McAfee Total Protection Review (2025): The right choice?

Full Review

McAfee is ranked #5 of the 28 best antivirus of 2025.

McAfee is a top-tier antivirus suite with an extensive range of security features. After testing it across various devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, we found its performance to be consistently reliable.

McAfee is user-friendly and stands out by offering protection for 5 to unlimited devices, a rare feature in antivirus software. Its comprehensive protection and extra features make it one of the most impressive security solutions available in 2025.

Anti-malware

McAfee’s antivirus scanner combines traditional malware detection with heuristic analysis, offering strong protection against all types of threats. In our tests, it detected 100% of malware samples, including viruses, trojans, rootkits, ransomware, and spyware.

While its full system scan took about an hour—comparable to Bitdefender but slower than Norton—it was highly effective. The quick scan completed in under 2 minutes, and custom scans varied depending on the files selected.

One downside is system slowdown during scans, making it difficult to multitask with resource-heavy applications. However, McAfee allows scan scheduling, so you can run scans during downtime. Despite this minor performance hit, McAfee’s scanner remains one of the best on the market, delivering excellent detection rates and flexible scanning options.

Anti-phishing

McAfee’s WebAdvisor provides robust protection against phishing sites, exploit attacks, and cryptojackers. It’s a free browser add-on available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, and can be quickly installed via McAfee’s desktop app. WebAdvisor excels at identifying phishing sites, outperforming Chrome’s and Firefox’s built-in defenses in our tests.

The tool includes a Secure Search feature that assigns safety ratings to search results and accurately flagged dangerous sites. It also rates links on social media platforms, performing well on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, though it didn’t rate links on X.

Overall, WebAdvisor is one of the best tools for online protection, offering superior anti-phishing and exploit detection, along with useful site ratings for less tech-savvy users.

Firewall

McAfee’s firewall is easy to use and offers solid protection right out of the box, making it ideal for less tech-savvy users. In our tests, it effectively detected intrusions, exploit attacks, and unauthorized communications, outperforming the default firewalls in Windows and macOS. However, its customization options are limited. Users can only manage blocked applications, with no control over ports or advanced settings, as it works alongside Windows Defender rather than replacing it.

The Mac version is similarly basic and had some stability issues during our testing, requiring reinstallation. While it offers network protection, its lack of advanced features is disappointing compared to competitors like Norton and Intego, which provide more customization and smart firewall options.

Overall, McAfee’s firewall offers reliable network protection but lacks the flexibility and features found in other premium antivirus suites.

Password manager

McAfee’s True Key password manager provides solid password protection and basic functionality but lacks some advanced features found in top standalone password managers. It uses 256-bit AES encryption and zero-knowledge architecture, ensuring that only you can access your data.

True Key supports unlimited password storage across devices on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with browser compatibility for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

Key features include a password generator, credit card and document storage, secure notes, and zero-click auto-filling. However, True Key lacks important features like secure password sharing, password vault auditing, password breach monitoring, and broader two-factor authentication (2FA) options, such as TOTP or USB token support.

Despite these limitations, True Key is easy to use, making password generation, saving, and auto-filling simple. It also offers convenient, though less secure, master password recovery via email. While it’s not as feature-rich as competitors like 1Password or Dashlane, True Key remains a useful tool for basic password management within McAfee’s Total Protection suite.

VPN

McAfee Secure VPN, powered by TunnelBear, offers easy-to-use functionality and solid performance for basic online tasks like browsing and streaming. It’s included with most McAfee antivirus plans and has servers in over 45 countries, though this network is smaller compared to standalone VPNs like NordVPN or Surfshark. It uses 256-bit AES encryption and includes a kill switch, ensuring strong data protection, alongside a strict no-logs policy.

While McAfee’s VPN works with Netflix US and Amazon Prime, it struggles with platforms like Disney+ and Hulu. It also lacks advanced features on desktop, such as split-tunneling and obfuscated servers, although these are available on mobile versions.

Speed-wise, McAfee Secure VPN performed well, especially on local servers, with only minor slowdowns on distant ones. Despite its user-friendly interface and reliable streaming for certain platforms, its lack of advanced features makes it less competitive compared to top standalone VPNs.

Alternatively, consider Norton VPN or Bitdefender VPN.

Other security features

McAfee Total Protection offers a variety of additional security features, making it a well-rounded suite. Here’s a breakdown of the key tools:

Anti-tracker (Tracker Remover)

McAfee’s Tracker Remover is a performance optimization tool available for Windows and Chrome. It removes browser cookies, web history, recycle bin items, and temporary files. In tests, it quickly freed up over 400 MB of space.

The tool offers a detailed breakdown of items flagged for removal, making it user-friendly for both novice and advanced users. However, it’s a basic tool compared to competitors like Avira and Avast, which offers more comprehensive cleanup and optimization features.

Parental Controls (Safe Family)

McAfee Safe Family provides strong parental controls for Windows, Android, and iOS (but not macOS), included in family plans. It features content filtering, device usage limits, app blocking, and location tracking. The app performed well, accurately blocking unsafe content, apps, and in-app purchases.

The location tracking feature is precise, allowing parents to monitor their child’s whereabouts and receive location updates. However, Safe Family lacks YouTube monitoring, phone call/text tracking, and some features don’t work on iOS devices, making it less comprehensive than dedicated parental control apps like Qustodio.

Identity Theft Protection

McAfee’s Identity Monitoring service offers broad protection by monitoring over 60 types of personally identifying information (PII) across the dark web and credit networks. Users in 30+ countries can monitor sensitive data, such as SSNs, driver’s licenses, and credit card numbers.

