Head-to-head
McAfee vs Avast
Breadth for big households against a familiar all-rounder that starts free. Here's how to tell which one fits.
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The short version
McAfee's strength is breadth: one subscription spanning a household's Windows PCs, Macs and phones, with a VPN and identity monitoring in every plan and credit tools on the higher ones. Avast is a familiar all-rounder best known for its free antivirus, with paid tiers adding scam protection, a VPN and clean-up tools. Busy, mixed-device homes tend to suit McAfee; one or two devices — or anyone who wants to start free — tend to suit Avast.
Side-by-side
| Feature | McAfee | Avast |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Mixed-OS families, many devices | Familiar all-rounder |
| Signature angle | Breadth + family-scale management | Recognized brand, broad suite |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Core antivirus | Yes | Yes |
| Bundled extras | VPN and identity monitoring in every plan; credit tools from Advanced | Scam Guardian Pro in Premium Security; VPN and clean-up in Ultimate |
| In the US (checked Oct 2026) | 5 devices (Essential) or unlimited (McAfee+); credit tools from Advanced | Free tier; Premium for 1 or 10 devices; US-only identity add-ons |
| Skip it if | You only protect one device | You dislike upsell prompts |
| First-term price | See official site | See official site |
| Renewal price | See official site | See official site |
McAfee
- Best for
- Mixed-OS families, many devices
- Signature angle
- Breadth + family-scale management
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
- Core antivirus
- Yes
- Bundled extras
- VPN and identity monitoring in every plan; credit tools from Advanced
- In the US (checked Oct 2026)
- 5 devices (Essential) or unlimited (McAfee+); credit tools from Advanced
- Skip it if
- You only protect one device
- First-term price
- See official site
- Renewal price
- See official site
Avast
- Best for
- Familiar all-rounder
- Signature angle
- Recognized brand, broad suite
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
- Core antivirus
- Yes
- Bundled extras
- Scam Guardian Pro in Premium Security; VPN and clean-up in Ultimate
- In the US (checked Oct 2026)
- Free tier; Premium for 1 or 10 devices; US-only identity add-ons
- Skip it if
- You dislike upsell prompts
- First-term price
- See official site
- Renewal price
- See official site
How to choose between them
- Start from your device count. Many devices across several operating systems point to McAfee's household plans; one or two point to Avast or built-in protection.
- Decide whether you want identity monitoring. McAfee's higher tiers bundle it; with Avast you'd typically look elsewhere for it.
- Weigh prompts and privacy. Expect upgrade prompts in Avast's lower tiers, and review its privacy settings — see our Avast review.
- Compare renewal prices. McAfee takes renewal payments ahead of the term ending, and both raise prices after the first term — compare year two.
Want the detail? Read the full McAfee review and Avast review, or see how all five suites line up in Best Picks.