Norton vs McAfee antivirus comparison: which is better in 2025?

Norton and McAfee are both antivirus software programs designed to detect and remove malicious software (malware). But are they equally good?

In a head-to-head comparison, Norton is the more well-rounded option, especially regarding overall security features and performance. That said, McAfee remains a strong contender, particularly if ease of use and specific privacy tools are your top priorities. Norton outperformed McAfee in my team’s in-house tests as the better overall antivirus in 2025. Norton had better malware detection software in my own experience and independent lab tests, with a real-time protection rate of 99.9%, compared to McAfee’s 98.7%. Norton also maintained a slight edge in overall value, thanks to superior usability and bonus features like identity theft protection and cloud backup. In my assessment, this made it a more comprehensive solution for individual and family users.

Norton antivirus strengths

• Stronger overall protection. Norton holds a consistent score in independent testing for malware detection and real-time protection, often outperforming McAfee in these key areas.
• More features. Norton offers a wider range of features than McAfee, such as cloud backup, parental controls, and identity theft protection, in addition to basic antivirus protection.
• Better customer support. Norton receives better customer service reviews, outperforming McAfee in this field, too.

McAfee antivirus strengths

• User-friendly interface. McAfee uses a clean and intuitive interface for its antivirus software, making it easy to navigate and beginner-friendly.
• Privacy and data cleanup features. McAfee’s top-tier Total Protection plan includes strong privacy and data cleanup tools.
• Cost-effective. For users looking only for basic antivirus protection, McAfee can be a more affordable option than Norton.

Which is better, Norton or McAfee, in terms of protection?

In 2025, independent cybersecurity lab AV-Comparatives scored Norton a 99.9% real-time malware detection rating. This outperformed McAfee’s 98.7% result. While both antiviruses performed well in offline detection rates, Norton performed better in blocking zero-day threats and phishing attacks. Also, Norton received the "Advanced+" rating from respected labs, such as AV-Test, due to its strong performance, while McAfee received the "Advanced" rating.

Overall, Norton provides better protection against online and offline malware, even in cases where McAfee detects the same number of threats. Due to its progressive features, such as Smart Firewall or ransomware protection, Norton scores 100% at real-time protection while McAfee stays at 99.7%. I recommend choosing Norton for the best protection against computer and mobile threats.

I also tested both Norton and McAfee myself using sample malware and ransomware files from EICAR – the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research. I served ten sample malicious files to each program to see how they would respond – or whether they’d block the download altogether.

In-house virus detection test results

When writing this comparison, I referred to independent software lab tests from AV-Test, which routinely reviews and scores all major antivirus solutions. In 2025, Norton scored a 99.7% online virus detection rate, but a 100% real-time protection rate. This means that while Norton flagged some false positives, it stopped every single threat. Meanwhile, McAfee received the same 99.7% detection score, but fell short of perfect marks for real-time protection, scoring 99.7%. Both antivirus solutions received relatively low scores for offline protection compared to competitors like Bitdefender, which scored 97%.

Both antiviruses delivered impressive scan times. McAfee completed a full system scan in around 5 minutes and 30 seconds, scanning 92,796 items, while Norton finished in around 12 minutes and 30 seconds, scanning 1,046,885 items, which explains the longer scan time. These are good compared to competing antivirus solutions – I have sometimes seen full scans take over 1 hour. By comparison, Nortcon’s quick scan took just 21 seconds, while McAfee’s quick scan took just over 2 minutes.

Norton is also lighter on your system than McAfee. Norton peaked at 16% CPU usage during a full scan, compared to McAfee, which used up to 35% of system processing power. This meant that McAfee was more likely to slow down other applications on my device while running in the background. It was a similar story for RAM (computer memory), with Norton using up to 150-200 MB RAM at its peak, while McAfee used 200-300 MB.

In summary, while Norton can sometimes take longer than McAfee to complete a scan, the difference is minimal. Moreover, Norton lessens the impact on your device's processing power and memory while scanning. As a result, Norton is the better choice for scanning speed and avoiding potential slowdowns on your device.

McAfee vs Norton price

• McAfee vs. Norton pricing: Both antivirus providers offer the same rates for Basic, Essential, and Premium+ plans, starting at $39.99/month.
• Norton’s Advantage: Norton includes a Select Plus with LifeLock plan for $79.99/year, offering identity theft protection, which McAfee does not.

Both McAfee and Norton provide budget-friendly plans with features like parental controls, dark web monitoring, and a secure VPN. However, Norton holds an edge in overall value, making it our top recommendation. While McAfee offers better device coverage – with its Premium+ Individual plan allowing unlimited devices compared to Norton’s maximum of 10 on the Select Plus with LifeLock plan - you should consider whether you actually need that many device slots. Norton’s well-rounded security features and overall performance make it the better choice for most users.

While neither McAfee nor Norton offers a free antivirus, both providers have options that allow you to try the service for free. McAfee offers a 30-day free trial, while Norton’s free trial lasts just 7 days. However, McAfee provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, whereas Norton extends theirs to 60 days. So, you can get a longer period of free use with Norton antivirus. As for the question of Norton vs McAfee on pricing, Norton wins thanks to its superior value for money on subscriptions that are only slightly costlier. Check our tested Norton antivirus coupon codes for an additional discount.

