MacKeeper antivirus review

MacKeeper is a Mac-dedicated antivirus software that offers an advanced and uncommon suite of security which will keep your protection up to date.

And since you're already here, I’m aware that you know the fact that Mac devices aren’t immune to viruses and malware. And one of the threat prevention tools that could be used is MacKeeper.

This antivirus software offers plenty of security and privacy features that will be handy for fighting infections. With MacKeeper, you get an antivirus, an adware cleaner, a built-in VPN, a smart uninstaller, and even more! All these goodies will not only keep you protected but they'll also boost your Mac’s performance.

In this MacKeeper review, I'll take a detailed look at its security, interface, pricing, and other key points, so you could get a better image of it. Perhaps MacKeeper is going to be your new security tool? Well, continue reading and let’s find that out!

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MacKeeper pros & cons

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Is MacKeeper safe?

Yes, MacKeeper is safe. But, the rumor has it, MacKeeper isn’t the smartest choice for increasing your Mac’s security. The reason behind that is it has used tricky ways in the past to attract more users by offering a free download of the app and asking to pay for it afterward. Also, the software used to be difficult to remove from your device.

However, MacKeeper is now owned by Clario Tech which is approved by AppEsteem – a world-leading cybersecurity company. Therefore, MacKeeper claims to be more secure now.

While testing MacKeeper myself, I could only see detections of potentially unwanted applications and riskware. Also, older version applications were detected as scareware. However, those are commonly detected by other antivirus programs as well. So my trust in MacKeeper has increased at this point.

Nevertheless, it’s worth taking a better look at independent testing results to have a better understanding.

Well, we can see that MacKeeper has perfectly blocked Av-Comparatives 538 samples. To be exact, it has successfully blocked 100% of the threats provided.

And even though the PUA detection rate is a bit lower – 98%, it still proves to be a trustworthy security tool. I mean, even Avira Antivirus, which is one of the best antivirus software, has scored 96%, so MacKeeper has beaten it up at this stage. But it could be even better.

What I didn’t like is that MacKeeper lacks some important protection features, for example, web protection or parental controls. So, it’s quite paradoxical since it offers lots of other security and non-security tools for preventing malware and improving your Mac’s behavior.

Alternatively, we recommend getting a full-power antivirus software like TotalAV. It's one of the leading antivirus on the market and our top provider in terms of performance.

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With MacKeeper, you get a few security features, such as the ID theft guard that will track your data breaches and an update tracker for keeping all your apps to date and preventing security gaps in them. It's also worth mentioning the Smart uninstaller which helps you to fully get rid of unwanted programs. And to save up some space on your device, the duplicates finder will help you out.

MacKeeper security features

MacKeeper is ready to offer you a rich and useful security baggage. With it, you'll hardly miss out on the system’s and personal data’s security gaps. In other words, you get to scan your device for malware any time you want, track data breaches over your online accounts, and even hide your browsing history from your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Although it lacks some essential features that include ransomware and web protection, or parental controls, its currently implemented features will definitely improve your Macs safety.

System scans

MacKeeper has implemented a system scan feature called Find & Fix. Within a click, the tool scans your Mac for viruses, security threats, junk files, and performance items that might be bothering your device.

It can be a really useful feature that helps you take a look at your overall security. And if a threat is detected, you can instantly take actions to get rid of it.

Antivirus scanner

With the use of the Antivirus scanner, you will jump on a quest to detect any malicious data, malware, and viruses on your device. You can find it under the "Antivirus" section.

Unfortunately, there is no possibility to pick a quick scan, yet you can still go for a custom scan that lets you choose what files you wish to scan. Alternatively, a full scan is available to detect malware no matter the corner of your Mac.

Also, MacKeeper doesn’t inform you on how many files got scanned, so you can never be sure whether your entire system got checked.

Update tracker

Each application update improves the security of a program, so it’s crucial to keep all your apps up to date. With the use of the Update tracker, your applications will have no security gaps that hackers could take advantage of as it monitors for the latest versions of most of your apps.

