McAfee

VS

Norton

Cybersecurity Comparison

McAfee vs Norton: Side-by-Side Comparison

McAfee
Norton
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4.3/5
Free Tier
No
No
Trial Days
30-day trial
30-day trial
Pricing
From $29.99/year
From $19.99/year
Company
McAfee LLC
Gen Digital
Founded
1987
1991
Best For
Families wanting one subscription covering all home devices with identity protection
Families wanting all-in-one security plus identity theft coverage

Pros & Cons

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McAfee

McAfee Plus bundles security, VPN, and identity monitoring in one subscription
WebAdvisor browser extension warns about risky sites before you click them
Identity monitoring covers up to 60 types of personal data on dark web
Multi-device protection covers unlimited devices on household plan
Vulnerability scanner identifies and helps patch OS and software weaknesses
Heavy system resource usage noticeably slows budget laptops and PCs
Detection rates in independent tests lag behind Bitdefender and Kaspersky

Norton

Industry-leading malware detection rates consistently above 99 percent
360 protection bundles VPN, password manager, and dark web monitoring
Cloud-based threat intelligence updated every few minutes
LifeLock identity theft protection available as add-on
Parental controls included in family plans at no extra cost
Annual renewal pricing jumps significantly after first year discount
Heavy system resource usage slows older computers noticeably
VPN data cap is restrictive on lower-tier plans

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Antivirus?

Both McAfee and Norton support Antivirus workflows. Norton has a slight edge with a 4.3 rating and Only major antivirus brand bundling LifeLock identity theft insurance directly. If Antivirus is your primary use case, Norton is the safer pick.

Which is better for Privacy?

Both McAfee and Norton support Privacy workflows. Norton has a slight edge with a 4.3 rating and Only major antivirus brand bundling LifeLock identity theft insurance directly. If Privacy is your primary use case, Norton is the safer pick.

Which is better for Dark Web Monitoring?

Both McAfee and Norton support Dark Web Monitoring workflows. Norton has a slight edge with a 4.3 rating and Only major antivirus brand bundling LifeLock identity theft insurance directly. If Dark Web Monitoring is your primary use case, Norton is the safer pick.

Which is better for Password Management?

Both McAfee and Norton support Password Management workflows. Norton has a slight edge with a 4.3 rating and Only major antivirus brand bundling LifeLock identity theft insurance directly. If Password Management is your primary use case, Norton is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both McAfee and Norton support Encryption workflows. Norton has a slight edge with a 4.3 rating and Only major antivirus brand bundling LifeLock identity theft insurance directly. If Encryption is your primary use case, Norton is the safer pick.

Verdict

Norton edges out McAfee with a 4.3 vs 4 rating. Norton's main advantage: Only major antivirus brand bundling LifeLock identity theft insurance directly. That said, McAfee may still be the better choice if Families wanting one subscription covering all home devices with identity protection.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

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