McAfee vs Norton: which is better in 2025?

McAfee and Norton are two of the best-known antivirus programs on the market. These rivaling antiviruses both offer market-leading real-time protection that can keep any device safe from malware.

Comparing McAfee vs Norton objectively can be challenging, as both have a fiercely loyal user base and dominate the market with strong branding. To cut through the bias, we rigorously tested both products in real-world scenarios, analyzing their performance, features, and independent lab evaluations.

In this 2025 McAfee vs Norton comparison, I break down its pros and cons, from malware detection rates to usability and extra features, helping you choose the antivirus that best fits your security needs.

McAfee vs Norton at a glance

During our tests, both Norton 360 and McAfee Total Protection delivered strong protection and a wide range of features. However, Norton 360 outperformed McAfee by detecting malware more effectively, with a real-time protection rate of 99.8% compared to McAfee’s 99.5%. Norton 360 also scanned faster, had less impact on system performance, and offered more affordable plans, which is why it earned highest ranking on our best antivirus software list.

	Norton Antivirus	McAfee Antivirus
⭐ Rating:	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
🥇 Overall rank:	#2 out of #26	#7 out of #26
🔥 Coupons:	Norton coupon 58% OFF	McAfee Antivirus coupon 70% OFF
💵 Price:	From $29.99/year	From $39.99/year
✂️ Free version:	No	Yes (Android, iOS)
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

McAfee vs Norton: which offers better security?

Many Norton 360 vs McAfee reviewers score this one as a tie. To determine the winner, we first looked at the latest German AV-TEST Institute’s independent test results, conducted in December 2024. Both McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 earned a Top Product rating, meaning that both providers offer similar levels of security.

	Norton 360	McAfee Total Protection
Independent tests	Highest marks	Highest marks
Real-time protection	99.8%	99.5%
Firewall	Effective	Effective
Scanning	Effective, caught 10/10 malware threats	Effective, caught 10/10 malware threats

When it comes to AV-Comparatives, both McAfee and Norton scored great online protection rates: 99.91% and 99.97%, respectively. However, there are some things to point out. While both providers offer almost the same online detection and protection rates, Norton has a slightly better offline detection rate but a higher false alarm rate.

We also looked at the SE Labs test results. Turns out, both competitors got the best possible award with a score of 99%.

When it came to our in-house testing, both antivirus providers performed really well. We ran various scan types to see how effective either of them is at removing malware threats. Both providers caught 10 out of 10 malware samples we’d placed without requiring too many resources from our device.

Real-time malware protection

Both Norton 360 and McAfee have reliable threat prevention systems, and to test them out, AV-Comparatives put them to a rigorous real-world protection test.

During the February – May 2024 tests, it detected 11 false positives (FPs) for Norton and 4 for McAfee. The July – October testing detected 13 FPs for Norton and 4 for McAfee, to Norton’s disadvantage. Despite that, both antiviruses can catch malware with a score of over 99%.

Independent testing aside, we ran our in-house tests to see how effectively Norton and McAfee detect malware. The results don't differ from independent testing. During the full scan, Norton and McAfee both caught 10/10 of the malware we had planted on the device.

During the quick scan test, McAfee found 9/10 viruses during its 12-min scan. Norton, on the other hand, didn't find a single malware sample we had planted. However, McAfee took longer to scan and used more PC resources than Norton.

Despite the mishap, both McAfee and Norton are secure and reliable antiviruses. In fact, they are leading providers on the market.

Malware protection

Both Norton 360 and McAfee offer some great features for protection from malware and its removal.

Norton features include malware protection with a very reliable real-time protection that monitors and protects your device from various online threats. You can also add a Safe Web feature on your browser to strengthen your browsing experience with detailed, color-coded safety ratings and link guard capabilities. Plus, you get advanced financial and identity alerts (such as notifications about 401(k) and investment activity) to help prevent fraud.

On the other hand, McAfee features include Tracker Remover, Secure Apps, and a file shredder. The Tracker Remover feature helps clean your device from cookies and temporary files to improve security. As for the other two, you don’t have to worry about your deleted sensitive files being recovered by cybercriminals or having to update apps manually.

Furthermore, McAfee also has a feature to boost your browser security. It’s called WebAdvisor, and it protects you from misclicks and typos to ensure you won’t accidentally visit dangerous sites. McAfee also includes text scam detection, which alerts users about suspicious messages – helpful for avoiding phishing attempts via mobile.

Firewall protection

Norton 360 Deluxe’s Smart Firewall works hand-in-hand with the Intrusion Prevention System. The firewall decides which data goes through, while the Intrusion Prevention System checks if there are no malicious pieces. It also hides all unused ports to limit the connection options for third parties.

Of course, the firewall can also work the other way around, blocking you from accessing potentially harmful websites. However, you should expect quite a few false positives.

McAfee’s firewall protection works better in the sense that you’ll encounter fewer false positives. Other than that, the settings and performance are quite similar to Norton’s.

