NordVPN vs McAfee VPN: 2025 comparison

NordVPN is a leading VPN service with incredible speeds and robust security features that protect your online anonymity and security. McAfee VPN comes from an antivirus-first company that has created its own VPN service. But which VPN is better in NordVPN vs McAfee VPN comparison?

Both VPNs have the same core function of protecting your IP address and making you anonymous online. However, I’ve performed in-depth tests that check whether the VPN has a working kill switch and whether or not your IP address can leak. I’ve also analyzed both VPNs for their speed, the size of their server fleet, and how well they perform when streaming or torrenting.

Let's dive deep into each VPN feature specification to help you decide which VPN best suits your privacy, speed, and online security.

McAfee VPN vs NordVPN: specifications

NordVPN and McAfee VPN may both promise to protect your privacy, but my assessment concludes that NordVPN excels past McAfee VPN in almost every area. NordVPN offers faster speeds, doesn’t log your data like McAfee does, and offers numerous features not available in the Secure Connect VPN. McAfee VPN might be suited to users who already have the company’s Antivirus and want to keep their protection under one roof. However, I recommend NordVPN for the best protection in every other case.

NordVPN vs McAfee VPN: pricing

NordVPN offers subscriptions ranging from 1 month to 3 years, and the biggest discounts can be found on long-term plans. You’ll pay $12.99 for 1 month’s use or $4.99 for a year. However, choose the 2-year plan, and you’ll get a significant 76% discount, making NordVPN just $3.39. You also get 3 months free, so that’s 27 months of use at a bottom-shelf price. With NordVPN, you also get a 7-day free trial for Android devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee regardless of device type.

McAfee charges $39.99 for its standalone VPN plan with 5 connections and a discount of around 17%. While the discount is much, much smaller than you’ll get with a NordVPN coupon code, NordVPN vs McAfee are roughly the same price – a 2-year NordVPN plan is $3.39, while a 2-year McAfee VPN plan is $1.66. However, add on McAfee’s Antivirus, and the price gets cheaper with a special 79% McAfee discount code.

However, this isn’t enough to give McAfee the edge. My colleague’s McAfee Secure Connect VPN review scored this VPN just 4.8/10, recommending alternative options. In other words, NordVPN represents a much better service despite comparable pricing.

In summary, NordVPN is the winner when it comes to pricing and value for money. As the better overall service with more flexibility around plans, plus alternate payment options like cryptocurrency, I recommend choosing NordVPN regardless of your preferred plan length. While McAfee’s discount is impressive and gives you an antivirus too, I can’t overlook the poor review outcome nor the fact that value for money is worse due to fewer features and risky data logging practices.

NordVPN vs McAfee VPN speed test

NordVPN excels in speed compared to the majority of other VPNs and that includes McAfee VPN. I tested both NordVPN and McAfee speeds on my baseline internet connection of 889 Mbps download and 928 Mbps upload speeds. NordVPN delivered download speed retention of up to 97% in my tests thanks to its proprietary NordLynx protocol. McAfee VPN delivered 66% speed retention at its best. However, McAfee really struggles to sustain a good upload speed, at just 4.6% upload speed retention in its strongest test.

Overall, NordVPN is much more consistent in delivering high speeds. Particularly for bandwidth-heavy activities like streaming, gaming, and torrenting, NordVPN is the clear frontrunner in delivering connections fast enough for all activities..

NordVPN vs McAfee VPN: which is more secure?

When comparing NordVPN vs McAfee VPN, NordVPN is the more secure choice. NordVPN and McAfee both offer AES-256-bit encryption, a working kill switch, and protection against IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. I have verified that these features work as intended to protect your privacy, and both NordVPN and McAfee offer sufficient protection in these areas.

However, NordVPN offers additional security features, like an externally audited no-logs policy based in a privacy-friendly country with reduced risk of personal data retention or sharing. McAfee VPN details in their privacy policy that they gather quite a lot of information including your IP address. What’s more, McAfee is located in the United States, which is part of the Five Eyes Alliance and therefore puts your data at greater risk of being shared. All of this makes NordVPN the better and more secure choice of VPN.

