Best For Safer Web Surfing

4.8

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On Avast's website

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Avast

• High antivirus test scores
• Ransomware protection
• No parental controls

Best Comprehensive Security Suite

5.0

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On McAfee's website

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McAfee

• All-in-one protection for your personal info and privacy
• Excellent antivirus protection
• Additional features like a file shredder and parental controls
• Multiple pop-ups for text notifications can be annoying

Avast and McAfee, two antivirus giants, are duking it out for the title of best antivirus. On the one hand, you have McAfee, a top antivirus that receives some of the highest scores from third-party auditor, AV-TEST. Its base antivirus plan has features like identity monitoring, parental controls, and a password manager.

Opposite that, you have Avast, another top performer in AV-TEST lab results. Avast offers free antivirus and browser protection for both Mac and Windows users. If you splurge on the Avast One premium plan, you also get access to a virtual private network (VPN), data breach alerts, scam text blocker, and a device cleaner, among other security features.

Both antiviruses are strong contenders that protect against viruses, ransomware, and other malware. The one that's right for you depends on the price that makes you the most comfortable. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s dive into this comparison to find out more.

Avast vs. McAfee review at a glance

Avast’s antivirus offerings are robust. It sports a Web Shield to block dangerous sites, Phishing Net for protection against phishing attempts, and a Ransomware Shield to protect your most important files. These features protect you from some of the most common cyberthreats online including phishing scams, malicious or fake websites, and ransomware.

McAfee includes an advanced firewall, a file shredder, and identity monitoring, which watches up to 10 email addresses for breaches. This makes McAfee great for people who want to protect both their devices and personal data, by securing their device and anything they might encounter online.

• Avast: Best for safer web surfing
• McAfee: Best comprehensive security suite

Avast vs. McAfee compared

	Avast	McAfee
Starting price	$50.28/first yr	$39.99/first yr
Free version
Max number of protected devices	10 devices	Unlimited devices
24/7 customer support
Compatibility	Android, iOS, Windows, macOS	Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, ChromeOS
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

Both Avast Free and McAfee Basic are great for virus protection on a single device. While the lack of a price tag on Avast’s free plan is definitely appealing, you may find it comes with some limits to the protection you receive. In that case, McAfee’s Basic plan is an affordable alternative at $39.99/first yr. It offers many of the same features as Avast’s free plan along with identity monitoring, an unlimited VPN, password manager, and web protection.

If you’re not looking for comprehensive identity theft protection (though we do recommend identity protection ourselves), the McAfee+ Premium plan is a top-tier plan with a focus on web protection. We like that it includes several privacy features as well, such as a personal data cleanup scan and tracker remover. It also includes scam protection and device optimization tools.

Not to be outdone, Avast One includes some extras that may make the cost worth it for you. These include automatic app and PC driver updates, webcam protection, and the ability to scramble your online profile to confuse advertisers. The One plan also bumps your VPN bandwidth up from 5 GB a week to unlimited data.

Avast vs. McAfee: prices

	Avast	McAfee
Price range	$34.68-$119.88/first yr	$39.99–$219.99/yr
Best value plan	Premium plan for $50.28/first yr	McAfee+ Premium plan for $49.99/first yr
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

When selecting your antivirus program, it’s important to weigh out cost to performance. The McAfee Essential plan gives you the antivirus plus a VPN for safer web surfing. It also comes with a tracker remover. This is handy for deleting any web tracking of your information. We also like that this plan covers up to five devices, which is helpful if you own a lot of internet-connected phones and laptops — or if you’d like to secure your family’s devices as well.

Avast, on the other hand, jumps from its free plan (also called Essential) to the Avast Premium plan. Covering anywhere from one to 10 devices, the plan includes Email Guardian, which flags email scams, phishing attempts, and attachments with possible malware. It also scans websites for malware or phishing attacks and comes with a firewall.

Both antiviruses are at their most comparable with their Premium plans — especially in price. Avast Premium costs $50.28/first yr for one device and McAfee+ Premium costs $49.99/first yr for an unlimited number of devices.

In terms of price, this might’ve been a tie. But Avast doesn’t include a VPN. A VPN that comes with antivirus keeps you well protected and private. We also like that McAfee secures as many devices as you need, making it our pick for the best value.

McAfee also comes with an optional 30-day free trial, so you can test the service before commiting. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends, or you’ll be enrolled in a year-long plan. If you do forget, don’t worry, McAfee has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Avast’s lower-tier paid plan covers only one device. But you also have the option of testing Avast out with its free plan to make sure it’s reliable enough.

Avast vs. McAfee: features

Feature	Avast	Our Pick McAfee
Manual and scheduled scans
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Firewall
Parental controls
Password manager
VPN
Ad blocker
Device optimization tools
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

Avast’s and McAfee’s basic plans are pretty evenly matched. Both providers’ paid plans get you 24/7 coverage on your devices, with scans and quarantines malware, ransomware, and phishing attempts. The differences start with McAfee’s VPN, a tool that is useful for keeping your IP address hidden on websites with trackers. Avast doesn’t include a VPN for free, but you can purchase an Avast VPN separately.

