You probably don't need antivirus on a MacBook Air.

No, not really. At least not a paid, always-on one.

macOS is already pretty locked down. System Integrity Protection, app sandboxing, Gatekeeper — Apple built a lot of defense into the OS. The real risk on a Mac is you, clicking a sketchy link or installing something from outside the App Store. Antivirus software won’t fix bad judgment.

If you want peace of mind without bloat, Malwarebytes is the closest thing to a good idea. The free version lets you run manual scans when you think something’s off. It doesn’t drain battery or nag you. That’s it.

Save your money. Common sense is the best antivirus.