NordVPN’s specialty servers add further security, with options including Double VPN connections, obfuscation, and Tor support. These features' additional anonymity is invaluable for users in countries that monitor internet use. Unfortunately, these are features that McAfee VPN does not support.

In summary, while both VPNs are secure, NordVPN is the better choice for users who prioritize enhanced security features and need more options to protect their privacy, particularly those requiring obfuscation or multi-layered encryption.

Which VPN offers better privacy protections?

NordVPN is based in privacy-friendly Panama, which is outside the Five Eyes Alliance. However, McAfee VPN is based in the United States, which means that they must adhere to certain data-retention laws and openly share data with other member states when requested. Despite Panamanian authorities requesting user data in 2024, NordVPN did not reveal any identifiable information due to RAM-only servers.

Not storing any user data also thanks to NordVPN’s zero-logs policy, which means they don’t track what you do while connected to the VPN. This policy has been continually audited year-on-year by auditing giants like Deloitte and is airtight. Also, the NordLynx protocol was created to address a privacy flaw in WireGuard. The WireGuard protocol remembers the last-known IP address of connected users to maintain continuity across sessions, but NordLynx does not. Instead, double-NAT technology creates and destroys a temporary session IP to further increase privacy.

McAfee VPN doesn’t use this kind of double-NAT technology in its Catapult Hydra protocol, which is used by a competing VPN, Hotspot Shield. McAfee is also situated in a Five Eyes country. However, I was most concerned about the lack of a no-log policy. This has become a standard in most VPNs, and for all of these reasons. NordVPN is the clear winner in terms of online privacy protections as it has features designed to keep you more secure without gathering private information about you.

McAfee VPN vs NordVPN: Server fleet

NordVPN is the champion for having a vast server fleet and full transparency around its server numbers. NordVPN’s vast server fleet includes 7400+ servers 118+ countries. Comparatively, McAfee doesn’t publicize server numbers, making it difficult to know how broad their coverage is. When I tried contacting customer support, I couldn’t get a direct answer either.

What’s more, all of NordVPN’s servers are RAM-only. This means the hardware is incapable of storing any logs of your data. Unfortunately, McAfee doesn’t have RAM-only server hardware and does keep logs, which I’ll elaborate on further in my test results.

With full disclosure of its server numbers and RAM-only hardware, NordVPN is the clear winner for its server fleet. You’ll more easily find servers in all corners of the world and be able to choose the right server for your intended purpose.

Specialized servers

Specialized servers are optimized for activities like gaming, torrenting, or streaming. McAfee doesn’t offer any specialized options outside of its main server list. However, NordVPN has specialized servers in four areas: Double VPN, Obfuscated, Onion Over VPN, and P2P.

• Double VPN: Increases your security by routing your web traffic through two VPN servers instead of one.
• Obfuscated Servers: Disguise your VPN traffic to look like regular traffic to avoid anti-VPN measures in restrictive countries or on websites like Netflix.
• Onion Over VPN: Utilizes the Tor network to hide your online activity further and decrease the chances of tracking in highly restrictive regions like China.
• P2P: Optimized for torrenting, allowing safer and faster file-sharing activities.

When I tested torrenting with McAfee VPN, some servers allowed it, while others did not. This doesn’t mean the provider has speciality servers; rather, they don’t block peer-to-peer activity on those servers.

Based on McAfee’s lack of provision for specialized servers, NordVPN is the winner in this category. NordVPN’s range of speciality servers for different purposes means you can easily tailor the software to your advantage and get optimal performance.

Features comparison

One of McAfee’s biggest flaws is its lack of a no-logs policy, but other critical features like a kill switch and leak protection are present and working. Meanwhile, NordVPN checks off all the essential VPN features and goes above and beyond to offer more security features that bolster your online privacy protections. Check out the feature comparison overview of NordVPN vs McAfee below:

NordVPN’s security features go far beyond its specialty servers. For starters, NordVPN accepts crypto payments like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple. This adds another layer of security, hiding your payments within the Blockchain. Additionally, dedicated IP addresses further reduce the risk of your VPN being detected, while giving you reliable access to accounts like your bank without the risk of triggering fraud alerts. There’s also Dark Web Monitoring that checks if your data has been leaked on the dark web, and Meshnet, which lets you create a secure LAN at home or work between your devices.

