Norton 360 for MacOS 2024 review

Norton Antivirus was first released in 1991, after which it quickly established itself as one of the most recognized antivirus solutions in the industry. It wasn’t until 1998 that Norton introduced protection for Mac users, and in 2006, Norton introduced Norton 360, an all-in-one security suite. Combining its traditional antivirus protection with additional features, including a firewall and system optimization tools, the comprehensive solution has become popular.

In this review, we look in-depth at Norton 360 for MacOS. We’ll explore the various subscription options and their respective prices, walk through the signup and setup process, and even test Norton 360’s effectiveness against malware and how it performs. Norton 360 is our top-rated antivirus overall, but how does it fare for the MacOS operating system? By the end of this review, you’ll have a clear answer.

Norton 360 for MacOS summary

Norton 360 for MacOS gets a lot right. It provided impressive protection and performance in our own testing, backed up by its excellent scores from independent testing labs. Its Mac app is straightforward to use and navigate, but if you do need help, Norton provides 24/7 live support. The number of features on offer is also impressive, but it’s a shame there’s no free option for this antivirus. Further, prices are on the expensive side after the first year of subscription.

Norton 360 for MacOS pros and cons

How much does Norton 360 for MacOS cost?

Norton offers no shortage of subscription plan options. There are four to choose from, all offering differing levels of features, hence the varying prices.

Norton Antivirus Plus

An entry-level Norton Antivirus subscription, Norton Antivirus Plus covers the basics. Currently priced at USD $29.99 for the first year, it includes the following:

• Real-time protection from viruses and malware
• Smart firewall
• Password manager
• 2 GB of cloud backup
• Virus protection promise

Norton Antivirus Plus, by default, covers only one device. However, you can select a five-device option instead, raising the price to $39.99 for the first year. Norton Antivirus Plus automatically renews at $59.99 a year ($84.99 for five devices).

Norton 360 Standard

The entry Norton 360 plan, which we’re covering in this review, is Norton 360 Standard. It offers all of the same features as Norton Antivirus Plus, Norton Secure VPN, and dark web monitoring. It also covers more devices – a total of three in all. As a result, it’s a little more expensive than Norton Antivirus Plus at $39.99 for the first year ($94.99/year on renewal).

Norton 360 Deluxe

Norton 360 Deluxe protects five devices and, on top of all the features from the Standard plan, adds a Privacy Monitor, Parental Controls, and an increased allowance of 50 GB of cloud backup. Unfortunately, the parental controls aren’t available on MacOS, making this less attractive unless you also plan to use it on Windows, Android, or iOS devices. It’s priced at $49.99 for the first year and renews at $119.99/year.

Norton 360 with LifeLock Select

Norton 360 with LifeLock Select is Norton’s premium protection. Of course, it includes all of the features from Norton 360 Deluxe. The big difference is that it adds LifeLock identity theft protection. LifeLock monitors the use of your personal information, alerting you to possible threats so you can protect your identity.

Other features include credit monitoring and reimbursement for stolen funds. LifeLock Select covers 10 devices and includes 250 GB of cloud backup. It’s also the most expensive plan, at $99.99 for the first year. The renewal price is $189.99 a year.

What are Norton 360’s system requirements?

Norton 360 is available for multiple versions of MacOS, so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue. Version 8.8.x supports MacOS Catalina (10.15) and later. Norton also offers versions compatible with older releases, going back to Yosemite (10.10). I tested Norton 360 on MacOS Sequoia (15.1).

Signing up for Norton 360 for macOS

Signing up with Norton was self-explanatory. You’ll first need to choose the subscription plan that best fits your security needs. The signup page requests your email address. Through this, you’ll receive a link to create a secure password for your new Norton account. It’s also where you’ll receive any essential alerts and updates (as well as all of the non-essential stuff you can decline).

The usual payment methods, such as credit card and PayPal, are available. Unfortunately, there’s no option to cancel auto-renewal from signup. Instead, you must remember to turn off automatic renewal after signing up.

Once you’ve paid, you’ll receive an email to set your password (your email address is your username). You can then log in to the Norton dashboard to download Norton 360 for MacOS.

