All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
- Easy to use
- Bundled into McAfee security suite
All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
While the McAfee brand is well-known and trusted as an antivirus product, we thought McAfee Safe Connect fell a bit flat.Â
On top of not including some features we expect, like split tunneling and the ability to unblock streaming services, the virtual private network (VPN) was also buggy and crashed on us multiple times during testing. Despite using TunnelBear technology, McAfee's VPN functioned noticeably worse.
We did find some positives to McAfee Safe Connect, like passing its leak tests and an option to bundle with McAfee security. We'll break down the pros and cons in this McAfee Safe Connect VPN review.Â
- Bundled into McAfee security suite
- Easy to use
- Works on major operating systems
- Not many features
- Struggled to unblock Netflix
- Tendency to crash
Our experience
Who is it best for?
Prices and subscriptions
Features
Test results
Compatibility
Customer support
Alternatives
FAQs
Bottom line
McAfee Safe Connect VPN review at a glance
Price | $35.99–$79.99/yr (first year only) |
Free version | Yes |
Max # of connected devices | 5 |
# of servers | Unlisted in 47 countries |
VPN protocol | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv22, IPSec |
Encryption | AES-256 |
No-logs policy | No logs |
Headquarters | United States |
Netflix access | Limited |
Learn more | Get McAfee Safe Connect VPN |
How we test and rate VPNs
We complete standardized hands-on tests for each VPN we review so we can put their claims to the test. This includes vigorous third-party testing by comparing our internet speed while connected to different servers, checking for DNS leaks, making sure the kill switch actually works, and more. We also make sure we can comfortably access popular streaming sites, like Netflix, and still do our day-to-day work without interruption.
Once we’ve completed the testing, our editorial rating is calculated by taking into account key features you’d expect from a good product. We score each VPN in the following categories and use a weighted average to calculate the final rating out of 5 stars: price, server count, speed, security, and features.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full VPN methodology here.
We last tested McAfee Safe Connect VPN on October 21, 2024.
Our experience
Overall, testing McAfee Safe Connect has been an incredibly buggy and frustrating experience, thanks to numerous crashes and the dreaded "Oops! Something went wrong!" message that plagued us. But when it did work, it worked fine.
The initial installation was smooth and we were happy with how quick and easy connecting to servers was. It even recommends a server that would give you the fastest connection, which made it easy to get started.
The software was doing decently in our speed tests...until we hit Australia. Connecting to this server actually caused the program to break, and it took several restarts to be able to get any kind of connection going again. The worst part is this had actually happened to us last time we tested it too, which was almost a year ago now.
Once we got the connection working again, we were able to move on to our Netflix tests. While connecting to U.S. Netflix from Canada worked, every other server we tried was blocked by Netflix. We couldn't access the site at all while connected to the Australian server.
Disappointed with those results, we moved on to testing the kill switch...which actually ended up freezing the program completely.
Between the connection issues, the bugginess, and the failure to unblock streaming services, we decided we just couldn’t use this VPN service.
If you’re getting the McAfee security suite (McAfee Total Protection) anyway, you might as well benefit from the VPN when you can. You’ll receive some encryption, so it could be fine for low-risk situations like checking directions on public Wi-Fi or reading a news site in a cafe.Â
We wouldn’t use it for anything serious, like masking your identity or logging into your financial accounts. It comes with too many security risks and red flags for any real protection.
Who is McAfee Safe Connect VPN best for?
- Recommended for someone who wants a light VPN bundled into their security software.
McAfee Safe Connect isn’t the most robust or reliable VPN available. However, it was able to encrypt our web traffic.
This is definitely not a great option if you’re looking for real security. If you’re on public Wi-Fi and want something light to encrypt your traffic, you may be ok using this VPN.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN prices and subscriptions
McAfee VPN's payment options are pretty straightforward: you'll pay anywhere from $35.99–$79.99/yr (first year only). It only offers annual plans, there's no way to pay per month.Â
You can purchase the VPN alone, with McAfee security, or in the full bundle (McAfee Total Protection), including McAfee security and identity theft protection. You won’t get any extra VPN features by including security or identity protection, but you will expand the features available to you in the McAfee dashboard.
Because the VPN is meant as an addition to McAfee security, there aren’t any additional features as you move up in price. Your best value would be the Privacy + Security plan because it’s the same price as the Privacy plan and adds antivirus.
We don’t suggest purchasing the VPN as a standalone product, as there are other VPN services with more features and better security.
If you're looking for identity theft protection services, bundling all three of these together in the Privacy + Security + Identity plan for an additional $30 a year is definitely an option. You’ll receive identity theft protection insurance, personal data cleanup, and a password manager, which will help you reduce your online presence. The other two services are great, but we wish the VPN option was better.