Therefore, McAfee doesn’t support anonymous crypto payments, nor does it offer dedicated IP addresses. It also lacks any dark web monitoring features, and there’s no way to set up a personal LAN between your devices as you can with NordVPN. While McAfee’s encryption and kill switch work well, Secure Connect VPN is more geared toward basic users. NordVPN is the winner here and the better choice overall when it comes to features.

Split tunneling

NordVPN supports split tunneling, allowing you to choose which apps use your VPN and which ones use your regular internet connection. This fine-tuned control over your web traffic is useful to avoid problems with your regular accounts. For example, some streaming sites tend to block VPN connections, while some financial accounts might block you if they think you’re connecting from abroad. With NordVPN, split tunneling is available on Windows, Android, and Android TV apps. McAfee has this feature too, but only on Android.

Neither VPN supports iOS due to the native restrictions imposed by Apple, which make it hard to implement certain VPN features. However, overall, NordVPN has greater support for the feature, since McAfee doesn’t even allow it on the most common Windows devices.

Ad and malware blocker

NordVPN and McAfee VPN can both block adverts and malware, though NordVPN has an edge in ad blocking since it can block YouTube ads. Its domain-level filtering stops requests to ad-serving domains, preventing them from loading. This makes NordVPN a solid choice for people who don’t want to pay for YouTube Premium or can’t pay for it. Of course, it also blocks annoying pop-ups and banner ads on other websites. Meanwhile, NordVPN Threat Protection guards your device against malicious websites and scans files you download for malware.

On the other hand, McAfee is an antivirus-first solution, with powerful anti-malware tools that can guard your device against infections. However, it’s important to note that I am comparing McAfee VPN and NordVPN. McAfee VPN doesn’t have a feature similar to NordVPN’s Threat Protection, nor does it integrate any of McAfee’s antivirus features.

Inthe future, I’d like to see McAfee VPN evolve by integrating these core anti-malware features, as they are critical to protect you against infections, phishing, and other threats. Without any browser protection or file-scanning capabilities, McAfee VPN clearly pales in comparison to NordVPN when it comes to protecting you from malware.

Auto-connect feature

NordVPN’s auto-connect feature automatically activates your VPN when you join an unsecured public Wi-Fi network or other Wi-Fi connection you haven’t used before. You can manage exceptions in NordVPN’s app so that you have control over trusted networks. This invaluable tool can help you avoid the risks of public internet connections, like man-in-the-middle attacks and fake hotspots.

McAfee also has an auto-connect feature, but it's more basic than NordVPN's tool. It lacks the ability to specify exceptions – networks that will always be trusted, like your home Wi-Fi connection. While NordVPN will let you specify which server you’d like to join automatically, McAfee doesn’t do that either. These key differences make NordVPN the better auto-connect implementation.

Meshnet

Meshnet is a unique feature developed by NordVPN that creates a secure local area network (LAN) between a group of devices no matter where they’re located in the world. While some VPN features can attract an additional charge, Meshnet is included in all NordVPN plans. With Meshnet, I could create a LAN connecting my laptop in the UK and my partner’s laptop in Europe. This trusted connection means that any data exchanged between our devices benefits from NordVPN's powerful encryption.

Meshnet also has other benefits, including support for up to 60 devices per LAN and remote access to connected devices. However, McAfee VPN doesn’t have a feature similar to Meshnet at all, making NordVPN the clear winner for managing multiple remote devices on a secure network.

Smart DNS

The Smart DNS feature lets you use the VPN on devices that don’t support them. It’s useful if you want to change your region on streaming devices that don’t support native VPN apps. Luckily, NordVPN implements a Smart DNS feature – SmartPlay – that addresses this issue. On the other hand, McAfee VPN doesn’t come with a Smart DNS feature, which limits its usage to officially supported devices.

