ESET Residence Safety Premium Overview: Does the job, however there are bugs

Generally an app can handle the massive image gadgets, however shoot itself in each ft by forgoing the smaller issues. Additionally, a yr of growth can handle one main concern, however nonetheless go away others unresolved. That is the case with ESET Residence Safety (accessible in Important, Premium, and Final configurations), developed by Slovakian software program firm ESET, a long-standing entity within the software program safety world.

We checked out ESET Residence Safety Premium, which gives in depth antiviral and malware safety, Actual-time File System Safety, a password supervisor, an encryption software, and different options in June 2024 and we’re updating that assessment now in June 2025 to see if ESET has addressed any of our criticisms from then. To see how ESET compares to different Mac Antivirus suites in our spherical up of the Finest Antivirus for Mac.

The software program downloads and installs cleanly from ESET’s web site, and it’s simple sufficient to arrange a 30-day trial with solely an electronic mail deal with and no credit score or debit card wanted. 

ESET Residence Safety Premium retails at completely different worth factors given the variety of gadgets it’s put in on and the variety of years you’ve subscribed for $59.99/£44.99 for one machine for one yr, and scaling up from there (the pricing choices will be discovered on ESET’s web site. Notice that the offers change commonly and on the time of writing the U.Okay. had a discount to £39.99, see extra Antivirus for Mac offers. Among the many gadgets lined are Macs (in addition to PCs, and different smartphones and tablets, however not iOS). 

As soon as the software program is put in, permissions have been assigned to permit its background capabilities to happen inside macOS, enable for third-party extensions to be enabled on Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, or M4-based Macs, grant full entry to all the arduous drive, and also you’re off to the races.

Head over to the Settings menu on a Mac and there’s a substantial quantity that may be carried out. The applying permits for adjustments comparable to blacklists and whitelists to be created, completely different ranges of detection and sensitivity, entry to the logs and proxy servers, reactions as to new volumes being mounted, and a powerful stage of customization. 

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Scheduled scans will be arrange simply, and it’s pretty easy to designate which areas of an area or cloud-based drive might be scanned and when. Up to date software program variations may also be manually rolled again as wanted and a  “Submit a Pattern” function means that you can ship alongside suspect recordsdata for ESET to review on their finish, which is fascinating. 

The place precise virus and malware-based safety is anxious, this turns into a combined bag, although the software program holds its personal. Between macOS’ GateKeeper function and ESET’s safety layers, there wasn’t a lot malware that may very well be put in, and ESET’s preliminary scan was capable of find and quarantine suspect recordsdata with out accolades to what it had carried out or incident. ESET Residence Safety Premium handily quarantined suspect recordsdata as they arose, and whereas it let the tough AdWind malware and a pretend copy of Adobe Flash Participant by way of, it was capable of cease the lion’s share of suspect software program in its tracks.

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Some bugs have been mounted since final yr’s assessment, and drive scan instances have improved noticeably, whereas the scheduler function now prompts scans as promised. A scarcity of a progress bar or elapsed time readout throughout a scan is annoying, however the software program now uninstalls accurately.

The Password Supervisor function remains to be solely accessible through an app downloaded by way of the Mac App Retailer, the encryption options nonetheless appear to be lacking, and the ESET Residence app appears to be nowhere to be discovered on the U.S. Mac App Retailer.

To its credit score, it’s simple sufficient to scan a goal quantity, carry out background duties throughout a scan, and customise settings to the place you’d like them to be, however when crucial components of the marketed software program appear to be lacking, then it’s time for the builders to genuinely slam their brains in opposition to their desks and look over what’s been marketed and what’s been delivered.

ESET’s phishing safety appears to be minimal, because the software program allowed me to go to questionable web sites linked to the suspect/phishing emails that pile up in my Gmail’s Junk folder with none warning.

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See how ESET Residence Safety Premium compares to different antivirus apps in our roundup of the finest Antivirus software program for Mac.

Shopping for Avice

Whereas ESET Residence Safety Premium completes its main process of antiviral and malware prevention, a number of bugs nonetheless should be mounted. Sure, there’s a superb stage of customization, and scan speeds have improved. However when when options just like the Scheduler or phishing safety don’t appear to work and key options such because the promised password supervisor and encryption software are lacking, alarm bells needs to be ringing and the corporate wants to position some give attention to the Mac model of their enterprise, undergo the guidelines, and see if the product really delivers what’s been marketed.

Is that this value a free 30-day trial? After all, and also you’re greater than welcome to take it for a spin. Nonetheless, different functions do it higher, with out the bugs and the complications, and so they’re extra worthy of your time, consideration, and annual subscription charge.