Compare Norton and McAfee feature packages

• Norton Antivirus Plus – Best for anyone seeking reliable antivirus protection along with a password manager and cloud storage, all at an unbeatable price.
• McAfee Total Protection – Best for those who want solid antivirus coverage, a VPN, identity monitoring, and a firewall at a light price tag.

Norton and McAfee both offer real-time protection that performs well in independent lab tests and our in-house tests. While both scored high here, Norton stands out for its additional security features like parental control and identity theft coverage. Here's the comparison showing Norton's advantage over McAfee:

Norton’s feature package is much better than McAfee’s. It has higher real-time detection rates and includes a secure VPN, dark web monitoring, and LifeLock identity theft coverage. This makes it a worthy choice for families looking to protect multiple individuals and devices. Moreover, its user interface is easy to use and minimalistic, with a low impact on your CPU and RAM.

While a respectable contender, McAfee doesn’t match Norton’s feature set. Its features include a VPN, password manager, and identity theft protection, but some lack Norton’s polish. The VPN, for example, isn’t as good as Norton’s Secure VPN. McAfee also has a more significant impact on device performance.

After comparing Norton and McAfee features, the bottom line is that Norton offers a broader set of features that suit users looking for the best protection at an affordable price. McAfee might suit a more casual user who wants to pay a smaller subscription fee. However, it’s worth considering value for money and the fact that McAfee has been criticized for the amount of data it collects and for having unclear renewal policies.

My experience with Norton and McAfee apps

To compare Norton vs McAfee antivirus, I installed both software packages on a Dell XPS 15 running Windows 11 and a MacBook Pro running macOS Sonoma 14.7.1. I also downloaded the respective mobile apps on an iPhone 15 Pro Max (iOS 18) and an Android Google Pixel 3. Norton’s mobile experience impressed me more than McAfee’s applications because of a more streamlined user interface and optimized features.

Norton vs McAfee scanning options

When reviewing an antivirus solution, I expect to see full scan, quick scan, and custom scan options as a minimum. Both Norton and McAfee check these boxes, though Norton goes further in offering a fourth scan option:

It took McAfee 5 min 33 sec to thoroughly scan through 92,796 items while Norton scanned 1,046,885 in an impressive 12 min 26 sec. Norton also has an edge over McAfee because it offers a boot-time scan that can identify threats during system startup. Norton’s quick scan is faster and more efficient than McAfee for more general use, with minimal impact on system resources. While McAfee was faster in scanning the full system, Norton’s overall offering gives you more options for keeping your device clean.

Which is better, McAfee or Norton, for Windows and Apple computers?

Norton is a better antivirus solution on Windows 10 and 11. It boasts comprehensive protection against malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks, scoring better than McAfee in our in-house and independent lab tests. Additionally, it includes advanced features like real-time scanning, a secure VPN, dark web monitoring, and LifeLock identity theft protection. Overall, I found using the well-designed, minimalistic application on my Mac and Windows laptops straightforward.

McAfee offers similar protection but is heavier on system resources, which can slow down performance. McAfee’s interface, while functional, is not as sleek and intuitive as Norton’s. Moreover, scammers seem to have latched onto the brand and regularly try to fool users into clicking on phishing links. While it’s not the brand’s fault, using McAfee worry-free is much more challenging.

Norton is equally well-designed and efficient on Apple macOS at protecting your device, offering near-perfect malware detection and phishing protections. It also includes valuable features such as a VPN and browser security – these are the most essential features for Mac users, who enjoy better native virus protection than Windows users. McAfee provides strong protection but lacks some of Norton’s additional features, including proactive app scanning and advanced identity protection tools.

Overall, whether you’re a Windows or Mac user, Norton is the better choice. Its combination of design, efficiency, and feature set makes it a better option for protection and day-to-day ease of use.

Which is better for Android and iPhone?

Norton’s mobile app stands out as the better solution, particularly with its App Advisor feature. This unique tool proactively scans your device’s other apps for security flaws and vulnerabilities, even before downloading them. I recommend this antivirus for Android users in particular, as Android devices are more susceptible to mobile malware threats. Norton also includes real-time anti-malware and anti-phishing features, plus a secure virtual private network.

McAfee’s mobile app also includes standard features like malware scanning and a VPN, but it lacks the advanced app scanning feature seen in Norton’s App Advisor. Moreover, I found McAfee’s app interface quite cluttered compared to the Norton experience. This made navigation feel less intuitive and lacking features. Overall, Norton’s mobile app offers a better user experience, smoother performance, and more comprehensive protection than McAfee’s.

McAfee vs Norton customer support

Both Norton and McAfee offer customer support via phone and email and have a 24/7 live chat feature. In my experience, Norton and McAfee agents were very fast to respond; I got an answer within a minute or two when using live chat. Agents across both brands were knowledgeable, too.