McAfee’s comprehensive antivirus software is proven by third-party testers to keep you safe from malware, plus the included feature that monitors dark web forums for your information makes it more of a personal security asset when you’re not actively online. Many services and online shops require an email address, but the trouble is, you may not know whether the server that you just gave your email address to is secure. Identity monitoring builds confidence that our personal information is not being harvested by hackers.

While McAfee includes a password manager and Avast doesn’t, it’s not a defining feature. It’s nice to have all our security tools in one suite, but there are many free password managers, so we don’t think it’s a deal breaker that Avast doesn’t include one in its lineup.

Avast vs. McAfee: test results

Third-party testing is when someone other than the antivirus company checks to see how secure the software is. This helps to make sure that the results are fair and unbiased. By checking third-party test results, we can make sure that our recommendations are based on accurate information and that we're only recommending products that are actually worth it.

Here we’ll compare the most recent AV-TEST scores to see which offers the best protection, Avast or McAfee.

Avast vs. McAfee malware protection scores

	Avast	McAfee
AV-TEST Windows score	18/18	18/18
AV-TEST macOS score	18/18	N/A
AV-TEST Android score	18/18	18/18
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

From AV-TEST, Avast earned a score of 18/18 for protection on Windows and Mac. After four months of testing, it detected and protected the system against 100% of threats. Avast also scored under the industry average for copying, installing, and launching desktop applications. This is great for the longevity of your computer.

At times antiviruses can detect viruses that aren’t viruses, also called false positives. AV-TEST put Avast to the test and luckily there were no false positives during testing. So accuracy is 100% as well.

AV-TEST’s evaluation found that McAfee performs similarly. It scored 18/18 in protection for Windows against web and email threats as well as against widespread malware. McAfee’s performance was also good, but one thing to note is that McAfee’s effect on performance meets the industry average. That’s something to keep in mind, since it might slow down faster than Avast. In the most recent test for false positives, McAfee’s accuracy was 100%.

The only real difference between the two is that Avast earned top marks in AV-TEST’s Mac results, while McAfee wasn’t tested on Mac at all. This isn’t necessarily a red flag for McAfee, as antivirus companies must pay for third-party testing. It’s not uncommon for an antivirus to focus on just one or two platforms, and if McAfee’s excellent performance tells us anything, we can guess it also performs well on Mac too.

Avast vs. McAfee: compatibility and customer support

	Our Pick Avast	McAfee
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Yes — Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Avast Secure Browser	Yes — Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Phone, email, forums, online guides	Live Chat, phone, forums, online guides
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

Avast and McAfee cover most major operating systems like Mac and Windows, but they also cover your smart devices like Android and iOS. One major difference between the two, however, is that McAfee also works on ChromeOS while Avast adds browser extensions for Opera and its own Avast Secure Browser.

In terms of setup and usability, Avast has a straightforward setup process that takes no time at all to get started. Just hit download and the application needs only a few permissions to get started.

McAfee makes you jump through a few hoops. You have to add a payment method to get started with a free trial. They then give you a serial number that they’ll ask for once the interface starts setting up on your computer.

Customer support is available 24/7 with both antiviruses. Through the Avast interface, clicking Help will take you to the support website. Once there you will be asked a few questions about your issue. Afterward you’ll be able to either search for helpful guides or call Avast directly. They also give you a phone number to call. We love that!

McAfee does not provide the same experience. To get the best support from McAfee, go to the Customer Service page on the McAfee website. The site gives you similar support features to Avast. There are a lot of things when it comes to protection that McAfee does well, but it is not as user friendly as Avast.

Avast vs. McAfee FAQs

Avast vs. McAfee: which is better?

The best antivirus programs help you secure your devices against multiple threats without jumping through hoops. Avast and McAfee both offer this level of protection, with excellent performance scores from AV-TEST as well as a well-rounded set of security features.

While both antiviruses are a good choice, we believe McAfee is the better pick for a low-cost plan that still delivers a lot of value. It also includes comprehensive identity theft protection with its higher-tier plans, and paired with its strong antivirus, this fortifies your online security against almost all kinds of threats.

With anti-phishing and web safety features, the free Avast plan is a great place to start if you’re not ready to trade cash for premium cybersecurity protection. We also like the privacy features included in Avast One, but McAfee’s included security features push it into the lead.

Your web traffic is better protected with a VPN. Your personal data is safer with optimization tools and active identity monitoring. And all this comes at a similar price as Avast’s premium plan. All in all, McAfee is the choice for a better optimized tool for personal cybersecurity.

Avast vs. McAfee alternatives

If neither of these antiviruses seem worth the money to you, here are some fantastic alternatives to help you to figure out which one is.

Get TotalAV | Read Our TotalAV Review

5.0

Save $105 on your first year of McAfee+ Premium

Learn More

On McAfee's website

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McAfee

• All-in-one protection for your personal info and privacy
• Excellent antivirus protection
• Additional features like a file shredder and parental controls
• Multiple pop-ups for text notifications can be annoying

Author Details

Sameer Narain

About the Author

Sameer M. Narain is a freelance writer with a foundation in systems, software, and hardware. With over 10 years of experience in testing various antivirus programs, data encryption programs, VPNs, and drive defragmentation software, he is adept at synthesizing information for the everyday reader and tech enthusiast. He has a special interest in staying secure for big team-related projects where confidentiality is king, therefore his writing often attempts to solve the bigger picture with easily accessible programs.