Back in 2004 the founder of ClamXAV, Mark Allan, was looking for a cost-effective solution to scan emails, documents and downloads for viruses. None of the options really seemed to work without slowing the computer down to a crawl, so in his spare time he decided to make one for himself. One that worked great, looked like it belonged on a Mac, and crucially, one which got out of the way and didn’t interfere with the computer or slow it down! And thus, ClamXAV was born.
Initially, ClamXAV was just written for Mark to use himself, however, a few of his friends said that it was good and that others would probably like it too, so they convinced him to make it available online.
That was twenty years ago!
Since then, ClamXAV has gone from strength to strength and has been through many changes, so we thought it might be fun to have a brief look at some of the milestones from our past.
2004-2009: ClamXAV (beta) and ClamXAV 1.0
2009-2018: ClamXAV 2
By 2009, Apple had made it clear that Cocoa-Java would no longer work on the Mac, so ClamXAV had to be re-written from scratch. Using Objective-C, Mark rebuilt the ClamXAV app from the ground up, creating a new user interface, and releasing ClamXAV 2.0
By now, ClamXAV had its own Mac-specific malware database, which could be updated as many times a day as required.
ClamXAV was initially made available for free on the website and then through the Mac App Store, however it was becoming apparent that so many people were relying on it, that supporting users and the app, as well as maintaining the ever-growing malware database was becoming a full-time job for Mark. As such, in 2015 he decided to give up his day job and set up a business to allow him to work on ClamXAV full time.
We still have quite a few customers from these early days, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them!
2018-Present: ClamXAV 3
In 2018, we announced the latest major release - ClamXAV 3.0
The entire app was re-designed with a view to improving ease of use, bringing better control over various new (or previously hidden) settings… and making it look better! For the first time in ClamXAV’s history, we commissioned an external company (the geniuses at The Iconfactory) to design our new user interface. We think it has stood the test of time quite well.
It also brought an entirely new, home-grown in-house scanning engine to perform what we call the Quick Scan. This is a feature which detects and prevents active infections - ie malware which has been installed and is actively running on the computer - and vastly simplifies their removal. Other improvements to the app made it more user-friendly, faster, more efficient and more stable.
Since releasing version 3, we’ve put a lot of effort into gradually improving the app, making it a better experience for all, and this is consistently proven in independent test results which show ClamXAV as having 100% detection rate whilst having the least performance impact of any of the tested products.
2020 - Present: Developing Xenia
As ClamXAV grew and matured, we were listening closely to the needs of our customers, particularly those in IT departments managing software deployments across vast networks of Macs. These teams needed an easier way to oversee and manage deployments remotely — monitoring the status of each machine, managing updates, and scheduling scans, all from one centralized location.
In 2020, we set out to develop a solution which we call Xenia, and by 2023 we began testing it with a select group of customers. The response was overwhelmingly positive — they not only welcomed the solution but also actively contributed to shaping its functionality to better suit their needs.
By 2024, Xenia was ready for a wider audience. We officially launched the software at the MacAd conference in Brighton, UK making it available to even more customers. Xenia represents the culmination of years of dedication to creating robust, user-friendly security solutions that protect our customers’ Macs without slowing them down.
ClamXAV’s Icons Through the Ages
Over the years, the icon has also seen a number of different appearances. We’ve collected them all here, to show the gradual progression to the current day… not forgetting the special anniversary icon!
Thank You
Over the past 20 years, ClamXAV has remained true to its core mission — developing technical security solutions that are both effective and easy to use. From a tool originally created for our founder’s personal use to the entire team we have today, our commitment to staying ahead of malware on the Mac has never wavered.
We want to take a moment to thank all of our customers for their continued support over the years. Your trust drives us to keep innovating and improving, and we remain dedicated to helping protect your computers from malware for years to come!