McAfee Complete Safety overview: High safety undermined by particulars

Greatest Costs At the moment: McAfee Complete Safety

$89.99

Not everybody wants an antivirus plan with further bells and whistles — typically a subscription protecting the basics is all you want. (Why pay for what you gained’t use?)

On paper, McAfee Complete Safety suits that invoice properly. Along with sturdy antivirus and firewall safety, this software program package deal additionally throws in a VPN and a password supervisor, together with darkish net monitoring and a pair security-oriented utilities on your PC. The issue is that not each function is a winner, which diminishes Complete Safety’s attraction.

What does McAfee Complete Safety embrace?

Regardless of the low introductory pricing, McAfee’s entry-level plan is extra akin to rivals’ mid-tier choices. The fundamentals embrace malware, community, and on-line risk safety that scans regularly for harmful software program and exploits in your PC, potential community intruders, and suspicious web sites. But in addition included are a password supervisor and VPN with limitless use; a tracker remover that wipes cookies, trackers, and browser historical past out of your browser; and a file shredder utility. A separate Rip-off Safety app for cellular units is out there, too.

The Important plan doesn’t supply parental controls. You have to improve to the McAfee+ Premium Household subscription for entry to these instruments.

How a lot does McAfee Complete Safety value?

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McAfee Complete Safety varies in worth relying on the variety of units lined. When bought by way of the McAfee web site, the Important 5-device plan (used for this overview) prices $40 for the primary yr, after which $120 per yr afterward. The Fundamental 1-device plan runs $30 for the primary yr, after which goes as much as $90 per yr afterward.

Plans include a 30-day a refund assure. Annual customers are signed up for auto-renewal by default, and McAfee prices for the subsequent yr 30 days earlier than your present subscription ends.

McAfee Complete Safety

• $40 for the primary yr (5-device “Important” plan)
• $120 per yr thereafter (5-device “Important” plan)
• $30 for the primary yr (1-device “Fundamental” plan)
• $90 per yr thereafter (1-device “Fundamental” plan)

Machine help spans Home windows, Home windows for Arm, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android. (Nevertheless, not all options are multiplatform.) You get 5 licenses for the VPN and password supervisor, which you’ll be able to share with others.

You’ll be able to deliver down the price of McAfee Complete Safety by shopping for a license by way of a third-party retailer, like Amazon or PCWorld’s personal software program retailer. Going this route just isn’t solely cheaper, but in addition offers extra choices for the variety of lined units — you’ll find 3-device and 10-device plans by way of these on-line shops.

Key options of McAfee Complete Safety

Set up and consumer interface

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Regardless of McAfee’s semi-confusing web site (because of inconsistent product names), getting began with McAfee Complete Safety in your PC is simple — you possibly can first go for the free trial, or head instantly to buying a license. Both approach, you’ll get a obtain hyperlink to the app.

The McAfee app is clear and fashionable, but it surely carries a faint underlying vibe of disorganization. You will discover fundamental options fairly simply, with shortcuts to antivirus scans, the VPN, tracker remover software, downloads for extra units, and identification safety obtainable on the house display. You may also see your McAfee safety rating, a score of how completely you’ve arrange the plan’s options.

Extra options might be discovered by way of the left navigation bar, which is a strip of 5 icons that broaden right into a slide-out menu when clicked. The button with 4 tiny squares opens the My Safety submenu, which presents all scanning choices, quarantined gadgets, the file shredder utility, firewall settings, identification monitoring, the password supervisor, the VPN, tracker remover, and hyperlink to the net safety browser extension in an inventory format.

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Account and app-related information is out there by way of the left nav bar’s backside icon (Account). Right here you’ll discover the choices for including a tool, visiting the account net portal (the place you possibly can search for activation codes for the VPN and password supervisor), app updates, assist, and privateness and authorized phrases. App settings reside right here, too, however you possibly can’t configure a lot in any respect.

If McAfee had only one net portal, utilizing Complete Safety would really feel extra cohesive, however info and options are break up throughout a tool app and two web sites. Acclimating could be simpler if account info was a part of the McAfee Safety Heart web site, as an alternative of damaged out individually. As it’s, count on to click on round extraneously till you keep in mind the place all the pieces is.

Virus, malware, and risk safety

Actual-time safety

McAfee Complete Safety regularly screens your PC for uncommon exercise — new or modified information and apps (together with app habits) all get screened. However don’t count on to dig round underneath the hood and tinker with how this works — McAfee’s method is to make this course of as invisible as attainable. Your solely actual selection is to maintain real-time scanning on, or flip it off for troubleshooting functions.

For cover whereas browsing the net, the McAfee WebAdvisor browser extension have to be put in individually. It retains look ahead to web sites with malicious content material and downloads as you browse on-line, each warning you if they seem in search engine outcomes and blocking unhealthy websites in the event you unintentionally navigate to 1. Nevertheless, Bing isn’t a supported search engine — so diehard Microsoft followers might need to chunk the bullet and use Google as an alternative to get full protection.

