McAfee has long been a significant player in the antivirus market, known for its robust protection capabilities. However, users often point out its higher costs, missing features, and occasional system slowdowns. As a result, many seek alternatives that offer better performance and value.
Norton emerges as a strong contender, providing superior performance and additional features not found in McAfee. It offers comprehensive real-time protection, a secure VPN, a password manager, cloud backup, parental controls, and dark web monitoring. Additionally, Norton’s basic plan is more affordable than McAfee’s.
Both Norton and McAfee present user-friendly interfaces and well-designed mobile apps. The choice between them often boils down to personal preference, as both prioritize ease of use.
Norton excels in protection, with a higher threat-blocking rate and fewer false positives compared to McAfee. It also uses fewer system resources, making it ideal for older devices. Norton’s Safe Web feature enhances online security, while its credit monitoring and identity theft alerts provide added protection. McAfee’s WebAdvisor is useful, but Norton’s solution is more comprehensive.
In firewall protection, McAfee holds a slight edge, although Norton’s Intrusion Prevention System is a valuable addition, despite some false positives. For those not using third-party firewalls, Windows Security remains a solid option.
Pricing varies between the two, with Norton offering better value at the lower tier and McAfee being slightly cheaper at the highest tier. Norton’s Standard plan starts at $32.99 annually, covering one device with 10GB of cloud storage. The Deluxe and Premium plans offer additional features and more storage.
Both Norton and McAfee receive high ratings from the Better Business Bureau, with multiple support options available, including live chat and comprehensive knowledge bases.
Ultimately, Norton provides a comprehensive security package with its multi-device protection, cloud backup, and extensive tools, making it a superior choice to McAfee.