NordVPN vs McAfee VPN streaming comparison

Streaming is one area where the question of McAfee vs NordVPN is a closer tie. NordVPN can unblock every streaming site – in my tests, I bypassed geo-restrictions for multiple international Netflix libraries. I could also unblock Disney+, HBO, Max, Prime Video, and more. Therefore, McAfee struggles with some websites like YouTube TV, Disney+, and HBO. I was also detected for using a VPN to unblock Netflix in some locations like Japan.

NordVPN’s lightning-fast speeds with the NordLynx protocol meant that streams never lagged. By connecting to a US VPN server, I watched Supernatural on Netflix in 4K without any buffering, a show that’s not available in the UK. McAfee’s speeds aren’t as good, but it was still able to keep up with NordVPN in all but the Netflix tests.

However, given NordVPN’s infallible unblocking power and unbeatable speeds, NordVPN is the winner for streaming. Even when you choose faraway servers, you’ll be able to stream from any platform you wish without experiencing lag.

Device compatibility

Is NordVPN or McAfee VPN better for torrenting?

NordVPN offers superior torrenting speeds and dedicated P2P servers, while McAfee is generally slower and lacks dedicated torrenting servers. This gives NordVPN an advantage in delivering a better overall user experience in which files can be shared more quickly. All NordVPN servers allow torrenting, but choosing specialized P2P servers can further optimize and improve your speeds.

McAfee doesn’t block torrenting; its speeds are generally fast enough to share files via a torrent program. However, choosing the right server is important because McAfee doesn’t have dedicated torrenting servers. When I tested McAfee with uTorrent, it blocked torrents while connected to the United Kingdom server.

A VPN can provide well-rounded security only if it’s compatible with the devices in your household. Otherwise, you’re left with gaps for precious data to leak through.

There’s no risk of that happening if you’re using NordVPN. It has dedicated apps for the most popular desktop and mobile devices. Additionally, it’s compatible with widely-used home-entertainment systems, such as Android TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. Meanwhile, exclusive protection for web browsers is possible by installing an extension on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and plenty of other browsers.

McAfee VPN only pales in comparison and is only available on Windows, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android.

Based on its speeds, dedicated torrenting servers, and a free Socks5 proxy, NordVPN is the winner for torrenting. NordVPN is also the best VPN for torrenting outright when compared side-by-side with all other VPN providers!

McAfee VPN vs NordVPN: installation and ease of use

McAfee and NordVPN both have simple installation processes, though NordVPN has an edge. All of NordVPN's iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows apps are standalone, meaning they each have their own simplified installation wizard. Still, you can find advanced setup guides if you want to do something more complex like installing NordVPN on a router. NordVPN even has apps for Linux, Android TVs, and Firesticks.

McAfee loses points in these niche configurations – for example, it can't be installed on a router or gaming console. Existing McAfee Antivirus subscribers can simply add McAfee VPN to their existing account and install it through their antivirus client. However, this won’t apply to most people trying to choose between NordVPN or McAfee.

It’s also noteworthy that NordVPN offers 10 simultaneous connections, but McAfee offers 5 under one account.

NordVPN is the better VPN for ease of installation and device support. The ability to install a VPN on your router and cover all devices in your household means you can even exceed the 10-device limit and use NordVPN on as many devices as you wish.

Desktop apps

NordVPN offers a sleek interface that’s easy to work with and consistent across all devices. Central to the UI is a world map view that lets you browse and choose servers. However, there’s also a server selector down the left-hand side of the interface so that you can find locations quickly. This neatly separates servers into “standard” VPN servers and the before mentioned P2P, obfuscated, Double VPN, and Onion Over VPN specialty servers. Note that these need to be enabled in settings before they’ll show up.

McAfee VPN also has a minimalistic UI that's really easy to use. Its central dashboard includes a “Connect” button and server browser, though the latter is more limited than NordVPN. The settings menu is also limited compared to NordVPN and lacks options such as the ability to choose between VPN protocols. I was sure that I could switch between protocols, so I reached out to customer support for clarification. It turns out this cannot be done on the Windows app – it’s only available on iOS and Android.

While both VPNs have a simplistic interface, there’s depth beneath the surface with NordVPN. NordVPN also manages to balance simplicity and style, while McAfee’s interface feels very basic overall and lacks key features.