It’s great to know that MacKeeper looks for new updates up to 5 times a day. And once outdated app is detected, you can fix that within a click.

Additionally, you can create a list of applications that you don’t want to update. That list is called the Do Not Update list – shouldn’t be too hard to find, right?

Login item scanner

If your Mac takes longer to start, then it’s a good idea to check what programs start alongside. The Login item scanner allows you to manage what apps should and shouldn’t run once you open your Mac.

Moreover, not only can you limit the number of apps on start-up, but you'll also be able to detect potentially malicious programs with the help of this feature.

Sometimes you can discover potentially malicious programs that you didn’t even know existed on your Mac and (obviously) didn’t want to run in the background. Those programs are often attachments from apps that you have downloaded from unofficial sources and they can be dangerous. Consequently, stopping them might save you from a threat.

ID theft guard

Online identity theft might leave you with stolen sensitive information or money without you even noticing until it’s too late. But with the ID theft guard you will be informed about data breaches that might threaten you before the damage is done.

The feature looks after your email address, passwords, credit card number, and more. Plus, your sensitive information is monitored all the time and you receive an alert if it gets exposed.

Private connect (VPN)

It never feels great knowing that you are watched and tracked. Therefore, getting a built-in VPN that is going to hide your real IP address and encrypt your data will be a strong step towards improving your online privacy. As a result, no one will know about those kitten videos you like to watch.

MacKeeper’s VPN uses the AES-256 encryption, which is the strongest one out there, and the WebRTC and DNS leak protection. Plus, you can even choose from over 300 servers in 50 countries and some of the servers are optimized for P2P file sharing (meaning you'll be able to enjoy torrenting).

StopAD

Adware is a tricky danger that easily jumps into your device and causes harm, including viruses, malware, and, eventually, crashes your device. To avoid malicious ads an ad blocker is a must, hence MacKeeper offers you the feature called StopAD. With it, you will stop unwanted pop-ups, banners, and video ads from getting into your sight.

StopAD is a browser extension that’s only available on Chrome and Safari. However, once the tool is installed on your browser, it will always run in the background automatically.

When this feature is enabled, it block ads and stop trackers from following your online activity.

Once you jump on the MacKeeper’s deck, you don't only get tools to fight against viruses, malware, and adware. You can also enjoy features that will help you get rid of unwanted software from your Mac, a memory cleaner that will increase your device’s speed, and even more.

Plans and pricing

With MacKeeper, you have 4 subscription options to go for. Frankly, one of them is free, yet, with it, you may try out all the features only once. However, the same suite of security applies to every other subscription. The only differences are the length of subscriptions, the number of devices that are going to be protected, and, of course, the price.

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Speaking of price, MacKeeper is somewhat expensive if you take a glance at what they offer compared to other providers for the same or even a better price.

If you decide to join MacKeeper, you get the possibility to change your mind in 14 days with its money-back guarantee. This is quite a short term considering most of the providers give you 30 days. Yet, it’s still better than none. Also, let’s not forget the free version that you can benefit from by taking a glance at what the software looks like.

Is MacKeeper worth the money?

MacKeeper’s money worth depends on your needs. Although MacKeeper provides you with a decent amount of security tools that also work pretty well, it still lacks important features.

I mean, a web protection feature for keeping away from phishing and scam is essential. The same situation is with email protection – we surely do receive more emails nowadays, even our grandmas send postcards over there. But what if a grandma accidentally sends you an infected attachment? Email protection would be a lifesaver here.

One more important thing to point out is that you can only protect Mac devices with MacKeeper. Therefore, a plan for 3 devices becomes even more expensive if you have only 2 Macs, for example.

And it seems to be unfair that there are no apps for iOS, while Intego - Mac users respected antivirus – offers its services for both Mac and iOS. So the issue is that you are very limited with MacKeeper in terms of protecting your all essential gadgets.

