In our comprehensive McAfee Antivirus review, we evaluated this popular solution’s features, pricing, device coverage, and potential drawbacks.
If you are looking for antivirus software with real-time malware detection for all your devices at an affordable price, McAfee is an excellent choice. Besides common features like a firewall, Wi-Fi security, a password manager and PC optimization, McAfee also has extra features like a file shredder, PC cleaner, identity protection and a virtual private network (VPN). Here’s everything you need to know to decide if it’s the right solution for your needs and budget.
Pros
- Available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices
- Identity protection service included in all plans
- Real-time malware detection
Cons
- Reduced features for Mac and iOS
- Too many pricing plans
- No email security
Table of Contents
McAfee Antivirus At A Glance
More than three decades after the launch of its first product, McAfee continues to enjoy the trust of its customers, as evident from the numerous awards and recognitions the company has received year after year. McAfee has a wide range of offerings to suit all kinds of requirements and budgets.
Products
McAfee provides these products for your various needs:
- McAfee Total Protection: As McAfee’s flagship product, McAfee Total Protection provides protection to all your devices, be they laptops, tablets or smartphones. The truly unlimited plan ensures you pay just once to protect all the devices used by your family members. Standard pricing starts at $29.99 CAD per year for one device.
- McAfee Identity Protection Service: McAfee Identity Protection keeps your personal information and online accounts protected against unauthorized access and hackers. Plans start at $89.99 CAD per year for a single device.
- McAfee TechMaster Concierge: As the name suggests, McAfee TechMaster Concierge is a concierge service for all your tech needs. Scan your computer, protect it, install and configure apps and set up and protect connected IoT devices. The plan supports up to two computers and four connected devices. Prices start at $179.95 CAD per year.
- McAfee Virus Removal Service: Signing up for this service enables you to chat with security experts over the phone or online and get viruses removed from your Windows system remotely. You’ll pay $89.95 CAD per incident.
Featured Partner Offer
1
Avast
Starting price
Free; $50.08 USD ($68.06 CAD) per year for up to 10 devices
Inclusions
Firewall, email security and ransomware protection
Moneyback guarantee
30 days
2
McAfee
Starting price
$39.99 CAD per year
Inclusions
Firewall, email security and ransomware protection
Moneyback guarantee
30 days
3
Surfshark
Starting Price:
55.62 CAD per year
Inclusions:
Unlimited VPN; emails, credit cards, and personal IDs automatic monitoring
Moneyback guarantee:
30 days
Features
McAfee has a wide variety of security features for all of its products, including but not limited to:
- Antivirus scanner with real-time malware detection
- Firewall
- VPN
- Password manager
- Parental control for Windows, Android and iOS
- Anti-spam
- Home network analyzer
- Secure file shredder
- Anti-phishing and anti-exploit browser extensions
- Identity monitoring services
McAfee is still a great solution for your antivirus needs. Click here to download
On McAfee’s Website
Other Benefits
McAfee has multiple plans to suit different needs, but McAfee Security Scan Plus is a free product that scans your PC to check for possible vulnerabilities and suggests antivirus, firewalls or online protection you need. You can use this product to assess the security needs of your system before actually making a purchase.
If you turn on auto-renewal for paid plans, McAfee provides additional features like VPN, identity theft protection and free gamer security.
Related:
McAfee Antivirus Cost
Each McAfee plan provides multiple pricing options, which have their own challenges. Here we break down the different pricing tiers so that it is easy for you to zero in on the one best suited to your needs.
- One-year plan: McAfee has no monthly options; you must subscribe for a minimum of one year for any plan. However, as all plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can check any of the plans that you feel would meet your requirements before making a commitment.
- Two-year plan: If you feel you have found the perfect plan to protect all your devices, you can opt for two-year plans as they come with heavy discounts.
Most McAfee plans are for one, five, ten or unlimited devices. Check what you actually need before signing up. The single-device plans provide most of the available security features, so the primary reason to purchase a higher tier is to cover multiple devices.
Fine Print
McAfee products work like a charm on Windows and Android, but its iOS and Mac versions have reduced features. For instance, App Lock, Guest Mode and Track Data Usage are some features available only for Android apps, not iOS.
Also, its scanner may slow down your system a bit, especially for apps that need more space to function. However, you can take care of it to a great extent by scheduling scans outside working hours.
How McAfee Antivirus Stacks Up
Is McAfee Antivirus Right for You or Your Business?
If you are looking for an affordable premium plan for all the devices used at home or on your business premises, McAfee may be the right choice for you. Other products may get a better ranking or return higher testing scores, but McAfee provides a great balance between features and affordability.
McAfee Antivirus Alternatives
McAfee competes in a crowded field of cybersecurity platforms. Other popular systems include offerings from Norton, Kaspersky, Bitdefender and more. Check out our full guide to antivirus systems for more information.
Canadian specific editing and research (including pricing) conducted by Anna Rey.
Related: McAfee Vs. Norton
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is McAfee a good antivirus software?
Yes—it nearly topped the charts in our analysis of the best antivirus software. McAfee is a premium antivirus that detects malware in real-time and keeps your devices safe from online threats. It offers unlimited plans for when you have a large number of devices at home or the office. McAfee antivirus is available for Windows, Android, iOS and Mac systems.
How much does McAfee cost?
McAfee does not have monthly plans; only yearly plans. These subscriptions range in price from $44.99 CAD per year for AntiVirus Plus, to $89.99 CAD per year for the McAfee+Advanced plan. These are only introductory rates, however, and will rise when the time comes to renew. If you enable auto-renewal you will receive some free benefits, such as a free VPN.
What's the difference between McAfee LiveSafe and McAfee Total Protection?
The LiveSafe and Total Protection apps share a lot of the same basic functionality. But while LiveSafe is focused on antivirus protection, Total Protection offers additional features such as identity theft coverage, a VPN and identity monitoring capabilities.
Will McAfee slow down my computer?
Active McAfee virus scans may slow down the computer. If you feel that the overall speed of the computer has gone down since you installed McAfee, this might be because your configuration is set to “Automatic Scans.” If you disable this and set scanning schedules for periods when you are not actively using the machine, you will not notice a drop in performance.
Can I have more than one antivirus program on my computer?
Although no harm should come to your computer by having competing antivirus programs on it, there’s no benefit to having multiple ones, especially if you are paying for them. If you have acquired a new antivirus program to replace an existing one, the best option is to uninstall the existing antivirus program from your computer before installing the new antivirus program. Once installed, run the new program in its entirety to make sure your computer is virus-free. Check to make sure it is up to date as well.
Can antivirus software stop hackers?
No, antivirus software cannot stop hackers. However, it can detect and remove any malicious software that hackers may have installed on your computer without your knowledge. In addition, antivirus software can also help to protect your computer from being hacked in the first place by identifying and blocking any suspicious activity.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
