The Best McAfee Alternatives 2026

Looking for a McAfee alternative? Bitdefender is best for families, Norton 360 is the strongest all-in-one security suite, and Avast is the best pick if you're on a budget.

McAfee is a solid antivirus, but it's not the only option, and it's not the best fit for everyone. Here's how three of the top alternatives compare.

Bitdefender pairs parental controls with strong antivirus protection at an affordable price, making it a smart pick for families. Norton 360 bundles a VPN, dark web monitoring, and identity theft protection into one plan, so it's the pick if you want everything covered in a single product. Avast gives you solid protection for free, with more features unlocked at a low cost if you upgrade.

The best McAfee alternatives

Compare the best alternatives to McAfee

Best for	Extras	Families	Security suite	Budgets
Star rating	4.9 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Starting price	$39.99/yr	$34.99/first yr	$29.99/first yr	$35.88/first yr
Max number of protected devices	Up to Unlimited	Up to 25	Up to Unlimited	Up to 10
EICAR test results	3/3	3/3	3/3	3/3
Malware scans	Manual and scheduled	Manual and real-time	Manual and scheduled	Manual and scheduled
Real-time protection
Firewall
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Extras	Identity theft protection, data removal services	Identity theft protection, vulnerability scan, crypto-mining protection, social media protection, webcam protection	Identity theft protection, dark web monitoring, cloud backup, software updater	Webcam protection, driver updater, tracker blocker, privacy assistant
Learn more	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Review	Get Avast Read Avast Review

Bitdefender: Best for families

What we liked

Bitdefender has plenty of premium features, including parental controls, social media protection, a virtual private network (VPN), a password manager, and webcam protection, so it's great for protecting the whole family online.

Bitdefender includes parental controls to help keep kids safer online. A VPN keeps the whole family from getting hacked on shared Wi-Fi, and webcam protection means no one can spy on your children without their knowledge. 

The core protection holds up just as well: Bitdefender scored a perfect 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, and passed every EICAR malware, phishing, and drive-by test we ran.

Other premium security features include:

• Parental controls
• A VPN (Bitdefender VPN)
• A password manager (Bitdefender Secure Pass)
• Identity theft protection (Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection)

A VPN keeps everyone secure online, especially when using public Wi-Fi. The safe online banking feature also helps protect family finances.

What we didn’t like

Like many antivirus services, including McAfee, the macOS version leaves something to be desired. In our most recent retest, we couldn't get Bitdefender to detect any of our test malware files on macOS, even with a custom scan. 

Even though the Mac version has fewer features, Apple users still pay the same price as Windows users, who get everything.

Test results

Star rating summary

Norton 360: Best security suite

What we liked

Norton 360 includes cloud backup, a VPN, identity theft protection, and more. Norton ensures you have broad protection, whether it’s antivirus, network, or identity protection. If you’re someone who wants an antivirus with a lot of features, Norton is the way to go.

Norton backs this up with the numbers: it scored a perfect 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, passed every EICAR test we ran, and earned a 100% rating from SE Labs. In addition to cloud storage and other useful tools, it includes:

• A VPN (Norton Secure VPN)
• A password manager (Norton Password Manager)
• Identity theft protection (LifeLock)
• Parental controls (Norton Family)

Norton 360 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a full range of features. Its highest tier offers the most, but even the lowest tier comes with cloud storage and a password manager.

What we didn’t like

Norton has no free plan, so you'll pay from day one. And the price you see isn't the price you'll keep paying: Norton 360 Deluxe starts at $49.99/first yr but renews at $124.99, more than double. Higher tiers see similar jumps. 

You do get a 60-day money-back guarantee and a seven-day free trial, so there's time to decide before you're locked in, but budget for the renewal price, not just the intro offer.

Test results

Star rating summary

Avast: Best for budgets

What we liked

Avast includes a genuinely useful free plan and low-cost premium tiers, all delivered through its Avast One app. Avast One with Free Antivirus covers the basics, including real-time protection and phishing blocking, with no credit card required. If you want more, Avast Premium Security adds a firewall and webcam protection, and Avast Ultimate adds cleanup tools and a VPN.

A free antivirus is only worthwhile if it actually works, and Avast's does. It scored a perfect 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, and came in near the top of AV-Comparatives' real-world protection test. Beyond the free tier, paid plans add webcam and microphone protection, so no app can access your camera or mic without permission.

We also like that setup walks you through every feature step by step, which makes Avast one of the easier antivirus programs to pick up if you're new to this.

What we didn’t like

Avast lacks two things you might expect at this tier: an ad blocker and parental controls. It's the only reason Avast's feature score falls short of a perfect five. If those matter to you, Bitdefender and Norton both include them.

Avast support has room to improve too. When we called to ask why the firewall wasn't available on Mac, the rep spent a long time troubleshooting and still couldn't give us an answer.

Test results

Star rating summary

What to look for in an antivirus

Different antivirus companies inundate you with confusing terms and language. The essentials of a good antivirus include protection that works and features that make using it seamless.

When deciding on which antivirus to choose, consider the following features:

• Real-time protection
• Ransomware protection
• Manual and scheduled scans
• High protection scores
• Broad compatibility across multiple devices
• Additional security features like an ad blocker, virtual private network (VPN), password manager, parental controls, etc.

Third-party testing scores

Third-party testing is essential to ensure software delivers on its promises. The testing looks for new and emerging threats as well as older and sneakier ones. The effectiveness of these tests measures how the antivirus protects you. We evaluate a product using AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs scores. We also perform our own EICAR testing.

EICAR provides sample downloads in three categories that mimic potentially harmful software to help you determine how effective your antivirus is at blocking:

• Malware
• Viruses
• Trojans
• Phishing
• PUPs

Bottom line: Our top McAfee alternatives

Bitdefender, Norton 360, and Avast are some of the best alternatives to McAfee. Bitdefender includes useful features and parental controls to help secure families. Norton 360 gives users everything they need for protection offline and online, including identity protection features, a VPN, cloud storage, and more. Avast includes a lot on its free tier and even more if you decide to upgrade, all without a hefty price tag.

No matter which antivirus program you choose, staying protected is essential. A quality antivirus helps reduce your risk of malware, phishing, ransomware, and other cyberthreats.

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