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Best for Premium Features
Best Value
We’ve researched antivirus products for iOS and found that the three best antivirus software programs for the iPhone are Norton, McAfee, and Avira.
Norton has been around for years and offers an impressive lineup of security features, such as Wi-Fi protection and online browsing protection. McAfee offers email monitoring to help you stay ahead of phishing scams. Avira offers a free mobile security plan that also includes a complimentary virtual private network (VPN). Let’s dive into the details about why we chose these antivirus products and how they can boost your iPhone security.
Many of us already have software in place to protect our PCs and Macs from computer viruses but neglected to secure our mobile devices. If you have an iPhone and are considering extra protection, you’re in the right place. Here are our recommendations for the best antivirus apps for iOS:
| Antivirus | 
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| Star rating | |||
| iOS App price | $19.99/first yr | $29.99/yr | Free |
| App Store rating | 4.7 out of 5 | 4.7 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 |
| EICAR test results | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled |
| Real-time protection | |||
| Wi-Fi network protection | |||
| Phishing protection | |||
| Ransomware protection | |||
| 24/7 customer support | |||
| Learn more | Get Norton Mobile Security | Get McAfee Security & Wifi Privacy | Read Avira Review |
When searching for the best antivirus software for your iPhone, we looked at a number of factors. We know each person is different and not everyone wants the same features.
For our testing purposes, we looked for the best antivirus products for those considering their budgets and available security features, such as spyware and phishing protection. Some programs come with a wide range of tools to keep your iPhone more secure, such as VPNs and data breach scanning, so we also considered those.
Lastly, we also considered ease of use for both the free app (if available) and the paid version.
4 plans available, all including antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection, Cloud backup, and a secure password manager
Option to add VPN connection, dark web monitoring, privacy monitoring, and more
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS on up to 10 devices depending on plan
Norton's Mobile Security, also called Norton 360 Antivirus & Security, is best for those wanting to protect their iPhone against ransomware, spyware, malware, and other cyber threats with premium features.
If you use your iPhone for everything, Norton offers protection for things such as online banking and public Wi-Fi. It also includes a VPN so your internet traffic is encrypted while you’re on the go.
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One of the things we liked most about Norton’s iPhone antivirus is that it checks for the latest security patches and iOS updates. That’s a crucial step for an antivirus to stop current malware from infecting your device.
Norton covers all the critical security layers, and the antivirus protects you with SMS security that helps keep your text messages and iOS calendar invites free of phishing links. With so many people getting random texts, that’s a nice perk.
Also, if you’re using public Wi-Fi, Norton notifies you whether the network is potentially unsafe. This Wi-Fi security feature can help you thwart potential security threats and, paired with the VPN, help secure your internet connection. Norton’s iPhone antivirus also monitors the dark web and notifies you if your personal information is for sale.
You can use the free 14-day trial but only if you sign up for an annual subscription. (And even if you want to forgo the trial, you still have to sign up for a subscription.) Then, if you choose not to keep the software, you must cancel it through the App Store or Google Play Store.
That makes using Norton somewhat frustrating since you can’t test out its app beforehand.
To make sure we're getting the full picture of what Norton 360 can do, we looked at malware detection scores from independent antivirus testers. We checked AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs, three trustworthy sources of antivirus capabilities.
| Norton 360 | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.97% |
| SE Labs results | 99% |
| EICAR score | 3/3 |
| Learn more | Get Norton Mobile Security |
Premium antivirus, scam, and web protection, plus a VPN, identity monitoring, and secure password manager
Added peace of mind with 24/7 expert online support and McAfee’s Virus Protection Pledge
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and ChromeOS on up to 5 devices
McAfee is another great antivirus option that offers a free plan. You get phishing and spyware security, which are both big issues for anyone online these days. It’s also a light app and good for anyone who wants their antivirus running in the background without slowing down their phone.
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McAfee provides identity monitoring for email addresses, Social Security numbers, passport info, and bank accounts. With so many cyber threats related to identity theft, that’s a big plus for any antivirus product. When there’s an identity breach, you’ll get immediate notification so you can take action quickly to prevent further damage.
It also has a number of cleanup tools, including ways to clean your data from data broker sites and reviewing your online accounts for data exposure risk. You can also protect your device while browsing online with its safe browsing tools that blocks malicious websites and a VPN to encrypt your connection.
On top of all this, McAfee’s iOS app has a system scan that looks for the latest operating system updates, which helps you patch any vulnerabilities and avoid current malware issues.