I found installation very quick, although getting set up takes a few minutes. You’ll want to grant Norton the necessary permissions to protect your system in real-time. Norton makes this relatively easy with straightforward step-by-step instructions and shortcut buttons that take you to the relevant menu of System Settings. Once these steps are complete, you’re all finished with the setup.

How effective is Norton 360 for macOS against malware?

Norton 360 may offer impressive features, but the key question is how well it holds up when preventing viruses and malware. To find out, I ran my own tests and compared my findings with those of independent testing labs such as AV-Comparatives and AV-Test.

First, I tested Norton 360 with malware samples from The European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR). These are harmless test files that are designed to trigger antivirus alerts. They’re a good way to safely check that antivirus software works without exposing a system to malware.

Norton 360’s testing results

Here’s how Norton 360 got on with EICAR’s four samples:

• EICAR Sample 1: Blocked
• EICAR Sample 2: Blocked
• EICAR Sample 3: Blocked
• EICAR Sample 4: Blocked

The good news is that Norton blocked all four samples in real time. Three of the four couldn’t even be downloaded, while the fourth, a double-zipped .com2-zip file, was downloaded but immediately detected and quarantined. So far, so good.

I was not content with limiting testing only to malware samples, so I tested three live malware samples: one trojan, one adware, and one spyware.

• Live Sample 1: Blocked
• Live Sample 2: Blocked
• Live Sample 3: Blocked

Norton 360 detected and dealt with all the live malware samples once they had been downloaded and unzipped.

What is Norton 360’s impact on performance?

To get a fair and accurate assessment of how Norton 360 will likely impact your MacOS device, I looked at my system’s CPU and memory utilization. What’s more, I did so in three different states: idle, during a quick scan, and during a full scan. Note that the data shown reflects system-wide utilization, not only that of Norton 360.

Here’s how it impacts on performance:

Idle

Quick scan

The quick scan took just 13 seconds, helped by the fact that there were only 6,513 objects scanned in that time. The scans didn’t tax my system too much at all, with CPU usage on idle at 10 percent and increasing just 24 percentage points to 34 percent on a quick scan. Memory utilization dropped from 84 percent to 75 percent.

Full scan

Of course, the full scan took a little longer, at 25 minutes, scanning 751,744 items in the process. When it comes to CPU utilization, there was a drop to 73 percent. Norton 360 didn’t slow down my device at any point, even during the full scan. There was a slight dip in memory utilization, too, falling to 73 percent.

Norton 360 for macOS additional features

Norton 360 is packed with extra features. Of course, the higher the subscription tier, the more you’ll have to play around. For this review, I’m covering the Standard plan, which will likely cover most people’s needs.

Here’s what’s included as part of Norton 360 Standard for MacOS:

Secure VPN

Norton 360 Standard comes with a VPN, a tool that encrypts your internet traffic and allows you to spoof your location. It may not be one of the best VPNs, but Norton Secure VPN is an excellent value as part of your Norton 360 antivirus subscription. Servers are available in 29 countries at the time of writing, including an ad and tracker blocker.

Password manager

Norton is our best antivirus with a password manager, and for good reason. It makes creating secure logins for all your online accounts quick and easy. A user-friendly safety dashboard allows you to spot weak passwords and generate better ones automatically. Logins are encrypted and synced across all of your devices.

Dark web monitoring

The dark web monitoring service, included with Norton 360, scans the dark web for your personal information. If any of your data is detected, you receive a notification so you can act promptly to secure your information and potentially prevent cybercriminals from misusing it. Norton provides advice on the best course of action to take depending on the compromised data type.

Cloud backup

The Norton 360 Standard subscription tier includes 2 GB of cloud backup. It’s not much, but it’s useful for your most important files and photos. Securely backing them up in the cloud ensures you won’t lose them entirely should your computer be stolen, damaged, or otherwise targeted in a ransomware attack.

Private browser

The Norton Private Browser is a free extra available to anyone, regardless of whether they have a Norton 360 subscription. It provides another layer of protection when browsing by blocking ads, trackers, malicious sites, and phishing attempts. It makes it straightforward to switch up your various settings with toggle buttons for the various features.

