McAfee and Norton both stop nearly all malware in 2026’s independent tests, so the real differences are speed, price and extras. Norton protected slightly better in AV-Comparatives’ February to May 2026 real-world test (99.3% against 98.5%), while McAfee slowed a PC the least of 19 products in the lab’s April 2026 performance test and covers unlimited devices from $49.99 for the first year.
Prices below were read on mcafee.com and norton.com on 6 October 2026, with the renewal price each vendor shows next to its first-year offer, and every test score comes from the labs’ own tables. McAfee announced a redesigned product on 29 September 2026, and Norton changes its first-year discounts often, so check the price on the day you buy; the renewal price is the number that lasts.
McAfee vs Norton at a glance
| McAfee | Norton | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Privately owned since 1 March 2022 by an investor group led by Advent International and Permira | Gen Digital Inc., which also owns Avast, AVG and Avira |
| Malware engine | McAfee’s own | The Avast engine, according to AV-Comparatives |
| Real-world protection, AV-Comparatives Feb to May 2026 | 98.5% | 99.3% |
| System impact, AV-Comparatives April 2026 (lower is better) | 3.3, the lowest of 19 | 5.3 |
| Cheapest plan with a VPN | Total Protection Basic, 1 device: $29.99, then $89.99 | Norton 360 Standard, 3 devices: $39.99, then $94.99 |
| 5-device plan | Total Protection Essential: $39.99, then $119.99 | Norton 360 Deluxe: $49.99, then $124.99 |
| Unlimited devices | McAfee+ Premium and up, for one person | Not offered; the largest plan covers 10 |
| Parental controls | Not listed on any current US plan | Norton 360 Deluxe and up |
| Cloud backup | Not listed | 2 GB, 50 GB or 250 GB by plan |
| Money-back window | 30 days after purchase, 60 days after a renewal charge | 60 days |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and ChromeOS | Windows, macOS, Android and iOS |
Which is better at protection: McAfee or Norton?
Norton protected slightly better in the most recent full independent tests, and both now sit within two percentage points of perfect. The clearer difference is speed: McAfee had the lowest system impact of every product in AV-Comparatives’ April 2026 performance test.
| Independent test (edition) | McAfee | Norton | Microsoft Defender (free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection, Feb to May 2026, 400 live attacks | 98.5% (394 blocked, 6 compromised), 4 false positives | 99.3% (397 blocked, 3 compromised), 5 false positives | 99.0%, 0 false positives |
| AV-Comparatives Malware Protection, March 2026: offline detection | 86.1% | 96.3% | 89.2% |
| Same test: online protection rate and false alarms | 99.97%, 14 false alarms | 99.97%, 9 false alarms | 99.93%, 3 false alarms |
| AV-Comparatives Performance, April 2026 (impact score, lower is better) | 3.3 (ranked 1st) | 5.3 (ranked 5th) | 12.9 (ranked 11th) |
| AV-TEST Windows 11, July and August 2026: 0-day malware (297 samples), July then August | 99.3% and 100% | 100% and 100% | Not shown here |
| Same test: widespread malware (12,543 samples) and false detections | 100%, 0 false detections | 100%, 0 false detections | Not shown here |
| Same test: protection, performance and usability scores | 6, 6 and 6 | 6, 6 and 6 | 6, 5.5 and 6 |
| AV-Comparatives awards for 2025 | Bronze in Real-World Protection and in Overall Performance | Top-Rated Product; Gold in Real-World Protection | Not Top-Rated; three Advanced+ awards in the year’s tests |
Two caveats. The tests use McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 or Norton AntiVirus Plus on Windows; results for Macs and phones come from separate tests, and McAfee was not in AV-Comparatives’ 2026 Mac test, where Norton AntiVirus Plus caught 99.9% of Mac malware. And offline detection only matters when a PC has no internet connection: once online, the two products blocked exactly the same share of samples.
Security software is itself a target
CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which lists flaws attackers are known to have used, includes CVE-2021-23874 in McAfee Total Protection: before version 16.0.30 it let a local user gain elevated privileges and bypass the product’s self-defence. McAfee’s fix, version 16.0.30, was published in February 2021. The catalog has no Norton entries, and Microsoft Defender has several, so the lesson applies to all three: leave automatic updates on, because an outdated security product is a way in rather than a wall.