Scheduled and handbook scans

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McAfee Complete Safety is mechanically configured to scan your system periodically within the very early morning — on our check system, it defaulted to each second Monday at 4:00am. You’ll be able to change the interval to a unique preset (as soon as per week or as soon as monthly), or make your personal customized scan schedule that runs each week, different week, or first week of the month.

For handbook scans, you get two selections. Fast scan checks areas in your PC typically focused by attackers. In the meantime, Full scan sifts by way of all of the drives and folders in your PC, excluding community drives. In the event you solely need to test a person file or folder, you possibly can right-click on it after which choose Scan.

Firewall

McAfee is uncommon in that its firewall works alongside the default firewall inside Home windows. It focuses on screening simply outgoing connections, letting Home windows monitor incoming connections. If an app put in in your PC tries to hook up with what seems to be a malicious web site (or in any other case behaves erratically in its site visitors requests), McAfee will reduce off its web entry. If the choice was a mistake, you possibly can take away the software program in query from the block checklist.

Rip-off safety

With fraudulent hyperlinks being despatched extra steadily over SMS, McAfee’s comparatively new cellular apps can put a defend between you and a would-be scammer. Letting the McAfee Safety & Wi-Fi Privateness app (iOS) or the McAfee Safety: VPN Antivirus app (Android) run within the background will permit McAfee to test all of your textual content messages for any dangerous hyperlinks. To see any that elevate the suspicion of the AI-based scanner, you’ll have to move to your filtered messages on iOS, or the McAfee app on Android.

VPN

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The simplest technique to entry McAfee’s VPN is thru the Complete Safety app — the controls are constructed proper in, and are put all on one display. You’ll be able to flip the VPN on (or off), choose or change your location, and alter the auto-connect and protected reconnect settings. (Protected reconnect is extra generally referred to as a kill-switch setting — your on-line entry mechanically cuts off if the VPN connection will get interrupted.)

Alternatively, you possibly can obtain and set up the McAfee Protected Join app by way of the safety net portal. The interface is a bit completely different — utilizing the VPN, taking a look at utilization stats, and altering its settings are performed by way of completely different screens. The first benefit of the Protected Join app is that as a separate app, you possibly can isolate this one function for a tool like a Chromebook or smartphone.

Limitless VPN use is simply included with Complete Safety plans when auto-renewal is on.

Servers can be found in 49 nations, spanning Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Eire, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and america.

Password supervisor

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If it will get you to make use of a password supervisor, then McAfee True Secret’s a worthwhile addition to Complete Safety. But it surely’s largely lackluster in comparison with a standalone service — even good free password managers are higher.

Let’s begin with probably the most irritating facet: logging into multiple gadget. An emailed verification hyperlink is required earlier than you possibly can register, however the message doesn’t at all times arrive earlier than the request expires. I had this concern throughout this overview in addition to after I evaluated McAfee+ Final late final yr, and others have complained about it on McAfee’s boards for years.

Additionally irritating is the necessity for an activation code to unlock limitless use. In the event you can’t discover it in your e mail, you’ll need to hit up your account webpage (Downloads & units) or the safety portal (My safety).

As for its precise options, True Key overemphasizes simplicity at the price of safety. You’ll be able to’t disable autofill — a function that’s handy, however can expose you to threat. Two-factor authentication strategies are additionally restricted to only a second gadget, trusted gadget, or Home windows Hey; stronger strategies like OTP software program codes and {hardware} keys aren’t supported.

If the sign-in process was extra dependable, True Key could be a helpful function, even when eclipsed by rival password managers. However you are able to do higher.

Identification monitoring

Identification Monitoring scans the darkish net for details about you from knowledge breaches and leaks. By default, the e-mail handle related together with your account is monitored, however you possibly can add extra particulars to display for: bank cards, financial institution accounts, e mail addresses, usernames, and telephone numbers (as much as 10 every); tax IDs, passports, driver’s licenses, and well being IDs (as much as two every); and your social safety quantity (SSN) and date of beginning. 

The outcomes are extra helpful as a tough thought of what information has leaked — you gained’t at all times get particular names for the breach or leak, however you possibly can see partial information. It could assist you determine your subsequent steps in defending your on-line identification — like the place to alter your password or if it is advisable place a freeze in your credit score stories.

Extra options

Browser extensions

McAfee Complete Safety is most full while you set up its two affiliated net browser extensions. McAfee WebAdvisor provides further safety while you’re browsing the web, checking for harmful hyperlinks and content material on web sites. It additionally charges search outcomes as protected or dangerous, although just for Google, Yahoo, and AOL. (Sorry, Bing customers.) Word that Chrome customers might have to manually allow the protected search badges inside the extension’s settings.

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As for McAfee’s password supervisor, True Key solely works by way of its browser extension on PC — there’s no net interface. (On cellular, you possibly can set up the devoted app.) Nevertheless, True Key might be troublesome to make use of, so it’s not as crucial — supplied you employ a unique password supervisor as an alternative.

