# Moonlock review (2026): is it worth $54 a year? > Mac antivirus with real-time scanning, a VPN and a scam checker Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Antivirus & Malware Protection - **Made by:** MacPaw Way Ltd. - **Website:** https://moonlock.com - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you also use Windows, iPhone or Android, as there is no app for them. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## 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). - **Pricing model:** Free trial - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** 7 days free, then billed at the plan chosen. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Yearly | $54 per 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 | $13.50 per 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 | $150 for 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 https://pay.macpaw.com/moonlock/configure?purchase=true on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Moonlock before buying. ## Ways to pay less - **Yearly billing is $4.50 a month** (Annual discount): The checkout lists the yearly plan at $54 billed yearly against $13.50 a month when billed monthly. Source: https://pay.macpaw.com/moonlock/configure?purchase=true ## 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. ## Good for - Mac owners who want a malware scanner built for macOS - People who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription - Households with one, two or five Macs ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: C.** $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. - **Free plan and trial: D.** 7 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. - **Features: B.** Real-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. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record. It is an app you install and run, with nothing to set up before it starts scanning. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** macOS 13 or later only. The site mentions no Windows, iPhone or Android app, and no integrations. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/antivirus ## Keep it, 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. - You could not: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. - You could not: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. - You could not: AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Malware protection, VPN, AI features ## Alternatives - [Intego](https://toolgpa.com/tools/intego): Mac antivirus and firewall suite, with a VPN and a Windows edition. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/intego-vs-moonlock) - [Malwarebytes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/malwarebytes): Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/malwarebytes-vs-moonlock) - [Bitdefender](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bitdefender): Antivirus suites for computers and phones, with a free Windows tier. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bitdefender-vs-moonlock) - [Norton 360](https://toolgpa.com/tools/norton-360): Antivirus suite with VPN, password manager and PC cloud backup. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/moonlock-vs-norton-360) - [Avast](https://toolgpa.com/tools/avast): Free antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/avast-vs-moonlock) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://moonlock.com - https://pay.macpaw.com/moonlock/configure?purchase=true - https://pay.macpaw.com/moonlock/configure?trial=true Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/moonlock Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).