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

Value When Reviewed

Important: $49.99 a yr for one machine; Premium: $59.99 a yr for one machine

Greatest Costs As we speak: Eset Residence Safety

Typically an app can deal with the massive image gadgets, however shoot itself in each toes by forgoing the smaller issues. Additionally, a yr of improvement can deal with one main situation, however nonetheless depart others unresolved. That is the case with ESET Residence Safety (obtainable 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 device, and different options in June 2024 and we’re updating that overview 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 Greatest 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 e-mail tackle and no credit score or debit card wanted. 

ESET Residence Safety Premium retails at totally different value factors given the variety of units 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 might be discovered on ESET’s web site. Word that the offers change commonly and on the time of writing the U.Ok. had a discount to £39.99, see extra Antivirus for Mac offers. Among the many units coated 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 features to happen inside macOS, permit for third-party extensions to be enabled on Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, or M4-based Macs, grant full entry to all the onerous 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 executed. The appliance permits for adjustments corresponding to blacklists and whitelists to be created, totally different ranges of detection and sensitivity, entry to the logs and proxy servers, reactions as to new volumes being mounted, and a formidable stage of customization. 

Foundry

Scheduled scans might be arrange simply, and it’s pretty easy to designate which areas of an area or cloud-based drive can be scanned and when. Up to date software program variations can 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 attention-grabbing. 

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

Foundry

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

The Password Supervisor function remains to be solely obtainable through an app downloaded via 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 parts of the marketed software program appear to be lacking, then it’s time for the builders to genuinely slam their brains towards 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.

Foundry

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 activity of antiviral and malware prevention, a number of bugs nonetheless must be fastened. Sure, there’s a wonderful 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 device are lacking, alarm bells must be ringing and the corporate wants to put some deal with the Mac model of their enterprise, undergo the guidelines, and see if the product actually delivers what’s been marketed.

Is that this price a free 30-day trial? In fact, and also you’re greater than welcome to take it for a spin. Nonetheless, different purposes do it higher, with out the bugs and the complications, they usually’re extra worthy of your time, consideration, and annual subscription price.