Do you need McAfee or Norton at all?
Not for basic malware protection on a single Windows PC. Microsoft Defender Antivirus is built into Windows 10 and 11, and in AV-Comparatives’ February to May 2026 real-world test it protected against 99.0% of attacks with no false positives, between McAfee (98.5%) and Norton (99.3%). What a paid suite adds is everything around the scanner: a VPN, a password manager, identity and dark web monitoring, cloud backup or parental controls, and protection for Macs, iPhones and Android phones under one subscription. If you want none of those, Defender is enough; if you want several, compare the bundles below rather than the virus scanners.
Defender’s cost is speed: it ranked 11th of 19 in AV-Comparatives’ April 2026 performance test, with an impact score of 12.9 against 3.3 for McAfee (1st) and 5.3 for Norton (5th).
McAfee vs Norton price: first year and every year after
Both companies discount the first year heavily and renew at a much higher price, so compare the second column, not the first. McAfee’s terms say the struck-through price is “the renewal subscription price (e.g., the initial price vs. the cost for each year after)”; Norton prints its renewal price under each offer.
| Plan | Devices | First year | Each year after | Main extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAfee Total Protection Basic | 1 | $29.99 | $89.99 | VPN, identity monitoring |
| McAfee Total Protection Essential | 5, one user | $39.99 | $119.99 | VPN, identity monitoring, password manager |
| McAfee+ Premium | Unlimited, one user | $49.99 | $149.99 | Adds data-broker scans and social privacy tools |
| McAfee+ Advanced | Unlimited, one user | $89.99 | $199.99 | Adds $1 million identity theft coverage and one-bureau credit monitoring |
| McAfee+ Advanced Family | All devices, 2 adults and 4 children | $119.99 | $269.99 | Advanced features for the household |
| McAfee+ Ultimate | Unlimited, one user | $199.99 | $279.99 | Adds $2 million coverage and three-bureau credit monitoring |
| Norton 360 Standard | 3 | $39.99 | $94.99 | VPN, dark web monitoring, 2 GB backup |
| Norton 360 Deluxe | 5 | $49.99 | $124.99 | Adds parental control, Privacy Monitor, 50 GB backup |
| Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus | 10 | $99.99 | $189.99 | Adds LifeLock, one-bureau credit monitoring, 250 GB backup |
Over three years at those renewal prices, five devices cost $279.97 with McAfee Total Protection Essential and $299.97 with Norton 360 Deluxe, while one person with more than five devices pays $349.97 for McAfee+ Premium. Renewal multiplies McAfee Essential’s first-year price by three and Norton 360 Deluxe’s by two and a half.
Two terms are easy to miss. McAfee charges the renewal 30 days before your term ends and says: “To avoid charges, cancel at least 31 days before expiration.” Its refund window is 30 days after the first purchase or 60 days after a renewal charge, excluding monthly plans. Norton offers a 60-day money-back guarantee. McAfee’s identity theft coverage is not available in New York, and Norton AntiVirus Plus, its one-device plan, has no VPN.
Prices when this comparison was first written
These screenshots are from March 2023. McAfee’s first-year prices have not changed since, and Norton’s 360 first-year prices on 6 October 2026 matched them too. What the original version left out was the renewal price.
Feature difference between McAfee and Norton
Feature for feature, McAfee bundles more identity protection into its higher plans and puts a VPN in every plan, while Norton includes cloud backup and parental controls that McAfee’s current US plans do not list.
| Feature | McAfee | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Antivirus and web protection | Every plan | Every plan |
| Scam protection | Scam Detector on every plan | Scam Protection on every plan; Scam Protection Pro on Select Plus |
| VPN | Every plan, including the one-device Basic plan | Norton 360 plans; not AntiVirus Plus |
| Password manager | Yes | Yes |
| Identity and dark web monitoring | Identity monitoring and alerts on every plan | Dark web monitoring from Norton 360 Standard |
| Personal data removal | Scans only on Premium; removal on Advanced and Ultimate | Privacy Monitor from Norton 360 Deluxe |
| Identity theft coverage | $1 million on Advanced, $2 million on Ultimate; not available in New York | LifeLock plans, including up to $25,000 stolen funds reimbursement on Select Plus |
| Credit monitoring | One bureau on Advanced, three on Ultimate | One bureau on Select Plus |
| Parental controls | Not listed on current US plans | Norton 360 Deluxe and up |
| Cloud backup | Not listed | 2 GB (Standard), 50 GB (Deluxe), 250 GB (Select Plus) |
| Supported systems | Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 and later, Android 10 and later, iOS 16 and later, ChromeOS | Windows, macOS, Android and iOS |
McAfee’s system requirements page notes that some features available on Windows may not be available on macOS, so check the feature list for the device you care about most before buying either product.