There’s no clear direction on what to do if your phone gets infected. The McAfee website shows that your mobile device can get a virus, but offers virus scans only for Android devices. What if you need to get rid of iPhone malware?
Plus, if you use McAfee Mobile Security, you only get protection on one device. To get security on multiple devices, you’d need to upgrade to a different plan, such as McAfee Total Protection.
When we tested McAfee, we also checked testing results from other independent antivirus testers to see how well McAfee detects malware. The three testers we looked at were AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs, all trustworthy sources.
| McAfee Mobile Security | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | N/A |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.91% |
| SE Labs results | 100% |
| EICAR score | 3/3 |
| Learn more | Get McAfee Security & Wifi Privacy |
Tried and true real-time antivirus protection
Free plan comes with antivirus protection, software updates, and web protection
With Avira, you get free antivirus security on one device that protects you against theft and scammers. It may not offer as many features as the others, but you still get basic security for your iPhone without paying premium prices.
Avira may also be the top choice if you feel your iOS device is already mostly secure and you don’t need extra security features such as online shopping and identity protection. That’s why many people buy iPhone vs. Android devices. Still, if you can get antivirus for free, the boost in cybersecurity may be worth the download.
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We like the no-frills option Avira offers. We know Apple is serious about security and, as such, only allows downloads from the App Store. We also know that even though Avira is a free app, Apple wouldn’t allow it in the store if it didn’t abide by strict security guidelines. Many free apps may try to get around security policies, but not Avira.
Avira gives you anti-theft protection and helps you recover stolen or lost iPhone or iPad devices from your dashboard. We also like the free VPN you get that gives you even better protection while using public Wi-Fi. Another feature we thought was good to have is blocking Siri from recording your conversations.
Although Avira offers a reliable free antivirus, it’s not exactly feature-heavy. It’s more of a minimalistic app.
We do like the added VPN, but you get a traffic limit of 100 MB per day. If you want unlimited data, you’ll need to buy the Phantom VPN Pro plan for an extra $10.00/mo. Also, to get Avira’s safe online shopping features and protection against malicious websites, you’ll need to upgrade to the Avira Mobile Security Pro plan.
We looked at malware detection rates from other independent testers to see if Avira is a reliably good antivirus. We looked at scores from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs, three trustworthy antivirus testers.
| Avira Mobile Security | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 17.5/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 17.5/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 17/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.95% |
| SE Labs results | 88% |
| EICAR score | 3/3 |
| Learn more | Read Avira Antivirus Review |
There are a couple of antivirus programs we think are still top-notch but didn’t make the top three spots. These include Avast and TotalAV.
We’ve all heard people say that Apple products don’t need antivirus software, but that’s not the case. With Apple devices becoming increasingly popular, they become a bigger target for hackers and cybercriminals.
If you use a Mac alongside your iPhone, we’ve chosen four antivirus programs to keep your device safe and working smoothly:
Cleanup tools optimize space
Easy-to-use interface
An iPhone needs an antivirus if you want an extra layer of security protection. Apple has rigid security structures in place, but hackers are smart and always working to bypass mobile infrastructures.
Apple has built-in security features that help protect your data and minimize the information that’s available to anyone but you, but it doesn’t have built-in antivirus. macOS, on the other hand, has built-in antivirus called XProtect that searches for and removes malware.
Other than XProtect, there isn’t a specific antivirus that Apple recommends using. All apps obtained from the Apple App Store are sandboxed to provide the highest level of security, which makes iPhone apps likely more secure than those found in the Google Play Store.
Out of the available antivirus products on the market today, we found Norton, Avira, and McAfee to be the top three antivirus apps for iPhone. Close runners-up were Avast and TotalAV. These five options offer many helpful features most users want. Whether you want something on the budget-friendly side or an antivirus loaded with layers of protection, these programs have what you need.
If you want to pay extra for premium features, such as SMS text protection, you could opt for Norton Mobile Security. But for those who want to start with a free antivirus app, Avira or McAfee are hard to beat. We think you’ll be happy with any of them, but the choice comes down to your desired features and antivirus budget.
| Starting price | Best for | Details | |
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$19.99/first yr | Best for premium security features | Get Norton
Read Norton Review |
|
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$29.99/yr | Best for identity protection | Get McAfee
Read McAfee Review |
|
|
Free | Best value | Read Avira Review |
4 plans available, all including antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection, Cloud backup, and a secure password manager
Option to add VPN connection, dark web monitoring, privacy monitoring, and more
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS on up to 10 devices depending on plan
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Can be expensive for multi-device coverage
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