MacKeeper Antivirus Review

Florence McNeil

February 9, 2022

Reading time: 10 minutes

The escalation of advanced computer programs today has facilitated a proportionate rise in computer viruses of the same level of complexity. As a result, more and more vendors are investing in the Antivirus landscape. MacKeeper Antivirus is one of the newbies gaining a lot of popularity. Some say it’s a scam, and others argue it’s legit but aggressive on its advertising. In this MacKeeper review, we are going to demystify all the myths and misconceptions around this antivirus to help you make an informed decision.

MacKeeper is an antivirus designed for MacOS. If you are a Mac user, chances are you have probably once bumped into one of Mackeeper’s aggressive ads. It is due to this hostile advertising modus operandi that MacKeeper has even been misinterpreted to be a virus by some users.

Fortunately, its new owner, Kromtech alliance Corp doesn’t implement this aggressive marketing approach. Ever since procuring MacKeeper, Kromtech alliance has been making efforts to fix the antivirus’ tarnished image. Its former owner Zeobit LLC is infamous for aggressive marketing and has even faced a class-action lawsuit after allegedly convincing users to pay for additional computer fixes.

If you carefully look at most of MacKeeper reviews flooding the internet, you will see that most of the backlash is not really about the efficiency of the antivirus, but it’s marketing tactics and pricing. It’s not the product, but the marketing tactics to blame.

MacKeeper Highlights

The Mackeeper utility kit comprises several packages, which include a memory cleaner, duplicate finder, smart uninstaller, anti-theft, update tracker, files finder, among others. These features are a monthly subscription. The MacKeeper kit contains a whopping 17 tune-up tools. However, considering Mac devices also come with inbuilt protective features, not all of these 17 features are essential. In fact, eight out of these seventeen applications already come free in Mac devices, and they perform much the same action as those paid in MacKeeper kit.

The other half of the tools found in the MacKeeper antivirus kit are quite unique and are worthy of investment. These tools include Adware Cleaner, Internet Security, and Memory Cleaner, among others. Having all these essential cleanup tools in one gear also serves as an advantage and allows ease of operation. MacKeeper also comes with malware, phishing, and ransomware protection features and has a dedicated customer support service.

Why MacKeeper Antivirus

Mackeeper provides a high level of privacy and allows users to surf the internet without being interrupted by ads seamlessly. Problems such as identity theft and invasion of personal data become a distant memory. Furthermore, the antivirus can also tune up device performance by scrapping online and offline junk files. At the same time, it will protect your device from threats such as malware and other internet threats. Another essential feature is the update tracker, which tracks outdated applications and quickly updates them in a few clicks. The tools that comprise the utility kit collectively work to improve the performance and security of Mac devices.

MacKeeper is Best for?

• Mackeeper Antivirus is best for Mac users who need protection from malware and viruses
• Users looking for an antivirus program that comes with a performance tune-up utility kit
• For people who need security for their devices from theft
• It’s also best for people looking for a program with better privacy features

MacKeeper Pros and Cons

Reliability and Security

MacKeeper antivirus is quite reliable and true to its claims. The tools in the utility kit do what they are claimed to do. The anti-theft features are excellent and can be very handy if your device gets stolen. To protect your privacy, MacKeeper blocks spyware associated with phishing and ransomware.

Malware Protection

Internet security has become a big deal for today’s antivirus buyers. While most antivirus programs serve their purpose of blocking malware, the big question is efficiency. Mackeeper can protect your device from malware, but it may not be the most effective solution out there. According to tests conducted by AV-Comparatives testing lab, they found a decline in Mackeeper’s ability to detect malware from 2012 up to date.

For Mac users, malware is not a crucial challenge, though; phishing is now possibly the bigger problem. It’s safe to say Mac malware exists. However, most of the malware attacks on their devices were due to Java insecurity. Since java was removed, the problem has been minimized.

Scanning Options

Like any other antivirus software, MacKeeper gives you the option to do a full system scan. The scanning duration depends on the total number of files scanned and their sizes. You can also run a custom scan for a specific file or folder. The device speed of performance can also dictate the length of the scan. The Mackeeper antivirus provides triple-layer protection. That means when you scan; firstly, there is the identification of sites and apps that are trusted. The second scan is for signatures that are consistent with malware, and finally, if any malware is detected, it is secluded and deactivated before it can act. The antivirus thus needs continuous updates to improve the capacity to detect and clamp down the latest threats.

Phishing Protection

Phishing might be old school; however, cyber criminals are still using it to trick users into exposing their private personal information such as credit cards, passwords, and bank account details.  Often they send you fake emails or redirect you to counterfeit websites that look legitimate. Phishing baits are getting more and more cunning. It is where MacKeeper’s anti-phishing features come into the picture. The antivirus claims to protect its users’ privacy by blocking malware and spyware related to phishing. By so doing, users can browse safely with no worries over their privacy. Many other antiviruses offer anti-phishing features, although it’s hard to tell how efficient they are. No third party tests on anti-phishing abilities have been carried out on Mackeeper so far.

