McAfee vs Norton 360

McAfee and Norton 360 solve overlapping problems but with different emphasis. McAfee is built around straightforward antivirus, firewall, VPN, and identity…

Best for McAfee: McAfee suits households and individual users who want antivirus, VPN, and identity monitoring bundled simply, plus built-in PC performance tools, without needing cloud backup.
Best for Norton 360: Norton 360 suits users who specifically want cloud backup for ransomware recovery and dark web monitoring alongside antivirus, VPN, and firewall protection.

At a Glance

 McAfeeNorton 360
Primary categorySecuritySecurity
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelSubscriptionSubscription
Starting priceFree (limited antivirus scan) or from about $29.99 for the first year on paid plansFrom $29.99 first year (Norton 360 Standard promotional pricing)
Free planYesNot documented
Free trialYesYes
PlatformsAndroid, Mac, WindowsiOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APINot documentedNot documented

Key Differences

Cloud Backup

McAfee: McAfee's documented features do not include cloud backup for files

Norton 360: Norton 360 includes cloud backup with storage that increases by plan tier

Cloud backup adds a recovery path after ransomware or hardware failure that antivirus alone cannot provide

Dark Web Monitoring

McAfee: McAfee documents identity monitoring for exposed personal information

Norton 360: Norton 360 documents dedicated dark web monitoring that scans known data breach sources

Explicit dark web scanning gives more visibility into where and how credentials were exposed

Performance Optimization Tools

McAfee: McAfee includes PC performance optimization tools aimed at cleaning junk files and improving speed

Norton 360: Norton 360's documented features do not list a dedicated performance optimization tool

Built-in cleanup tools can reduce the need for a separate system utility app

Webcam Protection

McAfee: McAfee's documented feature set does not mention webcam protection

Norton 360: Norton 360 includes webcam protection to block unauthorized access attempts on Windows

Webcam hijacking is a specific privacy risk that generic firewall protection does not always address

Founding and Company Age

McAfee: McAfee was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in San Jose, California

Norton 360: Norton 360 traces to 1982 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona under Gen Digital

Longevity signals sustained investment in threat research, though it does not by itself indicate current detection quality

Introductory Pricing

McAfee: McAfee's Basic plan starts around 40 dollars for the first year

Norton 360: Norton 360 starts around 19.99 dollars for the first term on introductory promotions

Lower entry pricing affects upfront cost even though both renew higher afterward

Renewal Pricing Behavior

McAfee: McAfee's cons note that renewal pricing can rise noticeably after the introductory period

Norton 360: Norton 360's cons note that renewal pricing is often noticeably higher than introductory promotional pricing

Both tools share this pattern, so buyers should budget for a second-year price increase regardless of choice

Top-Tier Identity Protection

McAfee: McAfee's Premium and Advanced tier includes identity monitoring and password manager

Norton 360: Norton 360 with LifeLock, available in select regions, adds expanded identity monitoring and identity restoration support

Identity restoration support goes beyond monitoring by helping resolve identity theft after it happens

Parental Controls Availability

McAfee: McAfee includes parental controls across its feature set for managing content filtering and screen time

Norton 360: Norton 360 offers parental controls starting at the Deluxe tier and above, not the base Standard plan

Families need to check which specific plan tier includes parental controls before subscribing

Platform Tags Documented

McAfee: McAfee's documented tags cover Windows, Android, and Mac with a free trial and freemium option

Norton 360: Norton 360's documented tags additionally include iOS alongside Windows, Android, and Mac with a free trial

Explicit iOS tagging suggests Norton 360's mobile coverage documentation is more complete for iPhone users

Feature-by-Feature

Core Malware Protection

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Real-time antivirus scanningAvailableAvailable
Ransomware-specific protectionNot documentedAvailable
FirewallAvailableAvailable

Privacy and Network Tools

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Secure VPNAvailableAvailable
Web protection against phishing sitesAvailableNot documented
Webcam protectionNot documentedAvailable

Identity and Data Protection

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Identity monitoringAvailableAvailable
Cloud backupUnavailableAvailable
Password managerAvailableAvailable

Household and Access Management

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Parental controlsAvailableLimited
Multi-device coverageAvailableAvailable
Centralized multi-device dashboardAvailableAvailable

System Maintenance

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
PC performance optimization toolsAvailableNot documented

Platform Support

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Windows supportAvailableAvailable
Mac supportAvailableAvailable
Android supportAvailableAvailable
iOS supportNot documentedAvailable
Linux supportNot documentedUnavailable

Business Use Case

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Centralized management for large device fleetsUnavailableNot documented

Trial and Pricing Flexibility

FeatureMcAfeeNorton 360
Free trial availabilityAvailableAvailable
Tiered pricing plansAvailableAvailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

