Norton offers superior malware detection rates (99.9% vs 98.2%) and faster system performance impact, while McAfee provides more affordable pricing and better family plan features. Both are major antivirus players, but Norton edges ahead for protection-focused users.
McAfee vs Norton Antivirus — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Affordable antivirus with unlimited VPN and multi-device coverage
Premium antivirus with 99.9% malware detection and minimal performance impact
Malware Detection Rate. Annual Price (1 Device). System Performance Impact. Multi-Device Licenses Included. VPN Data Limit. 24/7 Live Chat Support. Password Manager Included
Choose Norton if you prioritize maximum malware protection (99.9% detection rate) and minimal performance impact for a premium but comprehensive security suite. Choose McAfee if you want budget-friendly pricing, unlimited VPN access, and a larger family plan without sacrificing core protection capabilities.
McAfee Total Protection: $79.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 8.2% | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 280 MB | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 24/7 phone, chat, email | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 99.5% | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Good but Limited | Norton 360 Deluxe: Included with LifeLock integration
McAfee Total Protection: No - Web Protection Only | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: $24.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Standard - Limited Data | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 5 devices | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Faster | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Higher impact | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Unlimited included | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Advanced continuous | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Standard protection | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 30 days | Norton 360 Deluxe: 60 days
McAfee Total Protection: $59.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 12% | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Limited 30-day trial | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 500MB | Norton 360 Deluxe: 500 MB
McAfee Total Protection: Advanced (app blocking, screen time, content filtering) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Included in base plan | Norton 360 Deluxe: Included (LifeLock)
McAfee Total Protection: 10 devices | Norton 360 Deluxe: 10 devices
McAfee Total Protection: $59.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: $49.99
McAfee Total Protection: 7-12% | Norton 360 Deluxe: 8-12%
McAfee Total Protection: 32 minutes | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes (premium) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes, always active | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: $1,000,000 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 10 devices | Norton 360 Deluxe: 5 devices
McAfee Total Protection: 3.4 hours (business hours only) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
Annual Subscription Cost (First Year, 1 Device)
McAfee Total Protection: $39.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 10 devices | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 52 minutes average | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 15% average | Norton 360 Deluxe: 3.8%
McAfee Total Protection: 99.2% | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes (250MB daily) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes (Windows only) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: $99.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 18-22 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS (up to 5 devices) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: $39.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: $99.99
McAfee Total Protection: 8-12% | Norton 360 Deluxe: 3-5%
McAfee Total Protection: Unlimited | Norton 360 Deluxe: Limited to premium
McAfee Total Protection: 5 devices | Norton 360 Deluxe: 5 devices
McAfee Total Protection: 3.2% | Norton 360 Deluxe: 0.8%
McAfee Total Protection: 4.1/5 | Norton 360 Deluxe: 4.7/5
McAfee Total Protection: $119.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 12% slowdown | Norton 360 Deluxe: 7% slowdown
McAfee Total Protection: $179.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes, 24/7 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: No | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 0.3 GB (included) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 45-60% | Norton 360 Deluxe: 12-14%
McAfee Total Protection: $34.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 10 | Norton 360 Deluxe: 5 devices
McAfee Total Protection: 500MB daily | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes, included | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 8-12% average | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Unlimited | Norton 360 Deluxe: 200GB/year
McAfee Total Protection: 24/7 (168 hours/week) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Advanced | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Yes (Standard) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 5.8% | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 3 bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 98.2% | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: $119.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: $49.99
McAfee Total Protection: Yes (unlimited) | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Norton 360 Deluxe: N/A
McAfee Total Protection: 98.2% | Norton 360 Deluxe: 99.9%
McAfee Total Protection: 500 passwords | Norton 360 Deluxe: Unlimited
McAfee Total Protection: 3.8/5 | Norton 360 Deluxe: 4.4/5
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: $49.99
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 80-120 MB
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: $89.99
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 22-25 minutes
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 5 devices
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: Not included
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: Yes (140+ countries)
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 4-6%
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: Unlimited
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 17.8/18
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: All plans included
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 12% slower
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: All tiers included
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 12 (antivirus, firewall, VPN, password manager, backup, dark web monitoring, webcam protection, file shredder, exploit prevention, behavior monitoring, ransomware protection, PUP detection)
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: Up to 5 devices (Premium plans)
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 50 GB (Deluxe)
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: No free version (14-day trial only)
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 28 GB/min
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 1 GB/month
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: All plans
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: $29.99
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: Full with credit monitoring
McAfee Total Protection: N/A | Norton 360 Deluxe: 1200 MB
How to choose between McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 Deluxe
Compare McAfee Total Protection vs Norton 360 Deluxe
McAfee vs Norton Antivirus — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for McAfee vs Norton Antivirus. Contains 107 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
McAfee vs Norton Antivirus — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for McAfee vs Norton Antivirus.
Which antivirus is better for Windows 10/11?
Norton 360 Deluxe is optimized better for Windows systems with only 7% performance impact vs McAfee's 12% slowdown. However, both are fully compatible with Windows 10/11. Norton is recommended if system speed is a priority; McAfee if budget matters most.
Both include VPN, but McAfee offers unlimited data while Norton limits you to 200GB/year. McAfee's unlimited VPN is a significant advantage if you stream or download frequently. Norton's VPN requires a paid upgrade for unlimited access.
Can I use one license on multiple devices?
Yes, both McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 Deluxe cover up to 10 devices with a single subscription. This makes both excellent for families or multi-device households at the same price point.
What is the real-world malware detection difference between them?
Norton's 99.9% detection rate vs McAfee's 98.2% means Norton misses approximately 1 in 1,000 threats while McAfee misses 18 in 1,000. For most users, both are highly effective, but Norton provides an extra 1.7% protection margin that compounds over time with thousands of daily threats.
Is Norton worth the extra $60/year compared to McAfee?
Norton's $60 premium over McAfee provides: 1.7% better malware detection, 5% faster performance, unlimited password storage, LifeLock identity theft monitoring, and a 60-day guarantee vs 30-day. For security-first users, these justify the cost. Budget users may find McAfee's VPN and lower price more practical.
How to Choose Between McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 Deluxe
Malware Detection Rate: McAfee Total Protection has 98.2%, while Norton 360 Deluxe has 99.9%.
Annual Price (1 Device): McAfee Total Protection has $39.99, while Norton 360 Deluxe has $99.99.
System Performance Impact: McAfee Total Protection has 12% slowdown, while Norton 360 Deluxe has 7% slowdown.
Consider: Multi-Device Licenses Included
Multi-Device Licenses Included: McAfee Total Protection has Up to 10 devices, while Norton 360 Deluxe has Up to 10 devices.
VPN Data Limit: McAfee Total Protection has Unlimited, while Norton 360 Deluxe has 200GB/year.
24/7 Live Chat Support: McAfee Total Protection has Yes, while Norton 360 Deluxe has Yes.
Password Manager Included: McAfee Total Protection has Yes (500 passwords), while Norton 360 Deluxe has Yes (unlimited).