Plan | Annual price |
Privacy | $39.99/yr (first year only) |
Privacy + Security | $35.99/yr (first year only) |
Privacy + Security + Identity | $79.99/yr (first year only) |
Learn more | View plan |
McAfee Safe Connect VPN features
As far as VPNs go, McAfee Safe Connect’s features offering is fairly conservative. If you’re looking for a VPN with a lot of robust and interesting add-ons, this is likely not it. But if you’re looking for a security bundle that includes a way to encrypt your traffic, this could be what you’re looking for in a VPN.
Server count and countries
- Unlisted in 47 countries
McAfee won’t give you an exact total on how many servers it offers, but it tells you that you can choose from 47 countries. When you connect to the VPN, the fastest VPN server is recommended. You can, however, use the drop-down menu to choose another location if you want to be specific.
You won’t be able to get really granular with your server location with McAfee. There aren’t a ton of options, including no way to filter or search the server locations that are available.
What you can do, however, is use it to appear like you’re in a general location. This will suffice for geo-specific content, like checking the price of a new VPN in the country where you’re headed next.
No-logs policy and headquarters
- McAfee Safe Connect VPN logs policy: No logs
- McAfee Safe Connect VPN headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
McAfee Safe Connect seems almost like an afterthought for the security giant. There’s a single line in the privacy policy stating, “Note that if you use our VPN services, our VPN servers do not look at or log any information that you send or receive on the internet.” Ok. That’s great and all, but there isn’t much more information than that. Even that line is a little unclear. If there are truly “no logs,” then just outright state, “We log nothing.”
Also, the Safe Connect website claims its VPN has been independently audited, but the provided link takes you to a TunnelBear webpage. Apparently, the McAfee VPN uses TunnelBear’s technology. So do the logs follow McAfee’s privacy policy or TunnelBear’s policy? It’s unclear, and we couldn’t get more answers from customer support either.
McAfee's headquarters are located in the U.S., which also gives us pause. The U.S. is part of the Five Eyes alliance, which is a grouping of countries that have entered into intelligence sharing agreements. That means McAfee VPN could be legally required to hand over your internet activity if requested. This, combined with the unclear logs policy, is dissuading.Â
Kill switch
- Kill switch: Yes, it’s called safe reconnect instead of a kill switch
Safe Connect is a fairly bare-bones product, but it does include a kill switch. But don’t go looking for the phrase “kill switch” because it’s marketed as “safe reconnect.”
It does the same thing: interrupting your internet connection in the event the VPN disconnects. This security feature is meant to keep your IP address safe if your VPN connection fails.
Split tunneling
- Split tunneling: No
If you’re looking for a VPN that offers split tunneling, we weren’t able to find the option within the Safe Connect VPN.
If you want to use a VPN for most of your online activities while using some sites or apps (like Netflix) that block VPNs, you’ll want to get a VPN that offers split tunneling. It’s helpful to keep most of your activity private while still allowing you access to sites you want.
VPN protocols
- VPN protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv22, IPSec
While we found a support page that stated you can choose from a variety of VPN protocols, we were unable to find that option on the Windows app.
After asking customer support, it was determined that you can only choose which protocol you want to use when using the Android or iOS app. The Windows version connects to WireGuard by default and you can't change it manually.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN test results
Considering we already had issues with connection, we weren’t optimistic about completing our tests with this VPN. Here's what happened for each feature we tested.
Speed tests
- Speed test results:Â It lowered our upload speed by an average of 16%, which wasn't too noticeable.Â
When we test VPNs, we compare how the different servers available with the software differ in terms of impact on your internet speeds. Even the best VPNs will likely slow down your speeds a little bit, but it's not usually noticeable.
Connecting from the U.S. to Canadian, U.S., U.K., and Australian servers was actually pretty unremarkable. It didn’t slow that much, and we didn’t notice a difference.Â
During past tests, Safe Connect has taken a long time to connect to faraway servers and it crashed often. If we had to use Safe Connect, we would choose only the fastest connection option so we knew we wouldn’t have to wait longer than it takes Starbucks to make a cup of coffee.
Test type | No VPN | US to US | US to CA | US to EU | US to AU |
Download speed | 289.24 Mbps | 262.84 Mbps | 214.86 Mbps | 271.38 Mbps | 223.81 Mbps |
Upload speed | 355.40 Mbps | 231.34 Mbps | 139.26 Mbps | 89.72 Mbps | 143.07 Mbps |
Latency (ping) | 12 ms | 8 ms | 43 ms | 132 ms | 191 ms |
Download speed % difference | N/A | -9.13% | -25.72% | -6.17% | -22.62% |
Upload speed % difference | N/A | -34.91% | -60.82% | -75.76% | -54.74% |
Latency % difference | N/A | -33% | +258% | +1,000% | +1,492% |
Netflix tests
- Netflix test results: McAfee Safe Connect struggled with U.S. and U.K. servers, but unblocked Canada and Australia.Â
We started off the test by accessing Netflix without a VPN turned on. We were able to navigate our library the same as any other time, so we knew Netflix wasn’t having issues.
