Norton 360 offers superior malware detection rates (99.7% vs 98.5%) and faster system performance impact, while McAfee Total Protection provides more comprehensive identity theft protection and lower pricing for annual subscriptions. Norton edges ahead for security-focused users, but McAfee appeals to budget-conscious buyers seeking broader privacy features.
Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Premium antivirus with 99.7% malware detection and unlimited VPN included
Affordable antivirus with unlimited VPN and multi-device coverage
Malware Detection Rate. Annual Price (Single Device). System Performance Impact. Identity Theft Protection Coverage. VPN Data Allowance. Devices Protected (Multi-Device Plan). Customer Support Response Time
Choose Norton 360 if you prioritize maximum malware detection accuracy (99.7%), faster system performance, superior identity theft coverage ($2M), and quicker customer support—worth the premium price for security-first users. Choose McAfee Total Protection if you want strong protection at a lower cost ($59.99/year), value comprehensive privacy features, and can tolerate slightly higher system impact—ideal for budget-conscious families protecting multiple devices.
Norton 360: 99.8% | McAfee Total Protection: 99.5%
Norton 360: Live & Comprehensive | McAfee Total Protection: Good but Limited
Norton 360: Yes - Dedicated Feature | McAfee Total Protection: Standard protection
Norton 360: Yes - Dedicated Browser | McAfee Total Protection: No - Web Protection Only
Norton 360: $29.99 | McAfee Total Protection: $24.99
Norton 360: Fast - Unlimited Data | McAfee Total Protection: Standard - Limited Data
Norton 360: 1 device | McAfee Total Protection: 5 devices
Norton 360: High | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: 6 major features | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: Yes | McAfee Total Protection: Yes
Norton 360: Yes - LifeLock 24/7 | McAfee Total Protection: Included in base plan
Norton 360: Yes - Device optimizer included | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: Moderate-High | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: Stronger pick | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: $49.99 | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: 6-8% | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: 10 | McAfee Total Protection: 10
Norton 360: Yes, unlimited data | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: Yes, unlimited entries | McAfee Total Protection: Yes
Norton 360: Yes (phone, chat, email) | McAfee Total Protection: N/A
Norton 360: Yes, with app blocking | McAfee Total Protection: Yes, included
Norton 360: 99.7% | McAfee Total Protection: 98.2%
Norton 360: $99.99 | McAfee Total Protection: $59.99
Norton 360: 7% slowdown | McAfee Total Protection: 12% slowdown
Norton 360: $2,000,000 | McAfee Total Protection: $1,000,000
Norton 360: Yes, unlimited | McAfee Total Protection: Yes (unlimited)
Norton 360: 10 devices | McAfee Total Protection: 10 devices
Norton 360: 2 hours average | McAfee Total Protection: 3.4 hours (business hours only)
Norton 360: 60 days | McAfee Total Protection: 30 days
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $79.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 8.2%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 280 MB
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 24/7 phone, chat, email
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Faster
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Higher impact
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Unlimited included
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Advanced continuous
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 30 days
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $59.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 12%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Limited 30-day trial
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 500MB
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Advanced (app blocking, screen time, content filtering)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 10 devices
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 7-12%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 32 minutes
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes (premium)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes, always active
Annual Subscription Cost (First Year, 1 Device)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $39.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 52 minutes average
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 15% average
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 99.2%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes (250MB daily)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes (Windows only)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $99.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 18-22
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS (up to 5 devices)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 8-12%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Unlimited
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 5 devices
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 3.2%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 4.1/5
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $119.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $179.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes, 24/7
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: No
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 0.3 GB (included)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 45-60%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $34.99
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 500MB daily
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 8-12% average
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: $1,000,000
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 24/7 (168 hours/week)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Advanced
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Yes (Standard)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 5.8%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 3 bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion)
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 98.2%
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 500 passwords
Norton 360: N/A | McAfee Total Protection: 3.8/5
How to choose between Norton 360 and McAfee Total Protection
Compare Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection
Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection. Contains 89 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection.