McAfee

Basic — From about $29.99 for the first year (introductory) Annual
Plus — From about $39.99 per year Annual
Premium — Approximately $50 to $55 per year (regional pricing varies) Annual
Advanced — Varies by region and promotion Annual

Norton 360

Norton AntiVirus Plus — ~$5/device/month (annualized) Annual
Norton 360 Standard — From $29.99 first year Annual
Norton 360 Deluxe — From $49.99 first year Annual
Norton 360 Premium — From $99.99 first year Annual
Norton 360 with LifeLock Select/Advantage — From roughly $99.99-$199.99 first year Annual

Pros & Cons

McAfee

Pros

  • Long operating history and strong brand recognition in cybersecurity
  • Bundles antivirus, VPN, identity protection, and password management in one subscription
  • Broad multi-device and cross-platform support
  • Frequently pre-installed or bundled by PC manufacturers and ISPs, easing initial adoption
  • Offers identity theft monitoring and restoration support on higher tiers

Cons

  • Renewal pricing after the introductory first year can be significantly higher
  • Historically criticized for aggressive upsells and background resource usage on some devices
  • Some advanced features like identity protection are gated behind higher-priced tiers
  • Frequent ownership and rebranding changes over its history can create confusion about current offerings
  • Free version offers only very limited protection compared to paid competitors

Norton 360

Pros

  • Consistently strong malware detection rates in independent lab tests
  • All-in-one bundle covers antivirus, VPN, backup, and password management
  • LifeLock identity protection is a differentiator not matched by most antivirus competitors
  • Long-standing brand with decades of security research and threat intelligence
  • Virus Protection Promise offers a money-back guarantee for malware removal failures

Cons

  • Renewal prices increase substantially after the first promotional year
  • Lower tiers exclude the VPN, backup, or multi-device coverage found in higher tiers
  • Can consume more system resources than lightweight competitors during scans
  • LifeLock identity protection features are largely limited to US customers
  • Bundle pricing can be more expensive than assembling equivalent standalone tools separately

Use Cases

Choose McAfee: McAfee suits households and individual users who want antivirus, VPN, and identity monitoring bundled simply, plus built-in PC performance tools, without needing cloud backup.
Choose Norton 360: Norton 360 suits users who specifically want cloud backup for ransomware recovery and dark web monitoring alongside antivirus, VPN, and firewall protection.
Need both: Anyone evaluating antivirus suites for a household with mixed priorities, such as one family member wanting cloud backup and another wanting performance optimization, might trial both during their free trial periods before settling on one.

McAfee

  • All-in-one home device protection — Individuals and families use McAfee to cover multiple devices with antivirus, VPN, and web protection in a single subscription.
  • Identity theft monitoring — Users concerned about data breaches and identity fraud use McAfee's monitoring and restoration support to catch and respond to exposure.
  • Business endpoint security — Organizations use McAfee's separate enterprise security products for endpoint protection and threat intelligence.

Norton 360

  • All-in-one home device protection — A household protects multiple PCs, Macs, and mobile devices with one subscription covering antivirus, VPN, and backup.
  • Identity theft monitoring for US consumers — Individuals concerned about identity theft add LifeLock monitoring and restoration support alongside standard antivirus protection.
  • Secure browsing on shared or public networks — Remote workers and travelers use the bundled Secure VPN to encrypt traffic when connecting to unfamiliar Wi-Fi networks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, McAfee or Norton 360

Norton 360's introductory pricing starts around 19.99 dollars for the first term, lower than McAfee's Basic plan at around 40 dollars for the first year, though both renew at higher standard rates afterward, so the cheaper choice depends on the specific plan tier and promotion at the time of purchase.

Does McAfee or Norton 360 include cloud backup

Norton 360 includes cloud backup with storage that scales by plan tier, while McAfee's documented feature set does not include a cloud backup capability.

Is McAfee or Norton 360 better for families with parental controls

McAfee includes parental controls across its documented feature set, while Norton 360 only includes parental controls starting at its Deluxe tier, so families on Norton's base Standard plan would need to upgrade to get that feature.

Do both McAfee and Norton 360 include a VPN

Yes, both include a secure VPN for encrypting internet traffic, though availability can vary by specific plan and region for each.

Which has dark web or identity monitoring, McAfee or Norton 360

Both include identity-related monitoring, with McAfee documenting general identity monitoring for exposed personal information and Norton 360 documenting dedicated dark web monitoring plus an expanded LifeLock identity restoration option in select regions.

Can I try McAfee or Norton 360 before paying

Yes, both McAfee and Norton 360 typically offer free trials or discounted introductory pricing before converting to a standard paid subscription.

Read the full McAfee review · Read the full Norton 360 review