What the testers say about using them
AV-Comparatives’ year-end report describes both interfaces in nearly the same terms, which matches what most users find: neither is hard to use, and the choice rarely comes down to the app itself.
It features a modern and touch-friendly user interface that makes essential functions easily accessible, with clear and persistent malware alerts.
AV-Comparatives on McAfee Total Protection, Summary Report 2025
The program features a modern interface with essential features easily accessible. Its on-access protection scans files when they are copied to the disk and malware alerts are clear and persistent.
AV-Comparatives on Norton AntiVirus Plus, Summary Report 2025
Some screenshots of McAfee vs Norton
These screenshots were taken for the original 2023 comparison on Windows. Both apps have been redesigned since; McAfee announced its latest redesign on 29 September 2026.
Are McAfee and Norton the same company?
No. Norton is a brand of Gen Digital Inc., the company NortonLifeLock became after buying Avast in 2022; Gen’s 2026 annual report lists Norton, Avast, AVG, Avira, LifeLock, CCleaner and MoneyLion among its trademarks. AV-Comparatives notes in its 2026 business test that Norton uses the Avast engine.
McAfee has been privately owned since 1 March 2022, when an investor group led by Advent International and Permira completed a take-private that it valued at over $14 billion. Months earlier, on 27 July 2021, McAfee completed the sale of its enterprise business to a consortium led by Symphony Technology Group for $4.0 billion; that business now operates as Trellix and Skyhigh Security. So McAfee today means the consumer products only; McAfee’s former business products are sold by Trellix and Skyhigh Security.
What happened to Norton Internet Security and McAfee Internet Security?
Neither appears in the current US lineups. Norton’s products page lists AntiVirus Plus and the Norton 360 plans, and McAfee’s US lineup is Total Protection and McAfee+, so a search for “McAfee vs Norton Internet Security” today compares Norton 360 with McAfee Total Protection. McAfee still publishes system requirements for McAfee Internet Security, so existing copies are not abandoned, but it is no longer one of McAfee’s US plans.
Norton still supports existing customers: its support policy says that anyone with a current paid subscription to Norton Internet Security is “eligible to update to the newest version.” Separately, Norton has announced end of life for Windows versions 22.x and earlier of several apps, Norton Internet Security among them, because they are “over 5 years old and no longer receiving the latest protection updates.” If an old Internet Security install is still on a PC, update it or replace it.
Pros and cons of McAfee vs Norton
| McAfee | Norton | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | Lowest system impact of 19 products in AV-Comparatives’ April 2026 test; unlimited devices for one person from $49.99 in the first year; a VPN on every plan; up to $2 million identity theft coverage on Ultimate | Higher real-world protection in AV-Comparatives’ 2026 test and a Top-Rated Product for 2025; parental controls and cloud backup from Norton 360 Deluxe; a 60-day money-back guarantee |
| Cons | Lower real-world protection than Norton (98.5% against 99.3%) and the most false alarms of the three products in March 2026 (14); renewal up to three times the first-year price, charged 30 days early; no parental controls or backup on current US plans | No VPN on AntiVirus Plus; device limits of 3, 5 or 10; renewal two and a half times the first-year price on Deluxe; shares its engine with Avast and AVG |
McAfee or Norton: which should you choose?