File cleanup

Located within the Performance page of the Norton app is File Cleanup. As you might have guessed, it helps you locate junk files and clear them up to create more space on your device. Though you can run this manually, there’s the option to have the feature run in the background, automatically cleaning unnecessary files. It’s also possible to set the frequency of this.

Is Norton 360 for macOS easy to use?

Norton’s app interface is clean and laid out with minimal clutter. This makes it easy to navigate even for first-time antivirus users. The home view displays whether you’re protected or need to take action, and there’s a convenient yellow button for running a quick scan.

You can navigate to the scans page from the same page to select a quick, full, or even targeted scan of a specific folder or external drive. Advanced users will likely appreciate the option of custom scans and the ability to add exclusions for files and folders you don’t want to be scanned in real-time.

The left-hand menu takes you to Security, Performance, Privacy, and Settings. Most settings are clearly explained and can quickly and easily be toggled on or off. The Security and Settings pages may be a little overwhelming at first. Many options are laid out simply enough, so it’s not hard to find a specific feature or setting when needed.

Norton customer support options

With any luck, you won’t often need to contact Norton’s support because your antivirus program will help keep things simple. Still, such occasions may arise, and if they do, it’s good to know that Norton provides 24/7 support via live chat, email, and phone. It should also be noted that remote assistance is available, which is particularly handy with complex technical issues.

Norton ranked as runner-up in our recent top antivirus with customer support guide, where we noted its excellent customer support reviews on TrustPilot. On top of all this, there’s the option of help articles on Norton’s support site, often complete with step-by-step instructions. Norton’s Ask the Community section is helpful in that you can ask fellow Norton users for help and search others’ posts, potentially finding the answer to your question.

When I contacted Norton’s support to cancel my subscription as per its 60-day money-back guarantee, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was. I didn’t encounter the pushy sales tactics found with some providers, and the refund was processed quickly.

Best Norton 360 for macOS alternatives

Although Norton 360 ranks among the best antivirus programs for Mac we’ve reviewed, it’s not the best available. Several quality alternatives are worth your consideration:

1. Intego Mac Internet Security X9: The best antivirus for MacOS. Specialist in protection for MacOS. Powerful protection and performance scores in independent testing labs.
2. Surfshark One: Lightweight antivirus for MacOS with excellent customer support available 24/7. It includes a top-rated VPN and lets you secure five devices at once.
3. TotalAV Total Security: MacOS antivirus with ransomware protection and extras, including a VPN and password manager. Provides 24/7 live chat and phone support.
4. McAfee Total Protection Premium: Packed with features such as ransomware protection and identity theft protection and highly rated by independent testing labs.
5. VIPRE Advanced Security: Impressive protection scores and with 24-hour US-based support. Quality offering with comprehensive protection at a very competitive price.

Antivirus testing methodology

If you’d like to understand better how we come to our conclusions for antivirus software such as Norton 360, here’s a breakdown of the criteria we use:

• Protection: First and foremost, we want to make sure that an antivirus provides sufficient protection from viruses and malware. This involves testing malware test samples from EICAR, as well as live malware samples such as adware and trojans. We combine our first-hand testing experiences with the results of independent testing labs.
• Performance: We also want to make sure an antivirus isn’t going to significantly slow your device. To do this, we look at CPU and memory utilization before a scan and then look at the same data during quick and full scans. That way, we can be sure that you’ll still be able to use your device as normal even when the antivirus is particularly active.
• Usability: An antivirus should offer beginner-friendly apps. It should be simple to find out if there’s an issue and what action needs to be taken. Yet we still want to see enough features for more advanced users, be it custom scans or an advanced firewall.
• Customer support: An antivirus is little good if you can’t get help as and when you need it. We’re looking for antivirus providers that offer multiple options for getting assistance, be it via live chat, phone, or email. We even get in touch with support ourselves to verify that there’s an actual knowledgeable person on the other end.
• Value for money: There’s no shortage of subscription options with prices largely varying depending on the level of protection you require. We look at what a provider is offering for the price compared to other providers and this factors into the overall score. It helps if an antivirus also offers a money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free.

Our antivirus testing methodology post provides greater detail regarding how we test antivirus tools at Comparitech.

Norton 360 for MacOS: FAQs