Moonlock review (2026): is it worth $54 a year?
Mac antivirus with real-time scanning, a VPN and a scam checker
Black Friday: is there a Moonlock sale?
Moonlock report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for antivirus for a single Mac
Moonlock is a Mac-only antivirus with real-time scanning, a VPN and a scam checker. It runs on macOS 13 or later and nothing else, the 7-day trial turns into a $54 charge unless you cancel, and the one-time $150 may leave out major upgrades.
Who Moonlock is for
- Fits if you have one Mac and want a scanner built only for macOS
- Works for a household of 1, 2 or 5 Macs that wants a one-time purchase option
Who Moonlock is not for
- Skip it if you also use Windows, iPhone or Android, as there is no app for them
- Watch out: the 7-day trial charges $54 on its own when it ends unless you cancel
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $13.50 against $54 for the year
- Watch out: the one-time $150 may not include major upgrades and new features, and 2- and 5-Mac prices only show at checkout
Why Moonlock gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for money$54 a year for 1 Mac, which works out to $4.50 a month. That sits right at the middle of what antivirus charges ($4.50), neither cheap nor dear. The one-time $150 is more than two years of that middle price.
- DFree plan and trial7 days free, and it starts on the yearly plan, so $54 is charged automatically when it ends unless you cancel. No free version of the app.
- BFeaturesReal-time scanning, a manual scanner, a VPN, a network inspector that can block countries, a scam checker and a settings advisor. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job an antivirus does.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. It is an app you install and run, with nothing to set up before it starts scanning.
- DPlatforms and integrationsmacOS 13 or later only. The site mentions no Windows, iPhone or Android app, and no integrations.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Moonlock's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Moonlock? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/moonlock#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/moonlock.svg" alt="Moonlock: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Moonlock stands among antivirus apps
Moonlock's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 25 other antivirus apps we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on features (B, above 9 of 25) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.50 for the category: 10 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 26 antivirus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Moonlock’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 25, level with 15
- DFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 25, level with 2
- BFeaturesAbove 9 of 25, level with 16
- BEase of useAbove 4 of 25, level with 19
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 25, level with 2
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 22 antivirus apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Moonlock, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Moonlock you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 22 of the 25 other antivirus apps grade higher. It costs $54 a year.
What you could not
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Moonlock’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Moonlock?
Moonlock is an antivirus app built only for macOS by MacPaw's cybersecurity division. It runs background malware scanning, a manual scanner, a VPN, a network inspector that can block connections to chosen countries, and a tool that checks pasted messages for scams. It is sold by subscription for 1, 2 or 5 Macs, or as a one-time purchase.
Worth knowing
- Mac only: the system requirements list macOS 13 or later, and the site mentions no Windows, iOS or Android app.
- The 7-day trial starts on a yearly plan and charges $54 automatically when it ends unless cancelled.
- Prices for the 2- and 5-device options were not shown without selecting them, so only the 1-device prices are listed here.
- The one-time purchase may not include major upgrades and new features, according to the checkout page.
Key features
- Real-time protection
- Scans in the background, even when the app is closed, and checks files, apps and Mail attachments. It neutralizes a risky file but leaves the decision to remove it to you.
- Malware scanner
- A manual scan of the Mac that quarantines detected malware, and explains what it found, why it is dangerous and what to do next.
- VPN and network inspector
- A VPN encrypts the connection on untrusted networks, and the network inspector can cut connections to countries the user chooses.
- Scam Detector
- Paste a suspicious message and the AI-powered detector says whether it looks like a scam.
- System protection and Security Advisor
- Checks the Mac's security settings and walks through the ones to tighten, plus short advice on safer habits.
Moonlock pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Moonlock is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $54 per year for 1 Mac ($13.50 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- $54 per year for 1 Mac ($13.50 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 7 days free, then billed at the plan chosen
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $54per year for 1 device ($13.50 billed monthly) | Shown as $4.50 a month billed yearly. The 7-day free trial starts on this plan. 2- and 5-device options also exist. |
| Monthly | $13.50per month for 1 device, billed monthly | Month-to-month billing for one Mac. Prices for the 2- and 5-device options were not readable without choosing them in checkout. |
| One-time purchase | $150for 1 device, paid once, one-time | Paid once with no renewal. The checkout says it may not include major upgrades and new features. |
Read from pay.macpaw.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Moonlock before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountYearly billing is $4.50 a month
The checkout lists the yearly plan at $54 billed yearly against $13.50 a month when billed monthly.
Stated on pay.macpaw.com
Moonlock alternatives
- Moonlock vs Intego
From $39.99/yr
- Moonlock vs Malwarebytes
Free plan · from $59.99/yr
- Moonlock vs Bitdefender
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
- Moonlock vs Norton 360
Free trial · from $84.99/yr
- Moonlock vs Avast
Free plan · from $77.99/yr
Common questions
Does Moonlock have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Moonlock is listed for macOS.
Does Moonlock have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Moonlock is listed for macOS.
Is Moonlock open source?
Moonlock is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.