| If you | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Have more than five devices for one person | McAfee+ Premium | Unlimited devices, $49.99 then $149.99 a year |
| Want parental controls and backup for a family | Norton 360 Deluxe | Parental control and 50 GB of backup for 5 devices |
| Have an older or slower PC | McAfee | Impact score of 3.3 against 5.3 in AV-Comparatives’ April 2026 test |
| Want the highest protection score | Norton | 99.3% real-world protection and AV-Comparatives’ Top-Rated Product for 2025 |
| Want identity theft insurance | McAfee+ Advanced or Norton 360 with LifeLock | $1 million coverage with McAfee+ Advanced; LifeLock services with Norton |
| Use one Windows PC and want no extras | Microsoft Defender | Free, built in, and 99.0% in the same 2026 real-world test |
| Need protection for a business | Neither consumer plan | Norton’s licence limits consumer products to non-commercial use; see antivirus for small businesses |
How we compared them
This comparison was first published in March 2023 and rebuilt on 6 October 2026. We did not run our own malware tests: protection and speed figures come from AV-Comparatives’ and AV-TEST’s published tables for the products they tested (McAfee Total Protection; Norton AntiVirus Plus and Norton 360). Prices, plan contents and refund terms were read on mcafee.com and norton.com the same day, and ownership comes from the companies’ filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
FAQs
Which is better, McAfee or Norton?
Norton protects slightly better and McAfee runs lighter. In AV-Comparatives’ February to May 2026 real-world test Norton blocked 99.3% of attacks and McAfee 98.5%, while in the lab’s April 2026 performance test McAfee had the lowest system impact of 19 products (3.3) and Norton ranked fifth (5.3). Choose Norton for families that want parental controls and backup, and McAfee for one person with many devices or an older PC.
Are McAfee and Norton the same company?
No. Norton belongs to Gen Digital Inc., which also owns Avast, AVG and Avira, and uses the Avast engine. McAfee has been privately owned since March 2022 by an investor group led by Advent International and Permira, after selling its enterprise business, now Trellix and Skyhigh Security, in July 2021.
Is McAfee or Norton cheaper?
In the first year they cost about the same: $39.99 buys McAfee Total Protection Essential for 5 devices or Norton 360 Standard for 3. At renewal, McAfee Essential costs $119.99 a year and Norton 360 Deluxe, the 5-device Norton plan, $124.99. Over three years five devices cost $279.97 with McAfee and $299.97 with Norton, at the prices both showed on 6 October 2026.
Does McAfee or Norton slow down your computer more?
Norton, slightly. AV-Comparatives’ April 2026 performance test gave McAfee an impact score of 3.3, the lowest of the 19 products tested, and Norton 5.3. Both are far lighter than Microsoft Defender at 12.9. AV-TEST gave both a full 6 out of 6 for performance in July and August 2026, so on a modern PC neither should feel slow.
Do I need McAfee or Norton if I have Windows Defender?
Not for basic malware protection. Microsoft Defender blocked 99.0% of attacks in AV-Comparatives’ 2026 real-world test, between McAfee and Norton. Pay for McAfee or Norton if you want a VPN, a password manager, identity monitoring, backup or parental controls, or protection for Macs and phones in one subscription.
What happened to Norton Internet Security?
It is not in Norton’s current US lineup, which is AntiVirus Plus and Norton 360. Existing subscribers can update to the newest version under Norton’s support policy, and Norton has announced end of life for Windows versions 22.x and earlier, including Norton Internet Security, because they no longer receive the latest protection updates.
Conclusion
On protection the two are close enough that most people will never notice the difference, so decide on the extras and the renewal price. Norton 360 Deluxe is the better family plan, with parental controls and backup McAfee does not list. McAfee is the better fit for one person with many devices, or for an older PC, where its light footprint shows. If you need none of the extras, Microsoft Defender is already on your Windows PC. For a closer look at another Norton rival, see Bitdefender vs Norton.
Sources
Checked on 6 October 2026 unless stated otherwise:
- AV-Comparatives, Real-World Protection Test February to May 2026, released 15 June 2026
- AV-Comparatives, Malware Protection Test March 2026, released 15 April 2026
- AV-Comparatives, Performance Test April 2026, released 22 April 2026
- AV-Comparatives, Summary Report 2025
- AV-TEST, McAfee Total Protection and AV-TEST, Norton 360, July and August 2026
- McAfee Total Protection plans and McAfee+ plans
- Norton products and prices
- Norton support policy and Norton end-of-life announcement for Windows 22.x and earlier
- McAfee take-private completion, 1 March 2022 and McAfee enterprise business sale, 27 July 2021 (SEC filings)
- Gen Digital annual report on Form 10-K, 2026
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and NVD, CVE-2021-23874
- McAfee Consumer Mobile Threat Report, February 2022
Using Google Search? Add erp-information.com as a preferred source.