The only noticeable difference was in the quality of responses and how easy it was to understand the agent. McAfee had slightly worse-quality responses, though I still understood the message.

However, customer sentiment on review sites like G2 and TrustPilot is essential to consider. I noticed that customers felt that McAfee’s response times and the quality of their responses could vary widely. Norton is the better customer service provider since this mirrors my experience with often-confusing messages.

Final verdict: Is Norton or McAfee the better antivirus in 2025?

When comparing Norton vs McAfee, both are respected antivirus solutions that provide strong protection against cyber threats, but Norton has an edge. After evaluating real-time protection, features, pricing, and customer support, Norton consistently emerges as the better overall option.

• Antivirus scan time. Norton showed an advantage here, finishing a scan I initiated in a whole 6 minutes faster than McAfee. Other than that, both offer custom, quick, and full scans, which are efficient and completed quickly. Neither has a noticeable impact on system resources, though Norton is more lightweight. What’s more, Norton offers boot-time scanning, giving it the edge over McAfee.
• Antivirus protection strength. Norton 360 consistently achieves 99.9% malware-detection rates instead of McAfee's 99.8%. This seemingly small difference means a lot when it comes to antivirus protection. In our in-house tests, I saw 100% real-time protection results. McAfee offers good protection, but it falls slightly behind Norton.
• Security features. Norton has an outright better feature set than McAfee, including a secure VPN, dark web monitoring, identity theft coverage, and parental controls. While McAfee offers strong day-to-day protection for the casual user, it lacks advanced options.
• Price. Norton has a cheaper starting plan at $2.50/month, while McAfee offers a similar plan for $2.50/month. Both McAfee and Norton provide affordable antivirus packages with solid features. These include parental controls, dark web monitoring, and secure VPN service. And while Norton’s price tag is slightly higher, it offers more value overall. Norton is the winner in the long run thanks to its broader feature range and better performance.
• User interface. Norton’s interface is sleek, intuitive, and easy to navigate, making it simple to manage each feature and turn your protection on or off. McAfee’s interface is equally functional but can be cluttered in parts, making it less pleasant to use by comparison.
• Customer support. Both Norton and McAfee offer the same 24/7 live chat and phone support service, and both provide email support too. While a minor niggle, the worse-quality responses from McAfee led to a worse overall experience. This was compounded by customer review feedback stating that response quality and timeframe vary significantly between users.

Both Norton and McAfee are popular antivirus software choices due to their strong antivirus protection and advanced security features. However, Norton shows better usability, more responsive customer support, and higher overall test results. Meanwhile, McAfee stands out for its extensive data privacy and data cleanup features.

How did I and the team of experts at VPNpro test Norton vs McAfee and compare them? To compare Norton and McAfee, I evaluated their malware detection, real-time protection, system performance impact, and additional security features. My testing was conducted on both a Windows 11 Dell XPS and a macOS Sonoma 14.1 MacBook Pro to ensure cross-platform reliability. I used EICAR test files and real-world malware samples to assess threat detection accuracy. Additionally, I analyzed usability, extra security tools, and pricing to determine overall value. Time of testing: May 2025

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FAQ

Are Norton and McAfee the same company?

No, McAfee and Norton are not the same company. Both provide antivirus solutions for desktop and mobile devices, so their software shares similar features. However, Intel owns McAfee, while Norton is owned by Symantec. According to our in-house tests, Norton is the better antivirus solution.

What is the main difference between McAfee and Norton?

Norton packs more features with better performance. It provides better real-time protection, a broader security feature set, and more consistent support response times. Our in-house tests found that while the competition was close, Norton excelled past McAfee in every area, including security, protection, price, and usability.

Should I switch from McAfee to Norton?

Yes, switching from McAfee to Norton might be beneficial, especially if you’re looking for a more well-rounded security suite that includes a VPN, identity theft protection, and parental controls. Although McAfee has robust basic protection, Norton 360 scores higher in real-world malware protection tests and offers a more comprehensive feature set.

Which is better, Norton or McAfee for Windows 10?

According to our in-house tests, Norton is better than McAfee for Windows 10 and 11 users as it scores higher in virus detection and protection tests. Both antivirus solutions are robust in real-time protection. However, Norton’s performance is consistently better, as reflected in our and third-party testing. Norton also integrates well with native tools like Windows Firewall.

Which is better, McAfee or Norton in terms of features?

Norton is better than McAfee in terms of features, offering parental controls, identity theft protection, dark web monitoring, and cloud backup – none of which McAfee has. Norton’s App Advisor, a feature that can proactively scan other apps for vulnerabilities, is also missing from McAfee’s lineup.

Do I need to uninstall McAfee before installing Norton?

Yes, you should uninstall McAfee before installing Norton, as it is not advisable to have two or more security solutions, like Norton and McAfee, installed on a single computer. . Avoid installing multiple security solutions like Norton and McAfee on the same computer, as it slows down scans by 10 times or 40% with antispyware tools. For a smooth Norton installation, fully uninstall McAfee using the McAfee Consumer Product Removal (MCPR). Restart your computer before installing Norton.