Mobile apps

NordVPN’s mobile apps for iOS and Android look very similar to desk appstop, albeit scaled down. The server map and server list – including specialty servers – are still present, creating a consistent experience across desktop and mobile devices. I was pleased that the mobile version of NordVPN doesn’t sacrifice important security features like Split Tunneling and SmartPlay. McAfee also has a simplified user interface, though as with the desktop versions, it has less features than NordVPN. Instead, it focuses on basic functionality – creating a secure VPN connection, protecting you from IP leaks, and offering a kill switch to keep your connection secure. However, it doesn't have ad blocking, obfuscation, or any advanced features like NordVPN has.

In summary, NordVPN’s mobile apps are better at creating a consistent and feature-rich experience regardless of platform. This is largely thanks to the world map that acts as your main dashboard. McAfee VPN maintains consistency, though the interface feels more basic in design and lacks key functionality for some operating systems. As a result, NordVPN is the better overall choice regardless of device platform or OS.

Customer support

When I compared NordVPN and McAfee's customer support functions, the biggest differences were noticeable in response times. NordVPN provides 24/7 live chat and email support, with most responses coming within minutes. My own experience reflects these response times; I got a reply within 1 minute when I asked why split tunneling wasn’t available on iOS devices. Even tickets submitted by email are usually resolved within hours. NordVPN also has a comprehensive knowledge base containing FAQs, and installation and setup guides.

McAfee also offers 24/7 live chat support and email assistance, too. Support is tied to McAfee’s overall products, including its antivirus software, so you have to specify what you require help with. Finally, McAfee also has community forums where other users can help each other out. This is something that NordVPN doesn’t have – though McAfee took around 5 minutes to answer my split tunneling query, much longer than NordVPN.

While NordVPN offers faster response times, McAfee’s community forums are very active and useful as a user new to the software. Since NordVPN doesn’t offer such forums, overall I declare a tie for customer support between McAfee VPN and NordVPN

Final verdict: Is NordVPN or McAfee VPN better in 2025?

In comparing NordVPN and McAfee, NordVPN is clearly the better VPN in all areas. Currently, it’s the best VPN available on the market, so McAfee was up against stiff competition. NordVPN’s impressive server fleet, rapid connection speeds, and robust security features excel above the competition. McAfee checks the basic requirements with IP cloaking, leak protection, and a kill switch, but it falls short on privacy, features, and speeds – core areas of a solid VPN.

Here’s a breakdown of how McAfee and NordVPN compare:

Thanks to NordVPN’s proprietary NordLynx protocol, NordVPN is the fastest VPN you’ll find for any activity. RAM-only servers, a strict and independently audited no-logs policy, and specialized servers for restrictive regions make this VPN an ideal choice for the security-conscious. Whether you’re a casual or advanced VPN user, you’ve access to all the features you’ll need.

However, if you value having your cybersecurity products under one roof, McAfee VPN could be a solid add-on to your existing McAfee Antivirus account. Chances are it’s already included in your subscription, so look for the feature in your McAfee client.

For everyone else, NordVPN is the outright winner in the battle of McAfee vs NordVPN for 2025.

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FAQ

Is NordVPN better than McAfee VPN?

Yes, NordVPN is better than McAfee. It has more security features, faster and more consistent speeds, and a larger and more transparent server fleet. It’s therefore better for both streaming and torrenting, with dedicated servers for both activities – something McAfee lacks.

Which is faster – NordVPN or McAfee VPN?

NordVPN is faster than McAfee with download speed retention of up to 97% compared to McAfee’s peak speed retention of 66%. The VPN houses a more extensive server fleet (7400+ servers in 118+ countries) and the in-house NordLynx protocol that ensures fast and consistent connections.

Does NordVPN help with virus protection?

Yes, NordVPN has Threat Protection, which blocks online trackers and domains used for malicious ads and phishing attacks. It can also detect malware and scan files for infections, before removing it from your device securely.

Is the VPN from McAfee safe?

McAfee VPN uses AES-256 encryption and provides the bare minimum in terms of security. It lacks any added security features beyond a kill switch and is open about logging sensitive information such as your IP address. NordVPN is a far more secure VPN that can be bought cheaper with a NordVPN coupon code.