Anyone can manually initiate a scan and remove malware with Malwarebytes for Mac without spending a penny. The standard scanner that checks for malware on your system and removes it is free. There are now two versions of Malwarebytes for Mac, a free version and a premium version. Malwarebytes originally expanded into the Mac security software arena by purchasing and rebranding a popular application named “Adware Medic” that we and others have used successfully in the past. Malwarebytes makes well-regarded security utilities for Windows. RELATED: Mac OS X Isn't Safe Anymore: The Crapware / Malware Epidemic Has Begun

Crucially, that protection against malware doesn’t block all the adware and spyware bundled with application downloads.

Macs do have some integrated protection against malware, but it isn’t perfect. Beyond traditional viruses, worms, and Trojans, there’s now a thriving ecosystem of adware and spyware programs that bombard you with ads and spy on your web browsing, just like on Windows.