MacKeeper Additional Features

Mackeeper offers additional features to boost device performance. These features are:

• Full disk space
• Safe cleanup
• Duplicate finder
• Smart uninstaller
• ID Theft guard
• StopAd
• VPN Private Connect

The additional features in Mackeeper are mainly for managing space and enhancing the performance of the device. The antivirus deletes junk files and duplicates files on the computer to provide extra HDD space. The smart uninstaller completely removes the trash left by uninstalled apps, browser extensions, and plugins, which drag device performance.

Among the additional features are also security features such as the ID Theft guard, which is responsible for the safekeeping of private data. The StopAd generally blocks spyware and web trackers intending to attack. A VPN Private Connect was added to secure your public internet connections, such as free Wi-Fi.

ID Theft Guard

Statistically, most cases of identity theft are never solved, mainly because the victims have no idea how their personal data was stolen. That’s why modern-day users need ID theft protection. As a leading antivirus solution for the Mac systems, MacKeeper comes with a built-in module called the ID Theft Guard. It’s a highly capable feature that will keep you safe while shopping/banking online.

Here’s how identity theft protection works: whenever there’s a breach, and your data goes public, you get a warning message. The specialists at the company monitor users’ accounts 24/7 and inform about any suspicious activity immediately. Once you get an alert, it would be wise to change the passwords on every single account you own.

That’s because we usually share vital information (credit card number, address, email, payment details) that the criminals can use. Just provide ID Theft Guard with an active email address, and it will check it for breaches.

StopAD

While ads are not nearly as dangerous as ransomware, phishing malware, and keyloggers, they can be quite annoying. Besides, ad trackers violate user privacy and collect info on “behavioral habits” to know exactly what kind of ads each user might like. Furthermore, advertisements can have a strong impact on the bandwidth and make websites load up slower.

StopAD is a 100% free browser extension for Chrome and Safari (the Mac versions). Lightweight and practical – those are the best words to describe this module. During our test, we were pleased by its performance. There aren’t many tweaks available with this feature, and you can still find it on the main dashboard of the MacKeeper.

Is MacKeeper Enough for Protection

Mackeeper is true to its purpose of protecting Mac devices from viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware. From what we have gathered, the bigger question is on efficiency relative to its competitors on the market. The premium version of this product could offer something tangible and has good value for money, but the Basic and Standard subscriptions are rather expensive and unnecessary.

MacKeeper Privacy Features

The utility kit comprises of features that protect personal private data from cyber-attacks. It is claimed to have anti-phishing features that readily block spyware and malware online. It allows users to browse safely without fear for identity theft, credit card fraud, among others. The only challenge here is no third party MacKeeper antivirus review tests on anti-phishing have been published yet. Besides, a VPN private connect was made available to protect Mac devices in public Wi-Fi connections. More features are available in the kit, such as the ID Theft guard, all to keep a user’s privacy safe.

If these features work as they are claimed to do, that means Mackeeper is, to some extent, way better than most antivirus software. As the tech-world is growing more and more complex, cybercrime is also getting more sophisticated. Mac users are not immune to cyber-attacks. Although Mac computers have less need for virus protection, it’s crucial to have phishing and ransomware protection for Mac users. They are the biggest threats to Macs. On paper, MacKeeper’s privacy features can be trusted; however, more tests need to be conducted to pass the final verdict.

MacKeeper Cleaning Features

The cleaning features are mainly meant to help optimize device performance. According to most user reviews, the performance tune-up kit is unnecessary. That is because they already come built-in free of charge in Mac devices.

The upside to having them integrated with Mackeeper is you get to optimize and clean your device with a single click of a button whenever you want. Mackeeper has cleaning features such as the adware cleaner, duplicate finder, smart uninstaller, memory cleaner, and shredder, among others. These features can be activated at the click of a button. For those who don’t have the time to dig into the system to run system diagnostics, Mackeeper can do it for you in the background.

Due to this, there are some reports claiming performance issues with their devices after running Mackeeper. It could have been the software or something else. Nevertheless, a significant majority celebrate these features. The performance tune-up apps in Mackeeper deliver what they were claimed to provide. Overall, most users agree that MacKeeper helps their Macs work much more efficiently and preserves storage and RAM space.

