The latest version of McAfee puts particular focus on keeping personal data private, driven by the recent number of online scams around the Covid-19.pandemic. The Total Protection version for example installs itself in the new Edge browser, along with the password manager True Key. This should give greater protection when surfing the internet.
The new design sees a departure from the old interface with five categories at the top of the screen. This improvement means less wasted space, and is better used with a new large status banner giving an instant overview of the health of your device.
Other changes from previous versions include that the VPN is now built into the suite instead of a standalone product.
McAfee pricing
McAfee Total Protection Basic
McAfee offers antivirus as well as other named features such as home network security, a password manager, email checking, McAfee shredder, and safe web browsing via VPN for $29.99.
McAfee Total Protection Standard
This is McAfee Total Protection but limited to 1 device for $34.99 a year.
McAfee Total Protection Plus
This is McAfee Total Protection for up to 35 devices as well as Gamer Security for $29.99. Gamer Security helps with anti-DDoS protection, lag fixing, and other system monitoring.
McAfee Total Protection Premium
Advanced gets you unlimited device access and identity theft insurance for $49.99 per year
McAfee Total Protection Advanced
This is McAfee Total Protection for unlimited devices for $89.99 a year.
Device coverage
Like many offerings with paid subscriptions, you get more devices on the higher plans. McAfee supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android devices.
Trial options
You can download a free trial from the McAfee website to test out the features and see if it is right for you.
Compatibility
- Antivirus
- VPN Reviews
- McAfee Antivirus review
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McAfee Antivirus review
Writer Steve Adams
15+ Years Experience in the Tech, Privacy and Security Space
Updated: May 20, 2022Read user reviews
Today I’ll be reviewing the antivirus program by McAfee and I will be looking at how it handles all different types of viruses and online threats.
McAfee is based in California, United States, and has nearly 7000 employees. It was acquired by Intel in 2010 and the flagship offering is McAfee Total Protection.
I will focus on the areas below when conducting my review:
- Does this software cause slowdown or speed issues?
- Is McAfee Antivirus effective against malicious programs?
- Is McAfee easy to use?
- Does McAfee offer value for money?
I’ll set McAfee up against some benchmarking virus samples to see how it performs. This will see McAfee be exposed to the EICAR test files, which are developed to test the ability of antivirus programs to respond to harmful programs.
This will also serve to make clear McAfee’s pros and cons, including how their customer support deals with questions, their time to respond, and how thorough they were.
McAfee performs superbly across the major aspects in my review, particularly when compared to other competitors in the space.
On top of this, McAfee’s offering comes with many additional features. This includes home network security, a password manager, email checking, and safe web browsing.
Summary
Pros:
- McAfee’s annual subscription protects you from a variety of attacks online
- Blocked all viruses, malware, and other threats tested
- McAfee has been in the antivirus business since 1987
Cons:
- Paid subscriptions only
- Company headquarters are located in the United States
- Reviews point to intrusive behavior of the program
What’s new in the latest version of McAfee?
The latest version of McAfee puts particular focus on keeping personal data private, driven by the recent number of online scams around the Covid-19.pandemic. The Total Protection version for example installs itself in the new Edge browser, along with the password manager True Key. This should give greater protection when surfing the internet.
The new design sees a departure from the old interface with five categories at the top of the screen. This improvement means less wasted space, and is better used with a new large status banner giving an instant overview of the health of your device.
Other changes from previous versions include that the VPN is now built into the suite instead of a standalone product.
McAfee pricing
McAfee Total Protection Basic
McAfee offers antivirus as well as other named features such as home network security, a password manager, email checking, McAfee shredder, and safe web browsing via VPN for $29.99.
McAfee Total Protection Standard
This is McAfee Total Protection but limited to 1 device for $34.99 a year.
McAfee Total Protection Plus
This is McAfee Total Protection for up to 35 devices as well as Gamer Security for $29.99. Gamer Security helps with anti-DDoS protection, lag fixing, and other system monitoring.
McAfee Total Protection Premium
Advanced gets you unlimited device access and identity theft insurance for $49.99 per year
McAfee Total Protection Advanced
This is McAfee Total Protection for unlimited devices for $89.99 a year.
Device coverage
Like many offerings with paid subscriptions, you get more devices on the higher plans. McAfee supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android devices.
Trial options
You can download a free trial from the McAfee website to test out the features and see if it is right for you.
Compatibility
| No value | McAfee Total Protection Basic | McAfee Total Protection Plus | McAfee Total Protection Premium | McAfee Total Protection Advanced |
| Website | mcafee.com | mcafee.com | mcafee.com | mcafee.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 | ||||
| Windows 8 | ||||
| Windows 7 | ||||
| Windows Vista | ||||
| MacOS | ||||
| iOS | ||||
| Android | ||||
| Best deal (per month) | $2.49 $2.49/mo for the annual plan – 1 device | $3.33 SAVE $80 on a 2 year plan – 5 devices | $4.16 SAVE $85 on a 2 year plan – 10 devices | $6.24 Unlimited Devices – $6.24/mo 1yr plan |
Effectiveness against malware
McAfee’s antivirus first went up against several malware tests. In order to ensure that we have an authentic result, we have used test samples as well as my own mix of viruses and malware to really test McAfee’s software.
We will also compare McAfee’s performance as tested on other review sites to see what other important information we should be aware of, such as virus vulnerabilities or weaknesses to certain attack vectors.
EICAR sample tests
The European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) produces a collection of many virus samples to test the response of an antivirus program.
These collections will replicate a virus attack, particularly one from the past that was destructive, but that is totally harmless to your computer.
We’ll also see how McAfee’s software detects, prevents, and blocks threats. We’ll check out the quick scan feature, as well as doing a full scan to see how long it takes.
It is important to realize that running a full scan cannot be done due to the resource usage drain on the system.
McAfee passed the EICAR test without allowing any threats through.