Is McAfee or Norton better for antivirus protection?
Both McAfee and Norton earn comparable detection scores in independent lab tests (AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives) — both routinely achieve 99%+ detection rates for widespread malware and 95%+ for zero-day threats. Neither is meaningfully superior in core antivirus detection. The differentiating factors are identity protection (Norton's LifeLock integration is stronger), pricing structure (McAfee's unlimited-device plan is better for large households), and VPN quality (both include unlimited VPN on relevant tiers). For pure antivirus, Windows Defender (free, built-in) is a credible alternative to both.
Do I need McAfee or Norton if I have Windows Defender?
For most users, Windows Defender (Microsoft Defender Antivirus, built into Windows 10/11) provides adequate baseline protection. AV-TEST consistently rates Defender highly for detection and low false positives. The case for McAfee or Norton is their expanded feature set beyond antivirus: VPN, dark web monitoring, identity theft insurance, password managers, and cross-platform protection (Mac, Android, iOS). If you want those features in a single subscription, either paid suite is justifiable. If you only need antivirus, Windows Defender is free and sufficient for most threat models.
What is LifeLock and is it included with Norton?
LifeLock is an identity theft protection service owned by Gen Digital (same parent as Norton) that monitors your personal information — SSN, credit file, bank accounts, and court records — for suspicious activity and provides alerts. LifeLock is included in Norton 360 with LifeLock Select ($99.99/year for 5 devices) and higher tiers. The Select tier includes credit monitoring, SSN alerts, and up to $1M in identity theft coverage. Standard Norton 360 plans without LifeLock include dark web monitoring for email addresses but not credit file monitoring.
How much does Norton or McAfee cost per year?
Norton 360 Standard: $29.99/year (1 device). Norton 360 Deluxe: $49.99/year (5 devices). Norton 360 with LifeLock Select: $99.99/year (5 devices). McAfee Total Protection: $39.99/year (1 device), $49.99/year (5 devices), $69.99/year (unlimited devices). Both frequently run significant first-year discounts (50-70% off); renewal prices are the figures above. Multi-device value comparison: McAfee's unlimited-device plan at $69.99 beats Norton Deluxe's 5-device limit at $49.99 for households with 6+ devices.
Does McAfee or Norton slow down my computer?
Both have reduced system overhead substantially in recent versions. AV-TEST's 2025 performance benchmarks show both McAfee and Norton have "above average" impact scores versus the industry baseline — meaning they do add measurable overhead during active scanning, but performance impact during normal use (browsing, Office apps) is minimal on modern hardware with SSDs and 8GB+ RAM. On older hardware (HDD, 4GB RAM), the impact is more noticeable. Microsoft Defender has the lowest performance overhead of mainstream antivirus options as it's deeply integrated with the OS.
How to Choose Between Norton 360 and McAfee Total Protection
Malware Detection Rate: Norton 360 has 99.7%, while McAfee Total Protection has 98.5%.
Annual Price (Single Device): Norton 360 has $99.99, while McAfee Total Protection has $59.99.
System Performance Impact: Norton 360 has 7% slowdown, while McAfee Total Protection has 12% slowdown.
Consider: Identity Theft Protection Coverage
Identity Theft Protection Coverage: Norton 360 has Up to $2,000,000, while McAfee Total Protection has Up to $1,000,000.
VPN Data Allowance: Norton 360 has Unlimited, while McAfee Total Protection has Unlimited.
Consider: Devices Protected (Multi-Device Plan)
Devices Protected (Multi-Device Plan): Norton 360 has Up to 10 devices, while McAfee Total Protection has Up to 10 devices.
Consider: Customer Support Response Time
Customer Support Response Time: Norton 360 has 2 hours average, while McAfee Total Protection has 4 hours average.
Norton 360 is better than McAfee Total Protection
Norton 360 offers superior malware detection rates (99.7% vs 98.5%) and faster system performance impact, while McAfee Total Protection provides more comprehensive identity theft protection and lower pricing for annual subscriptions. Norton edges ahead for security-focused users, but McAfee appeals