Compare Mac security
Your Mac holds private documents, personal messages and work you cannot share. We’re building PhantomProtect to analyze suspicious files locally, with AI and explanations that run on your Mac.
PhantomSecure is in development and unavailable for purchase. Protect is planned first, then Vault; Phantom features and prices below are launch targets.
01 / Threat protection
We’re building PhantomProtect to combine local file analysis, network controls and clear explanations in one subscription. The alternatives below are available today, with different device limits and renewal prices.
US prices in USD, checked September 5, 2026. Taxes and promotions may change. Each plan’s device limit appears below, alongside prices for a single Mac.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare all four products.
| Plan details | PhantomProtect Planned | Intego ONE Essential | Bitdefender Antivirus Plus | Malwarebytes Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devices covered | Up to 4 Macs | 3 Macs | 3 devicesMultiplatform plan | 3 devices |
| Annual price | $49.99 target$6.99 monthly also planned | $41.24 first year$54.99 annual renewal | $34.99 first year$69.99 annual renewal | $59.99 / yearRenewal price not confirmed |
| If you have one Mac | Same planned price; no separate single-Mac tier. | $29.99 first year$39.99 annual renewal · 1 Mac | $24.99 first year$49.99 annual renewal · 1 device | $44.99 / year1 device · renewal not confirmed |
| Protection on Mac | Local file analysis and AI, plus automatic threat filtering. | Antivirus and firewall. | Uses cloud analysis to help check app and browser threats, with protection for files and Time Machine backups. | Real-time malware and paid Mac web protection. |
| Other included tools | Watch’s manual network controls, background Agent and Guardian’s local explanations. | Essential includes the firewall. SmartClean and VPN belong to other tiers. | Autopilot advice and a limited VPN with 200 MB of traffic per day, per device. | Browser Guard blocks ads, trackers and scams. Free Mac Firewall Tools manage Apple’s built-in incoming firewall. |
| Primary source | Planned pricesProtect’s design | Intego plans and pricing | Antivirus Plus pricing and Mac features | Malwarebytes plans and pricing |
For five Macs, Intego ONE Essential also lists $52.49 for the first year and $69.99 at annual renewal for 5 Macs. See Intego’s device options.
Checking a sensitive document should involve as little sharing as possible. PhantomProtect is designed to analyze files and run AI on your Mac, using downloaded information about known threats.
Updates, licensing and some online services still need a connection. Read about the local protection design.
Watch is planned to show network activity and let you set app and destination rules. Guardian is planned to explain security events locally, while Agent keeps selected defenses running in the background.
Intego Essential already bundles a firewall. PhantomProtect’s appeal is the planned combination of automatic checks, manual control and local guidance.
We plan straightforward pricing for your first year and renewals. The $49.99 annual target covers up to four Macs, with final terms shown before purchase.
For a single Mac, Intego and Bitdefender list lower introductory prices. Your device count, preferred features and renewal price all affect the value.
02 / Private files
We’re designing PhantomVault to conceal an encrypted volume inside a movie file that previews and plays normally. VeraCrypt and Cryptomator offer free desktop encryption, with different approaches to hiding and storing files.
Scroll sideways on a small screen to compare the three approaches.
| What matters | PhantomVault Planned after Protect | VeraCrypt | Cryptomator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $34.99 / year targetOr $4.99 monthly | Free and open source | Free, open-source desktop encryption for personal use |
| File workflow | Encrypted storage you can open in Finder. | Unlock an encrypted volume and work with its files. | Open unlocked files in Finder; encrypt files locally for storage with your cloud provider. |
| Plausible deniability | An encrypted hidden volume with an optional movie disguise that previews and plays normally. A decoy volume is also planned. | Hidden volumes are available, with documented security precautions. | Encrypts cloud files without concealing that encryption is in use. See its security target. |
| Primary source | Vault’s design and limitsPlanned pricing | VeraCrypt’s deniability documentation | Cryptomator’s free desktop plan |
The optional movie disguise conceals the encrypted volume while providing a real film to preview and play. Your private files stay locked inside. That gives someone browsing your movies an everyday explanation for the file’s presence.
A specialist could still find clues in its structure, size, device records or older copies. Movie playback alone does not establish resistance to forensic inspection.
VeraCrypt’s hidden volumes address whether additional private contents exist, with precautions about how you use them. PhantomVault’s planned decoy volume would open a different set of files, with the goal of keeping the private contents of the hidden volume undisclosed.
For files you sync through a cloud provider, Cryptomator offers a direct fit: encryption happens locally before those files reach cloud storage. Its desktop encryption features are free; optional purchases are separate.
03 / Network controls
Network controls help you decide which apps may contact which destinations. Watch is planned as part of every paid PhantomSecure module, so those decisions can sit alongside your other security tools.
Scroll sideways on a small screen to compare network tools.
| What matters | PhantomWatch Planned | Little Snitch | LuLu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with paid modules.Protect target: $6.99 monthly or $49.99 annually. | $59 licenseOne user on several computers, or several users on one computer. Major upgrades may cost extra. | Free and open source |
| Purpose | See app connections and choose which ones to allow or block. | Shows app connections and lets you block them, with blocklists and encrypted DNS lookups. | Controls outgoing app connections, monitors activity, and supports blocklists stored on your Mac or downloaded online. |
| Primary source | Watch’s planned controls | License and upgrade termsLittle Snitch features | LuLu features and documentation |
Watch covers the rules you choose. Protect adds automatic threat filtering. If network monitoring and connection control are your main needs today, Little Snitch and LuLu are available as dedicated tools.
Source pages checked September 5, 2026. Little Snitch’s $59 price is a version license; future major releases may require a paid upgrade.
The launch list
Get development notes, testing opportunities and an email when access opens. Joining is free and creates no paid subscription.