In this case, it’s enough to know that both firewalls do their job, and you shouldn’t be thinking this part over when selecting between McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 Deluxe.

Scanning

Both providers offer several scanning options. Norton 360, for instance, offers quick, full, smart, file, and more scans.

The Quick Scan works great for a regular checkup – it analyzes the most vulnerable spots of your device. Meanwhile, the full scan analyzes everything – your entire system. Also, if you believe that a certain file is infected, you can use the file scan.

Moving on, McAfee has 3 types of scans – quick, full, and custom. The quick and full scans have the same purpose as the corresponding Norton’s scans.

As for the custom scan, you don’t get a dedicated scanning button for it. If you need to scan a specific file or folder, you need to locate it on your device, right-click it, and press the Scan button.

Pricing and plans

Plan	Norton	McAfee
Plus vs Plus	$29.99/year	$39.99/year
Standard vs Premium	$39.99/year	$49.99/year
Deluxe vs Advanced	$49.99/year	$89.99/year
Select Plus vs Ultimate	$99.99/year	$199.99/year
	Get our discount	Get our discount

Both McAfee and Norton have a number of subscription options. Each brand provides 4 main plans to choose from. However, comparing the prices, Norton has a cheaper starting plan at $29.99/year for those who don’t need that many features and are looking to save a buck. McAfee’s corresponding plan starts at $39.99/year, which is more expensive than Norton’s. In this price comparison, you can clearly see that all of McAfee’s plan prices are much higher than Norton’s.

McAfee has a 30-day free trial, while Norton 360 gives you a 7-day free trial for annual subscriptions. Even after that, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee with McAfee and a 60-day money-back guarantee with Norton 360.

Norton pricing

When choosing Norton 360 as your antivirus, you have 4 main options to choose from. All of the plans include malware and online threat protection, a firewall, backup storage, and a password manager.

Here’s every plan Norton offers and what you get with it:

	Plus	Standard	Deluxe	LifeLock Select
Price	$29.99/year	$39.99/year	$49.99/year	$99.99/year
Price upon renewal	$59.99/year	$94.99/year	$119.99/year	$189.99/year
Devices	1	3	5	10
Cloud backup storage	2GB	2GB	50GB	250GB
Secure VPN	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Privacy monitor	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Email/SMS phishing protection	✅ Yes (Basic)	✅ Yes (Basic)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Parental controls	❌No	❌No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Dark web monitoring	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes
Identity theft protection	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes

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The Plus plan ($29.99/year) offers 2GB of cloud backup storage and the security features available for all the plans, like a virus scan option, real-time protection, and a firewall. However, by investing more into the Standard plan ($39.99/year), you also get a VPN and dark web monitoring.

The most optimal plan is the Deluxe one ($49.99/year), offering all of the Standard plan features and adding privacy monitoring, parental controls, and much more.

However, to get identity theft protection, cover 10 devices, and get 250GB of storage, you have to pick the Select Pro plan, which is the most expensive ($99.99/year).

McAfee pricing

	Plus	Premium	Advanced	Ultimate
Price	$39.99/year	$49.99/year	$89.99/year	$199.99/year
Price upon renewal	$129.99/year	$149.99/year	$199.99/year	$279.99/year
Devices	5	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Parental controls	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Personal data cleanup	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Full service	✅ Full service
Identity theft coverage	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes (up to $2M per adult)	✅ Yes (up to $2M per adult)
Lost wallet protection	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Security freeze	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ransomware coverage	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes (up to $25K each for 2 adults)

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McAfee’s cheapest plan ($39.99/year), called Essential, is also the most basic one. Apart from the virus scan, real-time protection, and firewall features, it offers no addition to the security package.

However, if you invest in the Premium plan, which is slightly more expensive (starting at $49.99/year) but supports unlimited devices, you’ll also get parental controls and a VPN.

There’s also the Advanced plan ($89.99/year), offering all that you get with Premium, as well as personal data cleanup, identity theft coverage, and many more features.

The most expensive plan ($199.99/year), Ultimate, offers all of the features in the Advanced plan, plus includes credit lock (to prevent unauthorized opening of accounts in your name) and $25K ransomware coverage.

Norton vs McAfee feature comparison

Norton provides a much wider range of security features than McAfee. While both antiviruses cover the essentials, Norton includes additionals, such as phone takeover and monitoring cloud storage.

Here’s what we found during our Norton vs McAfee feature research:

	Norton	McAfee
VPN (unlimited data)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Password manager	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Dark Web Monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Credit monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
401(k) & Investment Activity Alerts	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Secure browser	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Secure cloud storage	✅ Yes	❌ No
Multi-device management	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
PC performance optimization	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Review	Norton Antivirus review	McAfee Antivirus review

Overall, Norton is better in terms of features than McAfee because of the more extensive cloud storage. However, Norton doesn’t have McAfee’s file shredder or encryption, but that isn’t a major disadvantage for most users.

Norton’s arsenal is loaded with features beneficial for advanced protection from threats (obviously depending on the plan you choose). Besides, you get a 100% virus protection promise. Its built-in performance optimization tools also ensure that your computer runs smoothly without security scans slowing it down.

