Is McAfee Worth It in 2025?

McAfee Antivirus is one of the most well-known names in digital security, but name recognition alone shouldn’t justify the cost. In an increasingly crowded antivirus market where many online protections are offered for free, the question of whether McAfee is worth paying for depends entirely on what you expect from your security suite.

What McAfee offers is scale. Its newer packages bundle device protection, identity monitoring, and scam detection into a single platform. Plus, McAfee is priced to compete with newer, more agile security apps.

We took a close look at how much McAfee costs, what’s included with each plan, and how it compares to both the free options and direct competitors. Here’s what you need to know.

Should you use McAfee?

If you buy a new HP, Dell, or Lenovo, you may be pleasantly surprised to find a free trial of McAfee LiveSafe pre-installed on the device. The free trial length is typically 30 or 60 days. Although Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the default antivirus software included with Windows Security, you can activate McAfee LiveSafe protection and use both concurrently once the Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection feature is disabled. 

It's worth subscribing to McAfee after the trial ends if you have a large household and need coverage for more than 3-10 devices (which is a standard range for antivirus packages). McAfee outshines competitors with its inclusion of unlimited devices on most plans. In fact, McAfee also has a special deal that includes unlimited devices on McAfee+ plans (Advanced, Premium, and Essential). 

However, if you want device optimization tools included, a better McAfee alternative would be AVG, which offers a range of performance tools through AVG TuneUp. 

It's also worth subscribing to McAfee if you want award-winning antivirus protection that includes identity theft protection services, such as credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, $ 25K in ransomware coverage, and more. McAfee Advanced includes a full suite of identity monitoring features with McAfee Identity Theft Protection.

However, if you don't want to pay a steep annual renewal fee to maintain the premium digital privacy features, a better McAfee alternative is Aura Antivirus. The Aura digital security suite includes top-rated identity protection and credit monitoring services for a low intro and renewal rate compared to McAfee. 

For households concerned about online scams and mobile phishing attempts, McAfee is worth it for its scam detector features. McAfee offers designated apps for Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS, so you can protect all your devices from bad actors. The scam detector allows you to upload and scan suspicious links, text messages, screenshots, emails, and even deepfake videos to help prevent identity theft, malware infections, and fraud. 

However, McAfee's anti-scam technology is a relatively new addition to its digital security arsenal. If you want proven protection against scam, spam, and hackers, Bitdefender is a better McAfee alternative. Bitdefender offers multiple layers of protection that extend far beyond basic email filters. It scans web traffic in real time, analyzes app behavior for malicious intent, and utilizes AI to detect scam patterns in messages and websites. Scam Copilot, its proprietary anti-fraud feature, helps users identify risky content. 

How much does McAfee cost?

McAfee’s pricing structure is tied to its tiered McAfee+ product line, which is split into Basic, Essential, Premium, Advanced, and Ultimate plans.

	McAfee Basic	McAfee Essential	McAfee+ Premium	McAfee+ Advanced	McAfee+ Ultimate
Price for first year	$29.99/first yr	$39.99/first yr	$49.99/first yr	$89.99/first yr	$199.99/first yr
Family plan price for first year	N/A	N/A	$69.99/first yr	$119.99/first yr	$249.99/first yr
Details	View plan	View plan	View plan	View plan	View plan

Compared to other top antivirus companies, McAfee’s entry-level pricing is highly competitive. However, it’s worth noting that renewal rates jump significantly after the introductory period, so users should check those details before committing long term.

What makes McAfee stand out is its offer of unlimited device protection on the mid-level tiers and up. Comparatively, Norton 360 offers unlimited devices on its most expensive plan only. 

What do you get with McAfee?

Every McAfee plan includes antivirus protection, scam detection, a secure VPN, and a password manager. From there, the list of features grows as the price goes up.

	McAfee Basic	McAfee Essential	McAfee+ Premium	McAfee+ Advanced	McAfee+ Ultimate
# devices supported	1	5	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Manual and auto scan
Phishing protection
Firewall
Real-time protection
Ransomware protection
VPN
Identity monitoring and alerts
Password manager
Personal Data Cleanup
Online Account Cleanup
Social Privacy Manager
Identity theft coverage
Identity restoration
Lost wallet protection
Bank and credit card transaction monitoring
Credit monitoring
Credit score & report
Security freeze
Extras					Bank account takeover monitoring, payday loan monitoring, ransomware coverage, 401(k), investment, and loan transaction monitoring, credit lock
Details	View plan	View plan	View plan	View plan	View plan

McAfee+ plans explained

The Essential plan covers core antivirus and scam protection, along with basic identity monitoring and access to McAfee Safe VPN. It supports five devices but leaves out full-service cleanup tools, social media privacy controls, and broader credit monitoring. For users who want only the Essential plan but have more than five devices, the Premium plan may be perfect for you.

The more meaningful upgrade is available with the Advanced plan, which expands coverage to include McAfee identity theft protection, such as full-service personal data cleanup and credit monitoring from a single bureau. Users also gain access to monthly credit score updates, $1 million in identity theft coverage, and broader financial monitoring tools that track 401(k) accounts, loans, and everyday transactions. Scam alerts also become more robust at this tier, scanning not only emails but also texts and videos to help catch threats across various forms of communication.

The Ultimate tier builds on all of that with three-bureau credit monitoring, daily score updates, $2 million in identity theft coverage, and account takeover monitoring, plus extra support through McAfee Assist, their live setup service.

Across all plans, McAfee’s interface is clean, easy to navigate, and clearly segmented into three areas: device protection, online privacy, and identity safeguards. This is a welcome shift from older antivirus dashboards that buried important features behind layers of menus.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is McAfee worth it?

McAfee isn’t the lightest or fastest antivirus available, but it’s one of the most comprehensive, especially at the Advanced and Ultimate levels. It combines antivirus, identity monitoring, scam protection, and privacy controls into a single platform, offering sufficient flexibility to suit both individuals and families.

That said, McAfee Total Protection isn’t for everyone. Users who simply want virus scans and minimal system impact might prefer a lightweight, free tool or an à la carte antivirus. While its scan performance is solid, it doesn’t lead the pack in raw malware detection.

McAfee makes sense if you’re looking for comprehensive protection that includes identity and privacy tools. We recommend checking out the best antivirus software to pinpoint which antivirus offers the features and device coverage you need.