We then connected McAfee Safe Connect VPN to a U.S. server, but Netflix immediately detected the VPN. The same error appeared when we connected to a U.K. server.
Surprisingly, the Canadian and Australian servers worked, but McAfee Safe Connect has proven to be inconsistent with unblocking Netflix libraries.
Suffice it to say McAfee doesn’t have the technology behind its VPN servers to unblock Netflix. Chances are, McAfee VPN will struggle with other streaming services too.
US to US | US to CA | US to EU | US to AU | |
Did it work with Netflix? |
DNS and WebRTC leak tests
- DNS leak test results: Pass
- WebRTC leak test results: Pass
This is the one place where McAfee Safe Connect actually improved since our last test in 2023. Originally, it failed the WebRTC leak test, but this time around it did pass with flying colors.
For context, Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet’s address book. It allows us to type in website addresses, and the computer uses DNS to translate that into internet language and guide us to the right website. Computers read each other’s IP addresses during this exchange, and Safe Connect kept ours hidden. That’s a bonus!
If DNS is the address book, then WebRTC is the internet’s phone book. It’s the technology we use to make video and voice connections online. Whether you’re using Zoom or recording your voice sans video, you’re using this technology.Â
Kill switch test
- Kill switch test results: Pass
This is usually the part where we use IPleak.net to see if our real IP address shows up when switching servers with the kill switch on. Turning on this functionality has frozen the app in the past, so we didn't have high hopes.
This time though, McAfee Safe Connect VPN kept our real IP address a secret. We switched from a server in Argentina to a server in Mexico and there were no leaks.Â
McAfee Safe Connect VPN compatibility
McAfee claims compatibility with both Microsoft and Apple products. You should be able to use the VPN on your computer or phone if it’s running one of these operating systems.
According to their customer support, McAfee Safe Connect is compatible with:
- Windows
- Android
- iOS
- macOS
- Chrome OS
McAfee Safe Connect VPN customer support
McAfee does boast 24/7 customer support, which is available through chat or phone. Thankfully it was relatively easy to get connected with an agent, and is accessible through their support page.
Live chat and phone
We connected to a live chat agent almost immediately at 1 PM Eastern Time on a Tuesday. Though the agent was nice and tried to help, our question seemed a bit more technical than what they're used to so it took a bit to clarify what we wanted and to get an answer.
If your question is related to more standard things, like issues connecting or billing questions, then this chat option is likely good enough.
Online guides
Though McAfee has plenty of guides, they actually relate to everything McAfee and not just the VPN. This made it more difficult to find relevant answers and their search function wasn't the best we've seen.
Top alternatives
If you’re searching for a VPN provider with a lot of features and tight security, you may notice that Safe Connect doesn’t fit the bill. The options below are some of the best VPN services available, which include all the security features a VPN should offer. We would recommend any of these as an alternative to Safe Connect.
Price | $2.99–$17.99/mo | $1.99–$17.95/mo | $2.03–$6.99/mo |
Max # of connected devices | 10 | Unlimited | 7 |
# of servers | 6,800+ servers in 111 countries | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries | Unlisted in 100 countries |
VPN protocol | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | OpenVPN, IKEv2. WireGuard |
Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM | AES-256 |
No-logs policy | |||
Headquarters | Panama | The Netherlands | Romania |
Netflix access | |||
Learn more | Get NordVPN | Get Surfshark | Get CyberGhost |
McAfee Safe Connect VPN FAQs
Is McAfee VPN good?
No, McAfee’s VPN isn’t good. It offers some basic protection and a few features like a kill switch and different VPN protocols. Otherwise, there isn’t much to it, and it kept crashing on us during testing.
Is McAfee VPN good for streaming?
No, McAfee VPN isn’t good for streaming. We were unable to unblock Netflix with it on most servers and were denied access to the Netflix site entirely when connected to an Australian server.
In addition, there was considerable lag time on all servers not located in North America (where we are), which means you’d have streaming interruptions if you were able to get a streaming site to work.
Is McAfee VPN free?
McAfee VPN does have a free option, but you're limited to only one server and 250 MB a month. You can also get it bundled with your antivirus for the same price as buying either one on its own.
Bottom line: Is McAfee Safe Connect VPN good?
Overall, McAfee Safe Connect isn't a good VPN provider. If you bundle it with your antivirus, it may be ok for low-risk activities, like online reading, but we wouldn’t recommend it for high-risk activities or anything that needs a reliable connection.
If you’re looking for a strong and secure VPN service, we recommended NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN, which can keep your IP address and online activity hidden. You’ll also likely notice faster speeds and better webpage loading times. VPN users are usually interested in online privacy and safe internet access, especially if your connection drops.
A VPN is an important tool to use when online, so you want to make sure you’re using one that keeps your data private. Even though we’re fans of McAfee’s antivirus security, we just can’t get behind McAfee Safe Connect.