# McAfee vs Avira for antivirus software

McAfee and Avira are closely matched for core workflows. Both offer a trial; both support windows protection, macos protection, android protection, and ios protection. McAfee has confirmed starting price of $39.99 and renewal price of 109.99. Avira has confirmed free version and ransomware protection.

## Key decision points

- Avira has confirmed free version; free version is not yet confirmed for McAfee.
- McAfee has confirmed starting price of $39.99; starting price is not yet confirmed for Avira.
- McAfee has confirmed renewal price of 109.99; renewal price is not yet confirmed for Avira.
- Avira has confirmed ransomware protection; ransomware protection is not yet confirmed for McAfee.

## Choose McAfee if…

- Choose McAfee if confirmed starting price of $39.99 matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Avira.
- Choose McAfee if confirmed renewal price of 109.99 matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Avira.

## Choose Avira if…

- Choose Avira if confirmed free version matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for McAfee.
- Choose Avira if confirmed ransomware protection matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for McAfee.

## Platforms

| Feature | McAfee | Avira |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Windows protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| macOS protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Android protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| iOS protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |

## Features

| Feature | McAfee | Avira |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Real-time malware protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Ransomware protection | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Phishing protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Web protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Firewall | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Not confirmed |
| VPN included | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Password manager | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Identity monitoring | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/identity-theft/protection.html)) | Not confirmed |
| Parental controls | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/learn/family-plans/)) | Not confirmed |
| Webcam protection | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/en/prime-mobile-android)) |
| Microphone protection | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/en/prime-mobile-android)) |

## Capacity

| Feature | McAfee | Avira |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of devices | 5 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html)) | 5 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |

## Pricing

| Feature | McAfee | Avira |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free version | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Free trial | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.avira.com/)) |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html)) | Not confirmed |
| First-year price | $39.99 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html)) | Not confirmed |
| Renewal price | 109.99 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html)) | Not confirmed |

## Evidence

- **McAfee — Windows protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html. Evidence: “X64 processors: Microsoft Windows 11 and Windows 10 (RS5) and newer”
- **Avira — Windows protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Avira Free Security for Windows”
- **McAfee — macOS protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html. Evidence: “Build 4.23 or higher: macOS 13.x and above”
- **Avira — macOS protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “free antivirus for Mac”
- **McAfee — Android protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html. Evidence: “Google Android smartphones and tablets 10 or higher”
- **Avira — Android protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “free antivirus for Android”
- **McAfee — iOS protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/help/system-requirement.html. Evidence: “Apple iOS 16 or later”
- **Avira — iOS protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “free mobile security for iOS”
- **McAfee — Real-time malware protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html. Evidence: “Automatic, real-time protection with McAfee+”
- **Avira — Real-time malware protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Blocks malware & infected sites”
- **Avira — Ransomware protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Blocks advanced ransomware attacks”
- **McAfee — Phishing protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html. Evidence: “Scam protection and antivirus for automatic protection against fake messages, deepfake scams, viruses, malware, and more”
- **Avira — Phishing protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Phishing Protection”
- **McAfee — Web protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Web Protection”
- **Avira — Web protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Blocks malware & infected sites”
- **McAfee — Firewall:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Firewall”
- **McAfee — VPN included:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Virtual Private Network (VPN)”
- **Avira — VPN included:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Use a free VPN to browse online more privately and securely.”
- **McAfee — Password manager:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Password Manager”
- **Avira — Password manager:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Avira Password Manager creates and stores strong passwords for all your user accounts.”
- **McAfee — Identity monitoring:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/identity-theft/protection.html. Evidence: “24/7 identity monitoring and alerts”
- **McAfee — Parental controls:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/learn/family-plans/. Evidence: “Parental controls to help parents provide the supervision kids need to stay safe online.”
- **Avira — Webcam protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/en/prime-mobile-android. Evidence: “Advanced privacy features, including microphone and camera protection”
- **Avira — Microphone protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/en/prime-mobile-android. Evidence: “Advanced privacy features, including microphone and camera protection”
- **McAfee — Number of devices:** 5. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html. Evidence: “Essential 5 Devices”
- **Avira — Number of devices:** 5. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Secures 5 devices”
- **Avira — Free version:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Avira Free Security for Windows Our free solution with all the essential tools”
- **McAfee — Free trial:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html. Evidence: “Free Trial Terms: At the end of your trial period you will be charged $39.99 for the first term.”
- **Avira — Free trial:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.avira.com/. Evidence: “Get FREE 30-day access to all our Premium products!”
- **McAfee — Money-back guarantee:** 30. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html. Evidence: “You will be provided a full refund upon request, by contacting Customer Support within 30 days of your initial purchase or 60 days of auto-renewal.”
- **McAfee — First-year price:** $39.99. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html. Evidence: “At the end of your trial period you will be charged $39.99 for the first term.”
- **McAfee — Renewal price:** 109.99. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html. Evidence: “After the first term, you will be automatically renewed at the renewal price (currently $109.99/yr).”