Intego vs MacKeeper (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Intego and MacKeeper share a 2.0 GPA, and only MacKeeper has a free plan.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Intego grades higher on platforms. MacKeeper grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Intego
Mac antivirus and firewall suite, with a VPN and a Windows edition
MacKeeper
Mac maintenance app with antivirus, cleanup and a VPN
Which one is for you
Pick Intego if
- Fits if your household runs on Macs and you want a firewall with app rules
- Works for families sharing one plan, as the 3- and 5-seat plans give each person their own login
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as there's no free version or trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Skip it if your household has Android phones, which Intego doesn't cover
- Pricey if you want the VPN, as it only comes with Complete at $89.99 a year after the first
- Watch out: first-term prices are 25% to 35% off and renew at full price, such as $39.99 a year for one Mac on Essential
- Tight if you also have PCs or an older Mac, as Windows needs a separate $49.99 product and Intego ONE needs macOS 12.4 or later
Pick MacKeeper if
- Fits if you want cleanup tools and a scanner in one Mac app
- Works for one or three Macs on a yearly plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or a phone, as only Mac is covered
- Pricey if you pay monthly at $14.95
- Watch out: the homepage says from $10.95 a month while the pricing page shows lower figures
- Watch out: the refund must be requested within 30 days and is lost after six months of use
- Tight if you stay on free: one week of malware scanning only
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAIntegoFair | 2.0GPAMacKeeperFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEssential for 5 Macs is $52.49 the first year, then $69.99, so two years cost $122.48, about $5.10 a month, just above the dearer quarter of antivirus. That covers Macs only: an iPhone needs Complete and a PC a separate product. | C$71.40 a year for 1 Mac, shown as $5.95 a month, between the middle and the dearer quarter of this category. The month-to-month plan is $14.95 and no renewal price is stated. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free version and no trial. A 30-day money-back guarantee is the only safety net, and that isn't a trial. | CA free version with one use of the memory cleaner, one week of malware scanning and a limited adware blocker. |
| Features | CReal-time Mac antivirus, a Mac firewall with app rules, SmartClean on Advanced, and a VPN with an iPhone app on Complete. The gaps are in the listing: Essential and Advanced cover Macs only, and Windows needs a separate product. | CAntivirus, cleanup and VPN in one Mac app, though the antivirus is one part of a maintenance suite. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It's a Mac app that scans and guards on its own once installed, though it needs macOS 12.4 or later. | BNo store rating on record, but it is a Mac app you install and run. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMacs, an iPhone through Complete, and Windows through the separate Antivirus for Windows. No Android, API or integrations on record. | DMac only: no Windows, iPhone or Android app is listed. |
| Best for | antivirus and a firewall built for Macs | a Mac cleanup app with antivirus attached |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Intego and MacKeeper. How we grade
Price against what you get
Intego starts at $3.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MacKeeper starts at $5.95 a month and scores 2.0.
Intego scores higher and starts $2.62 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 4 score higher than Intego for less, and 21 score higher than MacKeeper for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- MacKeeper also covers system monitor and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Intego | MacKeeper | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $39.99 per year at renewal (Essential, 1 Mac), after a first year for $29.99 | $5.95 per month for 1 Mac, billed yearly ($71.40); renewal price not stated |
| Free plan | None | Free version offers one-time use of the memory cleaner, one week of malware scanning and a limited adware blocker. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Intego | Clario Tech |
| Price read from | intego.com | mackeeper.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Intego
- The advertised prices are first-term discounts of 25% to 35%; plans renew automatically at the full price, such as $39.99 a year for Essential.
- There is no free version or free trial; a 30-day money-back guarantee is offered instead.
- The VPN and iPhone app come only with Complete; Essential and Advanced cover Macs only.
- Intego ONE needs macOS 12.4 or later, and Windows PCs need the separate Antivirus for Windows.
MacKeeper
- Mac only; no Windows, iOS or Android app is listed.
- The pricing page does not state what yearly plans cost at renewal; it says only that later payments are billed annually.
- The 14-day money-back guarantee must be requested within 30 days for yearly plans and is lost once the license has been used for six months.
- The homepage lists pricing as starting at $10.95 a month, which differs from the pricing page figures.
