“McAfee+ Premium antivirus software offers solid malware protection for an unlimited number of devices at a low starting cost.”
- Good malware protection record
- Bargain prices for the first year
- Affordable unlimited device plans
- Lots of features
- Big price increase on renewal
- Shares data with third-party advertisers
- No free version
McAfee is one of the biggest names in cybersecurity and it holds a place on our guide to the best antivirus software. While the starting price is enticing, and McAfee’s security rating is good, little details can make a big difference in convenience and usability.
I went hands-on with McAfee+ Premium to test if installation is simple, whether the app is easy to use, and how responsive customer service is when a problem arises. Here’s what I found.
Tiers and pricing
Price isn’t the most important detail when it comes to security, but cost does play a role in choosing the right solution. McAfee Essential is a good, simple antivirus subscription plan for one device that’s $30 for the first year. The regular price is $90, so be prepared for a big price increase when you renew.
McAfee offers a 30-day free trial, but you don’t have to pay for basic protection. Our guide to the best free antivirus software will help you find a solution that’s more reliable than Windows Defender.
If you want to cover more devices, McAfee Essential for five devices is $40 for the first year and renews at $120. It includes a VPN, password manager, and a browser extension to protect you from online malware.
McAfee+ Premium costs $50/$150 and protects an unlimited number of devices for one person. The “plus” adds privacy monitoring that scans your accounts and social media, and alerts you to potential concerns. You also get dark web monitoring.
McAfee also offers plans with identity theft insurance and financial monitoring: the $90/$200 McAfee+ Advanced and $200/$280 McAfee+ Ultimate. The latter doubles the insurance from $1 million to $2 million, includes $25,000 in ransomware coverage, and protects from bank account takeover.
McAfee offers the same subscription tiers as family plans that cover two adults with parental to help manage antivirus accounts for children. McAfee family plans cost more, starting at $70 for Essential, $120 for Premium, and $250 for Ultimate.
Design
McAfee+ Premium’s installation is quick and easy. The Windows app guided me to install the McAfee WebAdvisor browser extension to warn me of threats and check downloads for viruses.
Next, McAfee’s app helped me set up a VPN to hide my location and protect my privacy. It was as simple as flipping a switch to use the fastest virtual location.
I could adjust VPN settings to automatically connect when using Wi-Fi with less-than-ideal security, use the VPN always, or leave it as a manual switch. A Safe reconnect option blocks internet use if something disrupts the VPN connection.
In just a few minutes, my computer was safe from new threats, so I took a moment to explore the app. There’s a menu button at the top left, but I could access every feature from a toolbar on the left.
Below the home button, a circled star opens my protection score. A grid of four boxes pops out a panel with several protection features. The fourth and last button shows subscription details and general settings.
The McAfee app didn’t guide me to install the included password manager, so I started setup from the protection panel. After installing McAfee True Key, I noticed that it thought I was a free user, which would limit me to 15 log-ins. I contacted support and resolved the problem quickly.
Despite the minor glitch, setup was simple. The McAfee app is a little awkward with many features jammed into in narrow side panel, but it’s still easy to understand.
Features
When I install antivirus software, I expect strong and reliable protection from malware and other cybersecurity threats. McAfee Premium has a good record, with a perfect score for the last four years in continuous evaluations from third-party security research lab AV-Test.
However, McAfee can’t beat the reliability of industry leader Norton antivirus that boasts nine straight years of perfect protection. The chart above shows that McAfee had a minor problem as recently as March 2020 and more serious issues with cybersecurity in 2016 and 2017.
AV-Test’s research is quite thorough, but I did some spot testing to verify the results for myself. McAfee+ Premium identified the intentionally harmless threats on Wicar.org, showing a warning page for each test to prevent accidental infection.
Next, I checked the VPN to find out if it hid my location. I chose a server in Peru, then searched for “vegan restaurants near me.” Google showed listings for Lima, Peru, a sign McAfee+ Premium hid my real location in Canada.
Support
McAfee+ Premium comes with customer support, including live support by phone or chat that’s available 24 hours a day, every day. I tested the quality and speed by asking about the problem I had with McAfee’s True Key password manager.
To begin, I opened the account panel in the McAfee app and chose the help option. A browser window opened to the McAfee support center. I signed in, selected the contact option and opened a chat window, and got in line for a live agent.
The estimated wait was 19 minutes, the longest I’ve ever seen for live chat. It only took 13 minutes to get a reply, beating the estimate by six minutes. That’s several hours faster than email support, which often takes about a day.
The agent was able to give me the activation code for True Key that I somehow missed in an email. I also confirmed that live chat is available 24/7. The website uses the term chatbot, which implies an automated system.
I was satisfied with McAfee’s support, and it adds good value to my subscription.
Privacy and security
McAfee does share some of your personal information with third-party companies, including advertisers. The list of data includes “name, mailing address, email address, account log-in credentials, including online identifiers, payment information, billing address, bank account information, or other similar identifiers.”
You can opt out of using McAfee’s data request form, and it’s probably a good idea to do so. I haven’t seen a flood of email spam after signing up, but the amount and type of data McAfee shares is a bit concerning.
Regarding security, I can’t find any record of a McAfee data breach, so your personal data should be safe from hackers.
McAfee protects all your devices
McAfee Essential starts at just $30, one of the best deals on antivirus software. Unfortunately, that bargain pricing is only good for the first year. The same is true of the more full-featured plans like McAfee+ Premium that starts at $50 but triples to $150 in the second year.
Huge discounts for the first year are fairly common. Norton 360 Deluxe costs $50 annually with a $120 renewal, and Bitdefender Premium Security starts off at $80 then climbs to $160 per year.
Malwarebytes has the same or lower prices year after year, a refreshing difference. Malwarebytes Premium Plus costs $80 annually with a small discount if you order two years up front. However, McAfee has a better protection record.
Many antivirus solutions cover one to 10 devices. If you own multiple desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones, you could quickly reach the limit with some devices left unprotected. McAfee+ Premium is one of the few antivirus solutions that offers protection for an unlimited number of computers and phones.
For great protection, ease of use, and simple installation, McAfee offers good value. Customer support is always available via live chat or a phone call.
