There is no single best McAfee alternative. In AV-TEST’s August 2026 Windows 11 consumer test, McAfee Total Protection 1.39 earned the maximum 6 points in each of three categories: Protection, Performance and Usability. Six competitors earned the same 6/6/6 result: Norton 360, Bitdefender Total Security, ESET Security Ultimate, F-Secure Total, Malwarebytes Premium and Avast Free Antivirus. Microsoft Defender Antivirus scored 6 for Protection and 6 for Usability but 5.5 for Performance.
That means a switch from McAfee should be decided on device coverage, included features, renewal price, false-alarm behaviour and how much the software slows your PC, not on a headline score. This guide does not run its own lab tests. Every score below comes from AV-TEST or AV-Comparatives and applies only to the product version, Windows release and test date named with it.
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What the independent tests show
AV-TEST scores each product from 0 to 6 in Protection, Performance and Usability, for a maximum total of 18 points. The table below lists the August 2026 Windows 11 consumer results for the products compared in this guide, along with AV-Comparatives’ 2025 Top-Rated awards where the product is named.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Product and version tested | Protection | Performance | Usability | AV-Comparatives 2025 Top-Rated award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAfee Total Protection 1.39 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Not named in the 2025 Top-Rated list |
| Norton 360 (26.6 / 26.7) | 6 | 6 | 6 | Named |
| Bitdefender Total Security 27.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Named |
| ESET Security Ultimate (19.1 / 19.2) | 6 | 6 | 6 | Named |
| F-Secure Total 26.6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Not stated in the 2025 summary |
| Malwarebytes Premium (5.5 / 5.6) | 6 | 6 | 6 | Not stated in the 2025 summary |
| Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Named (Avast) |
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus 4.18 | 6 | 5.5 | 6 | Not stated in the 2025 summary |
Source for the August 2026 scores: AV-TEST, Windows 11 consumer test, August 2026. Source for the 2025 awards: AV-Comparatives Consumer Summary Report 2025.
#1 Best Overall
- THREAT DETECTION – Stay one step ahead. Suspicious links, risky sites, viruses, and scams, caught automatically before they reach you.
- PERSONAL INFO PROTECTION – Keep your personal info safer. Identity monitoring watches for your exposed info and tells you what to do about it.
- SECURE CONNECTIONS – Just a few easy clicks, and we'll automatically protect your info on public Wi‑Fi, every time you connect.
- GUIDED ACTION – Know what matters and what to do next. Clear alerts and simple guidance make it easy to take action.
- MORE THAN ANTIVIRUS – Scam protection, identity monitoring, VPN, web protection, and antivirus work together to protect you, all in one place.
Three limits apply to every row. The scores belong to one Windows 11 round, not to every Windows version. They cover the listed build, not later updates. And they say nothing about macOS, Android or iOS. Where a row lists two version numbers, the source reports both builds; the figure is the same for each.
AV-Comparatives 2025 and 2026
AV-Comparatives’ 2025 consumer summary covered 19 products. Fifteen earned its Approved Windows Security Products certification. Its Top-Rated Product Awards went to Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, ESET, G Data, Kaspersky and Norton. McAfee is not among the named Top-Rated winners, so McAfee’s strong AV-TEST result and its absence from that AV-Comparatives list are both part of the record. Andreas Clementi, CEO and founder of AV-Comparatives, described the 2025 findings this way: “Our 2025 Summary Report highlights the exceptional quality of most tested security products. The rigorous evaluations cover performance impact and user experience in addition to protection levels.”
Rank #2
- THREAT DETECTION – Stay one step ahead. Suspicious links, risky sites, viruses, and scams, caught automatically before they reach you.
- PERSONAL INFO PROTECTION – Keep your personal info safer. Identity monitoring watches for your exposed info and tells you what to do about it.
- SECURE CONNECTIONS – Just a few clicks, and your info stays protected on public Wi-Fi every time you connect.
- PERSONAL DATA SCANS – Take your info off the market. We’ll find your personal information on sites selling it, then guide you on how to remove it.
- SOCIAL PRIVACY MANAGER – Decide what you share. McAfee finds the privacy settings buried in your social accounts and fixes them.
AV-Comparatives’ July–August 2026 real-world protection factsheet states that its test ran on an updated Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit system with up-to-date third-party software. You can read it at AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection factsheet for July–August 2026.
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Why a high detection score is not the whole picture
A product that catches more malware can still be the wrong choice if it also blocks legitimate software. AV-Comparatives made this point in its March 2026 Malware Protection Test report: “A product that is successful at detecting a high percentage of malicious files but suffers from false alarms may not be necessarily better than a product which detects fewer malicious files, but which generates fewer false alarms.” The full report is at AV-Comparatives’ Malware Protection Test, March 2026.
Rank #3
![Norton 360 Deluxe 2027 Antivirus, 3 Devices, Auto-Renews [Key Card]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41yAvGpNlWL._SL160_.jpg)
- ONGOING PROTECTION Install protection for up to 3 PCs, Macs, iOS & Android devices - A card with product key code will be mailed to you (select ‘Download’ option for instant activation code)
- TOP-PERFORMING VPN Faster speeds, more server locations, and greater connection control to protect your privacy across all your devices, including Smart TVs.
- ADVANCED SCAM PROTECTION Help spot hidden scams online. With the built-in Genie AI assistant, you’ll never wonder if a message or email is suspicious again.
- REAL-TIME PROTECTION Advanced security protects against existing and emerging malware threats, including ransomware and viruses, and it won’t slow down your device performance.