Key features
Intego
- Real-time Mac antivirus
- Scans continuously and on a schedule, and removes viruses, malware, spyware and adware written for macOS.
- Mac firewall
- Monitors every network connection on the Mac, blocks intrusions and lets you set rules for which apps may go online.
- SmartClean
- Advanced and Complete clear junk files, caches and app leftovers, uninstall apps fully and monitor CPU, memory and disk use.
- Intego VPN
- Complete includes a no-logs VPN using the Lightway protocol, plus an iPhone app with Wi-Fi network checks and a security assessment.
- Shared seats
- 3- and 5-seat plans let you invite family or friends to their own seat without sharing your login.
- Antivirus for Windows
- A separate PC product with a web shield against phishing and fake sites, ransomware and banking Trojan blocking, and scheduled scans.
MacKeeper
- Antivirus and adware cleaner
- Scans for malware and adware and offers real-time protection; the vendor cites a 99.7% detection rate in an AV-TEST comparison.
- Mac cleaner and uninstaller
- Removes junk files, duplicates, unused apps and leftover files to free disk space.
- Memory cleaner and optimizer
- Quits memory-heavy apps and manages startup items to free RAM.
- VPN, ad blocker and breach monitoring
- Includes a VPN, an ad and tracker blocker, and monitoring of email accounts for password leaks.
- In-app chat support
- Chat with support staff from inside the app, which the vendor says is available around the clock.
Plans
Intego
Essential, 1 year$39.99
per year for 1 Mac at renewal, after a first year for $29.99
Antivirus and firewall. First year $29.99 (25% off); 3 Macs $41.24 then $54.99, 5 Macs $52.49 then $69.99.
Essential, 2 years$74.99
every 2 years for 1 Mac at renewal, after a first 2 years for $56.24
Essential paid for 2 years at a time: $56.24 for the first 2 years, then $74.99 every 2 years.
Antivirus for Windows$49.99
per year for 1 PC at renewal, after a first year for $39.99
Real-time antivirus, web shield and ransomware protection for Windows. 3 PCs $54.99 then $66.99; 5 PCs $69.99 then $84.99.
Advanced, 2 years$129.99
every 2 years for 1 Mac at renewal, after a first 2 years for $90.99
Adds SmartClean. 1 year: $48.99 the first year (30% off), then $69.99. Also sold for 3 or 5 Macs.
Complete, 2 years$149.99
every 2 years for 1 Mac at renewal, after a first 2 years for $97.49
Adds Intego VPN and the iPhone app, for 1 Mac and 1 iPhone. 1 year: $58.49 the first year (35% off), then $89.99.
MacKeeper
12-month, 1 Mac$5.95
per month, billed yearly; first term, renewal price not stated
$71.40 for the year, shown against a crossed-out $179.40; covers 1 Mac with every MacKeeper tool.
12-month, 3 Macs$7.45
per month, billed yearly; first term, renewal price not stated
$89.40 for the year, shown against a crossed-out $179.40; covers 3 Macs.
1-month, 1 Mac$14.95
per month, billed monthly
Month-to-month plan for 1 Mac with full access to every tool.
Ways to pay less
Intego
- Other savings
25% to 35% off the first term of Intego ONE
First year for 1 Mac: Essential $29.99, Advanced $48.99, Complete $58.49, then $39.99, $69.99 and $89.99 a year. Two-year terms get the same discounts.
- Other savings
20% off the first year of Antivirus for Windows
Antivirus for Windows costs $39.99 for the first year on 1 PC, then renews at $49.99 a year.
MacKeeper
- Other savings
14-day money-back guarantee
All plans are eligible for a refund requested within 30 days of purchase on yearly plans or 14 days on monthly plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Intego or MacKeeper?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Intego is cheaper to start with: $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against $5.95 a month for MacKeeper. Intego starts at $39.99 per year at renewal (Essential, 1 Mac), after a first year for $29.99, and MacKeeper starts at $5.95 per month for 1 Mac, billed yearly ($71.40); renewal price not stated.
Which has a free plan, Intego or MacKeeper?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only MacKeeper has a free plan. Intego does not.
Which platforms do Intego and MacKeeper run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Intego lists Windows and iOS apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.