McAfee Total Protection doesn’t fall far behind Norton’s plans, as it's very inclusive. Aside from threat and web protection, you get such essential features as a firewall as well as extras, such as a file shredder, to protect the documents you removed from recovering and its multi-device management makes it a solid choice for families or users with multiple devices.

For a full cybersecurity suite, both Norton and McAfee offer a password manager and a VPN. What I like about Norton is that it has a PC SafeCam, which stops unauthorized third-party access to your webcam.

Additionally, the Dark Web Monitoring feature, which both providers have, searches for your personal information and informs you if your data has been leaked.

Apps and interface: which is more user-friendly?

Both Norton and McAfee have a smooth installation and setup process. Their apps are user-friendly and simple to navigate.

Desktop app designs are not outdated or clogged with menus and buttons, so it all depends on which one appeals to you more. As for the mobile devices and their apps, I have noticed that Norton offers most of the features, while iOS users should expect a few less.

McAfee is doing everything similarly but emphasizes improving your device’s performance with specialized tools. However, McAfee is easier to navigate as in Norton's app, you have to open many new tabs and apps to find features.

Desktop apps

There’s no left sidebar, only 5 big buttons clearly informing what purposes they perform (Security, Online Safety, Backup, Performance, My Norton) at the bottom and settings at the top right of the window.

However, there’s a small price to pay for this initial simplicity – Norton uses pop-ups that are informative, but I found them to be quite annoying. Yet, the most important part is that everything is clear and easy to understand, even for beginners.

In the meantime, the McAfee antivirus program gives you a clear and concise main screen. However, for some reason, I was not able to maximize the window or change its size in any other way, which can be irritating for users.

On the top menu, you will find the 4 main options related to McAfee functions: Protect your PC, Protect yourself on the web, Protect your identity, and More security. During the test, clicking each of them showed us what was on or off, what McAfee did while we weren't looking, and buttons at the bottom to choose a possible action.

Mobile apps

Norton's Android version installation starts with choosing the tools you desire. It can be basic Norton Security, or you can add a password manager and Norton VPN. I recommend installing all 3 if you don’t have separate apps for the latter two. With McAfee, you get to install everything at once.

Norton’s mobile apps are pretty similar in the number of available features. What iOS might miss are an app installation checker, a spam call checker, and battery usage warnings. Also, it’s not possible to have it start up automatically whenever you switch to a public or another unsecured Wi-Fi.

Moving on, McAfee’s mobile app seemed simpler than its desktop counterpart. Compared to the desktop app, the mobile one heavily lacks certain features. For example, it no longer offers features like a Storage Cleaner, Memory Booster, App Lock, and Anti-Theft.

Customer support

When it comes to customer support, both McAfee and Norton have solid customer support with live chat option, as well as a phone line for contact with human agents. The waiting times for a response are only a few minutes, so for any urgent issues, you’ll receive the needed help quickly.

There are also forums for individual research for both providers, and I was able to find more help from the McAfee community. Their knowledge base is also nicely structured.

	Norton	McAfee
Email	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
24/7 live chat	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Phone line	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Knowledge base	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Looking for some external opinions, I checked what the Better Business Bureau had to say about the customer service of each provider. Turns out, they both get an A+.

Video comparison review

Get a look from the inside: we compared both Norton vs McAfee and shared our insights in the video below:

Final verdict

After careful consideration, I can clearly state that Norton outperforms McAfee as an antivirus solution. Independent and internal testing reveals Norton’s superior malware detection, broader security tools, greater value per dollar, and excellent customer support.

	Norton	McAfee
Features	✅ Wins	❌ Loses
Malware protection	✅ Wins	❌ Loses
Pricing	✅ Wins	❌ Loses
User interface	✅ Draw	✅ Draw
Support	✅ Draw	✅ Draw

Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that both of these competitors are among the best antivirus providers that you can find in 2025. Each delivers solid feature sets, comparable configurations, and robust protection, though they diverge in specific areas.

McAfee is a reliable antivirus provider with unique security features, such as a file shredder. It also offers a free version and a longer free trial than Norton 360. However, McAfee shows a slightly inferior overall protection performance and has fewer scanning options.

Ultimately, Norton 360 emerges as the stronger choice. Though it generates more false positives and lacks a free version, it excels in malware detection, scan speeds, and affordability. Subscriptions are more budget-friendly, and it includes a more extended refund guarantee than McAfee.

How we tested and compared Mcafee vs Norton

To evaluate McAfee and Norton, we ran in-house stress tests using real-world malware samples to assess detection and removal efficiency. Our testing framework prioritizes relevance and accuracy, focusing on key areas like:

• Malware detection and removal
• Real-time protection
• Performance
• False positive detection rates
• Extra features
• Compatibility
• Customer support
• Price

We follow a rigorous testing process to ensure accurate results. If you’re curious about how we evaluate antivirus software, check out our detailed testing methodology.

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