- DARK WEB MONITORING Identity thieves can buy or sell your information on websites and forums. We search the dark web and notify you should your information be found.
Judge false alarms on your own machine. During the first two weeks, watch for installers that fail to run, scripts that are quarantined, or daily tools that are suddenly flagged. A product that blocks your work is a poor fit even if its lab score is excellent.
The alternatives, one by one
Norton 360 Deluxe
Norton 360 scored 6/6/6 in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round, and Norton is one of the Top-Rated products in AV-Comparatives’ 2025 summary. A current Tom’s Guide antivirus roundup lists Norton 360 Deluxe for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with a 10-device allowance. Device allowances differ between tiers, so confirm the exact plan you are pricing covers every device you need.
Rank #4
Bitdefender Total Security
Bitdefender Total Security 27.0 scored 6/6/6 in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round and is a Top-Rated product in AV-Comparatives’ 2025 summary. Gizmodo’s comparison notes trade-offs in device coverage, VPN limits by tier, resource impact and pricing. Those are that outlet’s observations, and you should check the plan terms against Bitdefender’s current listing before you buy. Its Gizmodo McAfee alternatives comparison is the source for those trade-offs.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →ESET Security Ultimate
ESET Security Ultimate 19.1 and 19.2 both received 6/6/6 in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round, and ESET is a Top-Rated product in AV-Comparatives’ 2025 summary. It is a reasonable choice if you want to tune settings and compare plan tiers closely before paying. Confirm each tier’s platform support and included features before committing.
Best Value
- MCAFEE TOTAL PROTECTION IS ALL-IN-ONE PROTECTION — delivering award-winning antivirus for 3 devices, with identity monitoring and VPN
- ID MONITORING — we'll monitor everything from email addresses to IDs and phone numbers for signs of breaches. If your info is found, we'll notify you so you can take action
- BANK, SHOP, AND BROWSE ANYWHERE SECURELY WITH UNLIMITED VPN — protect your online privacy automatically when connecting to public Wi-Fi
- SECURE YOUR ACCOUNTS — generate and store complex passwords with a password manager
- AWARD-WINNING ANTIVIRUS — rest easy knowing McAfee will notify you of risky websites and protect you from the latest threats
F-Secure Total
F-Secure Total 26.6 received 6/6/6 in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round. It is a cross-platform suite, but platform support and included features vary by tier, and this guide does not establish which tier covers which operating systems. Check the current plan page for each device you own.
Malwarebytes Premium
Malwarebytes Premium 5.5 and 5.6 received 6/6/6 in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round. Premium is a product whose scope is not the same as a full multi-device security suite. Before switching, confirm whether it covers the devices, VPN, identity tools or parental controls you currently use through McAfee. Do not assume it does.
Avast Free Antivirus
Avast Free Antivirus 26.6 received 6/6/6 in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round, and Avast is one of the Top-Rated products in AV-Comparatives’ 2025 summary. It is the free option in this comparison, so it does not require another paid subscription. The free product is not the same as Avast’s paid plans, and it does not include every feature bundled with a paid McAfee plan. Check the feature list before you remove McAfee.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus 4.18 scored 6 for Protection, 5.5 for Performance and 6 for Usability in AV-TEST’s August 2026 round. It is the only product in the table that did not take the maximum in every category. TechRadar’s antivirus guide describes Windows Security and Defender as useful built-in protection when kept updated. Defender costs nothing extra on Windows, but it is not a like-for-like replacement for a cross-platform bundle with VPN, identity monitoring or password tools.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare them for your situation
- Operating systems: List every Windows, macOS, Android and iOS device in your home, then check the tier that covers them. Plans often differ by platform.
- Device count: Compare allowances for the same number of devices you actually run, not the largest number a plan advertises.
- Features you use: Check firewall, parental controls, VPN, identity monitoring, password tools and cloud backup separately. A feature with the same name can have a narrower scope in another product.
- Performance on your hardware: Lab performance scores are measured on a specific test machine. Note any slowdowns on your own PC during the trial period.
- False alarms: Use the false-alarm point above as a check on whatever you pick.
Check the price before you switch
Compare the first-term price with the renewal price, over the same length of term and the same number of devices. Introductory prices change, and a discount that applies to a first year may not apply on renewal. Prices also vary by country and date. Gizmodo reports a US price capture dated October 2026; treat that as a snapshot from one outlet and confirm the current price on the vendor’s own page before buying.
Quick Recap
Switching from McAfee without a gap in protection
- Confirm that the new plan covers every device and operating system you use, at the device count you need.
- Install the new product and let it finish its first update and full scan.
- In Windows 11, open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Find McAfee, select the three-dot menu, and choose Uninstall.
- Restart the PC.
- Open Windows Security, then Virus & threat protection, and confirm that real-time protection is reported as on, or that your new product reports its own protection as active.
- Cancel the McAfee renewal separately through the account or store where you bought it. Uninstalling the software does not end the subscription.
Which direction fits which reader
- You want no added cost on Windows only: Start with Microsoft Defender and check its Performance trade-off on your machine.
- You want a free option with some paid upgrades available: Consider Avast Free Antivirus and compare its free feature list with what McAfee currently includes for you.
- You have several devices across platforms: Compare Norton 360 Deluxe, Bitdefender Total Security and F-Secure Total at the device count you use, with their platform support for each tier.
- You rely on a bundle such as a VPN or identity monitoring: Check each product’s scope against the feature you use before assuming an equivalent exists.
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