MacKeeper Performance Features

MacKeeper has some great performance features, and out of the 17 essentials in the kit, these are some of the best;

• Internet security – for protection from malware all over the internet
• Adware cleaner – for thwarting annoying ads and their malicious viruses
• Memory cleaner – for removing applications from RAM and enhancing speed
• Geek on demand – for the user to have contact with an expert when there is troubleshooting
• smart installer – helps to delete unwanted applications and their libraries
• duplicate finder – removes replica files which otherwise take up much space from the device
• shredder – for permanently erasing files and making them impossible to restore
• files recovery – for recovering deleted files
• fast cleanup – for removal of junk such as caches and logs from applications
• ID Theft guard – is an anti-phishing feature designed to block identity theft, spyware and other types of attacks by hackers
• VPN private connects – for securing your public internet connections from intrusions.

All these features and much more work as they are claimed to improve device performance and security at the click of a button. Despite a lot of criticism, MacKeeper delivers on its functions.

Download and Installation

Downloading and installing MacKeeper is a hassle-free process. There are only about three steps to follow to have the program running smoothly in your computer and these are;

• Download the file through the link on their website;
• after the download is complete, you click to install the file and follow the prompts until the installation is complete;
• As soon as the installation is complete, you can start the scan to unravel all the program features into your computer.

User Interface

MacKeeper comes with a minimalist interface that is very sleek and attractive. The menu is easy to navigate, and the overall layout of icons is perfect and well arranged. Unlike many other programs, Mackeeper was designed in a manner that allows regular users to operate and find their way into available features easily. The user is required to sign up to access features such as customer support, anti-theft, among others. That is not a new thing as it is consistent with many other antivirus programs. All in all, there are no challenges or complaints that have been made concerning Mackeeper’s interface.

MacKeeper Pricing and Package Features

Mackeeper gives its customers various subscription options in acquiring the antivirus. The subscriptions are categorized into three classes — basic, standard, and premium plans.

• The basic subscription – $14.95 monthly; one month plan
• The standard subscription – $9.94 monthly; six-month plan
• The premium subscription – $4.21 monthly; one year plan

For MacKeeper pricing plans, it’s cheaper to subscribe to the premium edition. That way, the plan lasts longer, and the overall price is lower than if you pay monthly.

If you go premium, you will get full customer support services with access to technicians from the Apple Company when you need help. The basic plan has few benefits, and you won’t have access to essential features like the anti-theft feature, which helps you recover your device if it’s stolen. Neither will you have access to seamless customer support services that are enjoyed by the premium subscriber. A premium client will have access to Apple professionals when in need of technical help.

Mackeeper’s pricing plan is quite strange, considering the empty Basic subscription is incredibly expensive. However, premium users get the best value for their investment. Mackeeper allows its premium clients to pay full subscriptions for the whole year at once. That also goes for the standard subscription.

MacKeeper Trial and Free Versions

Mackeeper allows its users to try out the product before they commit to paid versions. However, the free version is limited. Using the free version comes with a limited amount of features; the free version can only optimize your computer to a certain extent. To fully try out the product, some people purchase the premium version because MacKeeper promises a money-back guarantee for unsatisfied customers. The money-back-guarantee states that whatever problems you encounter, efforts will be made to solve them. If they can’t be fixed, then the subscription will be canceled, and your money is refunded. With Mackeeper, it’s recommended to rather go for the money-back guarantee rather than the free version that has almost nothing to offer.

Money-Back Guarantee

Mackeeper offers a money-back guarantee which allows a user to subscribe and, if not satisfied with the product, get their money back. Keep in mind that the subscription has to be canceled within two weeks after acquiring the software for you to get a refund.

Support and Customer Services

MacKeeper antivirus allows access to support services for all users, whether running on the unpaid or paid version. Contact can be made via live chat and emails. Premium subscribers get access to professionals directly from Apple, who will assist them step by step regarding the problems they are facing. One of the cool features of the premium edition is the remote assistance tool for customer support. This feature allows technicians to resolve issues with your Mac remotely without the need to be physically available. These services are available anytime, be it on call, email, or live chat. These services are on point and are offered 24/7. That is one aspect MacKeeper doesn’t disappoint. You would never have a headache troubleshooting your device. Most of MacKeeper’s competitors aren’t as alert in terms of response rate and dedication to resolving issues. If you purchase this antivirus, you are sure to get the maximum support you need.

MacKeeper Alternatives and Competitors

• MacKeeper vs Intego
• MacKeeper vs TotalAV
• MacKeeper vs Kaspersky
• MacKeeper vs Norton
• MacKeeper vs AVAST

Final Verdict

There is growing competition for more efficient antivirus utility packs out there. Over the years, MacKeeper was ruled to be a malicious virus by both professionals and the online community, and this infamous reputation cannot be cleared easily. What can be made known is that MacKeeper is not a virus? It is an antivirus of average performance. Like any other antivirus in the market, it has its strengths and weaknesses. From the analysis of its features against performance, the product isn’t so bad to use for the protection of your Mac. However, it’s not the best on the market. The decision to purchase or not lies with the user’s discretion after a trial period.