• Written by: Osama Zahid Cybersecurity Specialist

McAfee Overview

McAfee is among the most established and popular antiviruses available. However, I wanted to see if it’s as good as industry leaders like Norton. So, I extensively tested McAfee’s virus detection, security, and additional features to see if it can compete with the best.

After my tests, I found that McAfee is a top-quality antivirus that eliminates of malware. Also, it’s a feature-rich app with tools like a VPN, password manager, parental controls, tracker removal, ID protection, and more. It’s not as good as Norton, as it flags a few false positives and is a bit slower, but I still consider McAfee among the best security apps.

McAfee also has multiple price plans to suit everyone’s needs. Plus, you can try the app without risk, as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. There’s even a free trial for the Total Protection plan, meaning you’ll get plenty of time to see if McAfee suits you.

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In a Rush? Here’s a 1-Minute Summary

  • Excellent defense against malware — McAfee reliably removes of malware via its scans. Learn more about its malware detection performance here .
  • Many useful features — McAfee has a VPN, password manager, parental controls, and more for improved safety. Jump to read more about its features .
  • Highly intuitive apps — The desktop and mobile apps are all easy to install and use. See how you can install McAfee on your system .
  • Responsive support — You can contact McAfee’s support through multiple channels, including 24/7 live chat. Find out more about McAfee’s support channels here .
  • Multiple price plans — It’s not the cheapest antivirus, but McAfee has multiple subscriptions you can pick from. Discover all of McAfee’s price plans here .

Security

McAfee offers top-notch safety by removing of malware via scans and offering equally effective real-time security. Plus, it has an innovative firewall that works alongside Windows’ built-in firewall, reliable web protection, and more to ensure your system remains safe against all cyber threats.

Virus Scan — Multiple Scans That Reliably Detect Malware

During my tests, McAfee effectively found and removed of malware from my system via its various virus scans. It currently offers quick, full, and custom scans. Note that the quick and full scans are available from the scans menu, but the custom scan only works by right-clicking an item or folder and scanning it via the context menu.

McAfee’s quick scan needed only 2 minutes to check 31,706 files in the critical parts of my system. On the other hand, the full scan needed 2 hours to scan 1,016,340 files across my whole system. The full scan is much longer than Norton’s, which needed under 30 minutes to check the same system, but it reliably finds malware.

Screenshot showing McAfee's full scan results - 1 Screenshot showing McAfee's full scan results - 2