made up for its reliability issues.
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 32MB 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 our 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 an 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 worthwhile. 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.
User reviews: high scores despite setup issues
Users seem to be highly satisfied with the protection that Intego antivirus offers. Intego has a 4.8/5 score on TrustPilot, with the vast majority of comments being positive. The main complaints focus on difficulty to cancel the subscription and complex installation.
Reddit users also tend to recommend Intego for Mac owners. However, the difficult installation process was also a common downside among the mentions. It’s also worth noting that Redditors tend to advise other Mac users not to use antivirus software at all, mainly due to trust in its built-in security system. So, Intego, focusing mainly on macOS, has its work cut out in trying to attract new customers.
When compared to leading antivirus providers, such as Norton, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, McAfee, and Trend Micro, Intego holds strong in its niche – macOS-oriented protection – but doesn’t stretch into the multi-platform extras offered by its competitors. For example, Bitdefender and Norton deliver cross-platform password managers and identity theft protection, McAfee and Trend Micro offer extensive multi-device support and identity monitoring, and Kaspersky includes whistleblower-grade anti-ransomware tools (certainly better than Intego’s) as part of its suite.
Bottom line: is Intego antivirus good?
Intego Mac Internet Security is tailored for macOS, making it a strong choice for Mac users. It features VirusBarrier and NetBarrier for malware and network protection, real-time scanning, and tools like Personal Backup for easy file recovery.
While it offers fairly solid security (except for phishing), its higher cost and single-device coverage may be limiting, especially since the VPN is only available in the priciest plan. The setup is also less streamlined than competitors, requiring users to manage multiple apps.
Still, for those prioritizing dedicated Mac protection with advanced tools, Intego delivers reliable performance in a focused package.
FAQ
Who owns Intego?
Currently, Intego is owned by Kape Technologies. This UK-based computer software company acquired Intego back in 2018. Kape Technologies owns a few other major brands – for example, they acquired Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN in 2019.
Does Intego slow down Mac?
Intego is designed specifically for macOS, so it generally shouldn’t slow down your Mac. If you’re experiencing performance issues, it’s more likely due to other factors such as your hardware, running multiple resource-intensive applications, or other software conflicts, rather than Intego itself.
Is Intego trustworthy?
Yes, Intego is a trustworthy and legitimate antivirus solution for Mac devices. It offers comprehensive protection against all kinds of cyberthreats, helps with device performance optimization, and protects your information online with its firewall and VPN solutions.