The service includes Personal Data Cleanup, which scans and helps remove your information from data broker directories, along with Lost Wallet Protection and a Security Freeze feature to prevent unauthorized account creation. Higher-tier plans include $1 million in identity recovery insurance. McAfee’s identity theft tools are comprehensive, especially compared to competitors like TotalAV, which offers more limited protection.

Vulnerability Scanner

McAfee’s vulnerability scanner checks for outdated programs, helping protect against zero-day threats. While not part of the core antivirus, it’s a useful feature to ensure your software is up to date and secure.

Secure File Shredder

This tool allows users to permanently delete sensitive folders by overwriting data, preventing recovery. It works quickly, but unfortunately, it doesn’t support individual file deletion.

Social Privacy Manager

This feature helps optimize your privacy settings across social media platforms like Facebook, Google, and TikTok. It automates privacy settings, enhancing your control over personal data visibility.

Anti-Tracker Browser Extension

McAfee also offers a separate Anti-tracker extension, which blocks websites from tracking your online activity. This extension works well but is not integrated with WebAdvisor, which would streamline its functionality.

Plans and pricing

In the table below are the core products with their features and prices.

The prices shown are from the USA. However, most brands have different prices (and currencies) in other regions. So visit the brand’s website to see the price in our country.

Plan description

McAfee offers five pricing plans, and each caters to different needs.

Total Protection Basic

At $29.99/year, this plan covers 1 device and offers a well-rounded set of features like antivirus, firewall, identity monitoring, and 24/7 support. The plan also includes a VPN if you opt for auto-renewal. We think it’s a good deal, especially compared to Norton 360 Standard, although it lacks parental controls.

Total Protection Essential

At $39.99/year, this plan covers up to 5 devices and offers the same features as Total Protection Basic.

Total Protection Premium

Priced at $49.99/year, this plan covers unlimited devices and includes all Plus features. It also offers manual Personal Data Cleanup. A family option adds parental controls. We found this to be the best value, offering a wide range of features at a competitive price.

Total Protection Advanced

For those prioritizing identity protection, this $89.99/year plan covers unlimited devices and adds $1 million in identity theft coverage, Lost Wallet Protection, and Security Freeze. It’s a pricier option but valuable if identity protection is a key concern.

Total Protection Ultimate

At $199.99/year, this is McAfee’s most comprehensive plan. It offers all the above features plus $25,000 in ransomware protection and extensive transaction monitoring for various accounts. It’s pricey, but for those needing ultimate protection, it could be worth it.

Refunds are available within 30 days of purchase, 60 days of renewal, or anytime if malware isn’t removed. Auto-renewal subscribers also get additional perks like VPN and ID theft protection. Overall, McAfee offers a range of plans suitable for various needs and budgets.

Test score comparison

We conduct in-house anti-malware tests and review the results from AV-Test, a German lab renowned for its objective evaluations. Below is the average of the last 10 AV-Test results for Windows. Their scoring criteria are:

• Protection (1-6): Effectiveness in blocking malware.
• Performance (1-6): Impact on system speed.
• Usability (1-6): Frequency of errors like false alarms.

We calculate a final score using this formula:

Final Score = 60% Protection + 20% Performance + 20% Usability.

While these results influence our choice of the best antivirus for Windows 11, other factors like privacy and identity protection also play a key role. For a similar analysis for Android or macOS, visit our other comparisons:

• The best antivirus for Android.
• The best antivirus for Mac.

Note: Brands not listed in the table either do not participate in AV-Test trials or are tested too infrequently, such as Surfshark Antivirus.

Source: AV-Test (Last updated: December 2024).

Price comparison

We’ve compared the prices of the top antivirus products for Windows. To make it a fair comparison, we looked at what it would cost us, to protect a  single Windows PC with the most essential features:

• Anti-malware
• Anti-phishing (web protection)
• Firewall
• Password manager
• Unlimited VPN (no data limit)

A few notes:

• Some brands are missing features, lowering their value for money.
• Prices are second-year prices in the USA, without first-year discounts.
• Prices are rounded up for readability (e.g., $99.99 becomes $100).

Brands have different prices outside the USA. See those on their website.

User reviews

We’ve compared the user reviews of all antivirus brands. We’ve used the scores and review count of TrustPilot, a leading user review platform. 

We consider scores above 4.0 very good. Lower scores indicate that the brand might have a poor product or customer service. McAfee’s scores, for instance, are worrying.

Source: TrustPilot. Last Update: December 2024.

Company Profile

McAfee is a global leader in online security with over 35 years of innovation, protecting 600+ million devices across 182 countries. With 1,800 employees and 108 million customers worldwide, McAfee’s mission is to make the digital world safer for everyone.

Advanced Digital Protection

Known for its award-winning antivirus software, McAfee provides comprehensive privacy and identity protection solutions that enable users to confidently navigate the online world, no matter their device or location. Backed by a network of 100 million threat sensors and 200+ researchers, the company detects 620 new threats every minute and blocks over 13,669 threats per minute.

A Legacy of Leadership

Founded in 1987 by John McAfee, the company has evolved through ownership changes, briefly becoming Intel Security in 2014 before returning to the McAfee name in 2016. In 2021, McAfee shifted focus exclusively to consumer security, selling its enterprise division and going private after a $14 billion buyout.

Accessible Solutions

McAfee’s products are available through online platforms, retail outlets, and partnerships with ISPs and device manufacturers. The company remains steadfast in its commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats, ensuring customer safety and peace of mind while advancing digital security globally.

How we test antivirus software

At SoftwareLab, we provide thorough and unbiased antivirus reviews to help you make informed cybersecurity decisions. Our comprehensive testing covers all critical aspects of antivirus performance. We assess each product in six key categories, weighted by importance:

For even more details, visit our blog posts on how we test antivirus software.