All in all, MacKeeper is a proper choice for protecting your Mac device. It’s great to have software that is specifically designed for your OS, so you don’t get to use undeveloped features. And the interface is also attractive.

But keeping in mind that you miss out on important features while you could have that and even more with other Mac-dedicated antivirus programs for a reasonable price might be a good thing to do.

Ease of use and setup

Every user expects to have a smooth experience with the product from the very beginning. MacKeeper is no exception.

The installation process with it is casual – something that you had definitely seen before. However, since macOS had interface changes itself, hence some application instructions don’t match the device’s features or buttons. Therefore, you can’t blindly trust MacKeeper’s instructions while installing the software.

After you install the program, there are two possible ways to set it up. One of them includes subscribing to a paid plan straight from the application. The second one requires you to provide an activation code that you receive in your email if you bought a subscription before downloading the app.

After you activate the subscription, almost all of the tools are enabled. That is, except for the real-time protection and monitoring features which are still easy to enable manually.

MacKeeper interface

MacKeeper is extremely user-friendly. It’s both intuitive and a candy to the eye. Everything you would need for optimizing your device’s security and performance is placed in a way so you could easily spot and manage them.

All possible security tools are placed on the left side of the screen. And after you choose to enable a certain feature, it’s going to fill the rest of the screen, so you will clearly see what’s going on.

However, I lacked some short explanations about the features inside of the application. It always takes some time to learn what each feature is responsible for. Therefore, having an explanation would allow you to have a smoother experience while navigating through the app.

Nevertheless, in case you need help from an expert, you can contact him straight from an app. There is a specific section at the top right corner that offers you customer support. And you can also minimize the section if you aren't experiencing any issues.

Overall, the experience with MacKeeper in terms of ease of use and the interface is fairly excellent. You can access everything fast and easy. You don’t have to break your neck trying to find an important feature. What’s also great is that the program is well-designed. So your time spent on it won’t only be helpful but also quite entertaining. Yet, keep in mind that if you decide to go for a free version, you will soon get prompted to upgrade to fully enjoy MacKeeper’s security.

Customer support

With MacKeeper, you can choose from several customer support options: 24/7 live chat, email, FAQs, and MacKeeper community blog. And it’s always fantastic to have options to pick from, yet MacKeeper struggled to perform well via live chat and email.

To test its customer support, I first contacted them through a live chat. To my surprise, the team responded very quickly. However, the following experience wasn’t so good. I asked some questions regarding MacKeeper's mobile application but, unfortunately, they couldn't provide a straightforward answer. And the further process of transferring to different agents was taking longer than expected.

Regarding MacKeeper’s email support, the situation was quite similar, except the response time was not as fast (it might even take a few days). Although the agent answers you in a polite way, the answers are not very helpful. So you might be left alone with no clear explanation.

I would also like to note that while I was chatting with an agent, I received a message saying that this time, I won’t be charged for the help, alluding to the fact that next time customer support won’t be a free service.

Nonetheless, MacKeeper offers a great FAQ on its official website. I found it very detailed and helpful. Plus, you won’t need to pay for it after using it once.

How good is MacKeeper antivirus?

MacKeeper isn’t the best choice you could go for to defend your Mac device from viruses and malware. In spite of it offering a variety of useful features that can improve your device’s security and performance, it still needs to catch up on several vital antivirus features. For example, malicious URLs and ransomware protection.

Moreover, MacKeeper ends up as an overpriced antivirus. The offered suite of security is not as good as it could be for such amount of money. And you are only able to protect your Mac device excluding every other OS.

You can truly find a better protection package for a better price, including providers like Bitdefender or TotalAV that are some of the top antiviruses on the market. Besides, you can find more alternatives on our list of best antivirus software for Mac.

But if you are looking for a Mac-dedicated, nice-looking, and easy-to-use antivirus software – MacKeeper might be a good choice.

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