# McAfee vs Bitdefender for antivirus software

McAfee and Bitdefender are closely matched for core workflows. Both support windows protection, macos protection, android protection, ios protection, and real-time malware protection. McAfee has confirmed free trial, starting price of $39.99, and renewal price of 109.99. Bitdefender has confirmed ransomware protection.

## Key decision points

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

## Choose McAfee if…

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

## Choose Bitdefender if…

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

## Platforms

| Feature | McAfee | Bitdefender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| 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.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| 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.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| 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.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |

## Features

| Feature | McAfee | Bitdefender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| Ransomware protection | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| 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.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| Web protection | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| Firewall | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |
| VPN included | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| Password manager | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| Identity monitoring | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/identity-theft/protection.html)) | Not confirmed |
| Dark web monitoring | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| Parental controls | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/learn/family-plans/)) | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| Webcam protection | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| Microphone protection | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| Sandboxing | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare)) |

## Capacity

| Feature | McAfee | Bitdefender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of devices | 5 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html)) | 25 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |

## Pricing

| Feature | McAfee | Bitdefender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free trial | Yes (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html)) | Not confirmed |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/consumer-support/activate-product-key.html)) | 30 (verified 5 September 2026; [source](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family)) |
| 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”
- **Bitdefender — Windows protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Operating systems covered: macOS | iOS | Linux | 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”
- **Bitdefender — macOS protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Operating systems covered: macOS | iOS | Linux | Windows.”
- **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”
- **Bitdefender — Android protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Operating systems covered: macOS | iOS | Linux | Windows.”
- **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”
- **Bitdefender — iOS protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Operating systems covered: macOS | iOS | Linux | Windows.”
- **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+”
- **Bitdefender — Real-time malware protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Antimalware”
- **Bitdefender — Ransomware protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Ransomware Mitigation”
- **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”
- **Bitdefender — Phishing protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Antiphishing”
- **McAfee — Web protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Web Protection”
- **Bitdefender — Web protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Web Threat Protection”
- **McAfee — Firewall:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Firewall”
- **Bitdefender — Firewall:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Firewall”
- **McAfee — VPN included:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Virtual Private Network (VPN)”
- **Bitdefender — VPN included:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Unlimited VPN Traffic Keep your internet connections private & secure with VPN.”
- **McAfee — Password manager:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.mcafee.com/. Evidence: “Password Manager”
- **Bitdefender — Password manager:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Password Manager Ultra-secure, feature-rich password manager.”
- **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”
- **Bitdefender — Dark web monitoring:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Continuous Dark Web Monitoring We constantly scan the web (including dark web) for unauthorized leaks of personal data and give real-time 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.”
- **Bitdefender — Parental controls:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Parental Control Bitdefender Parental Control helps parents manage kids’ online activities with internet time limits, content filtering, location tracking, and clear activity reports—ensuring a safe, balanced digital life.”
- **Bitdefender — Webcam protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Shield yourself and loved ones from intrusive eyes and ears with robust Webcam and Microphone Protection.”
- **Bitdefender — Microphone protection:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Shield yourself and loved ones from intrusive eyes and ears with robust Webcam and Microphone Protection.”
- **Bitdefender — Sandboxing:** Yes. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/business/compare. Evidence: “Sandbox Analyzer to safely analyze potential threats in a cloud-hosted sandbox”
- **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”
- **Bitdefender — Number of devices:** 25. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “Protect up to 5 people and 25 devices”
- **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.”
- **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.”
- **Bitdefender — Money-back guarantee:** 30. Last verified 5 September 2026. Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/consumer/family. Evidence: “30 days money back guarantee.”
- **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).”