File shredder

Information deleted usually might be recovered — which is the place safe erase utilities (aka file shredders) are available in. These instruments overwrite the info in query utilizing particular protocols designed to obfuscate the unique information, and often do multiple move to make sure the job’s performed correctly.

McAfee’s File Shredder helps you to securely wipe batches of information (Recycling Bin contents, non permanent web information, a folder you select, or a person file) utilizing the Division of Protection (DoD) customary. You’ll be able to choose between two, three, or 5 passes. For bulk erasure, you’ll use the Complete Safety app; for particular person information, you could right-click on them and select Shred.

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One caveat about this software, nonetheless — this sort of safe deletion is designed for hard-disk drives. It doesn’t work practically as effectively on solid-state drives (SSDs), which is the extra widespread sort of storage in fashionable laptops and desktops. It could additionally shorten their lifespans. Different strategies are higher for securely wiping an SSD.

Buyer help

Assist for McAfee Complete Safety is out there by way of a number of avenues: McAfee’s help web site (both by way of the data database or the digital assistant), group boards, social media (Fb, X/Twitter, and YouTube), or by contacting the corporate although chat or telephone. You’ll be able to contact McAfee at any time of day.

Usually, the help pages are the quickest technique to reply easy, widespread questions. However typically the assistance information are outdated, with screenshots exhibiting older interfaces. This discrepancy could make determining a difficulty more durable, and displays the general disarray of McAfee’s web sites.

Updates and upkeep 

Updates run mechanically by default, however might be adjusted. You’ll be able to as an alternative select to have the app obtain updates however not set up them, or solely notify you when updates can be found. For the overwhelming majority of individuals, the default setting supplies the most effective safety.

You may also manually test for updates inside the app by way of the Account display, then navigating to Assist > Replace App. 

Efficiency

For risk safety, McAfee performs effectively in exams performed by main safety analysis institutes. In AV-Check’s zero-day assault and malware exams for March and April 2025 (probably the most present outcomes launched), McAfee’s engine caught 100% of the 459 zero-day malware samples. For widespread and prevalent malware, it caught 100% of the 18,722 samples.

In AV-Comparatives’ real-world safety check for February by way of Might 2025, McAfee detected 99.3 % of the 423 check instances, with 9 false positives. (When antivirus software program blocks a reputable web site or obtain, it ends in a false constructive.) The samples cowl exploits like drive-by downloads, malicious net addresses, and URLs linking on to malware. The software program carried out equally in AV-Comparatives’ March 2025 malware safety check, which exams the power to detect and block malware regionally on a PC. When related to the web, McAfee does a great job on each fronts, with a 99.6 % on-line detection and 99.96 % on-line safety charge of the ten,030 samples.

AV-Comparatives

Nevertheless, McAfee was weak in a single space—in the identical March 2025 malware safety check, it detected solely 79.3 % of offline threats. So with out an energetic web connection, McAfee gained’t defend your system as effectively. High performers on this space (like Bitdefender) rating 98 % and above, whereas Home windows Safety app (included free with Home windows) ever so barely outperforms it at 80.4 %.

In AV-Comparatives’ June 2025 anti-phishing certification check, McAfee blocked 92 % of the 228 phishing URLs within the pattern set.

Lastly, when confronted with focused threats like fileless assaults and malicious scripts, McAfee’s safety is weaker than rivals like ESET and Bitdefender. In AV-Comparatives’ October 2024 Superior Risk Safety Check, it scored an 8 of 15, which means you’ll need to nonetheless tread a bit extra cautiously on-line and never belief McAfee to avoid wasting you from all the pieces. (Which, in equity, is a better perspective to soak up normal.)

AV-Comparatives

As for impact on PC efficiency, McAfee can hit system assets arduous throughout full scans on mid-range and finances programs. When operating our full scan torture testing — the place we purposely run a full scan repeatedly throughout a collection of benchmarks to see its impact — outcomes took sharp declines.

Throughout PCMark 10’s benchmark, which simulates net looking, video chatting, gaming, and modifying in open-souce applications like GIMP and LibreOffice for pictures and paperwork, operating a full scan decreased the check scores by about 21 %.

The larger drop was in UL Procyon, which measures Microsoft Workplace app use — it simulates working in Phrase, Excel, and PowerPoint, with a good quantity of modifying and updating a number of paperwork. Outcomes dropped by a whopping 41 %. Our Handbrake encoding check fell within the center, with the time wanted to rework a big video right into a smaller, compressed model growing by virtually 29 %.

However as famous above, our full scan exams don’t mirror real-world habits. McAfee skips information unchanged since a earlier scan, which hastens the duty and makes the hit to system efficiency smaller. And when monitoring my exercise quietly within the background, Complete Safety’s impact on PCMark, Procyon, and Handbrake benchmark scores have been all however the identical as earlier than the app was put in.

So whereas your first full scan might hit your PC arduous, subsequent ones ought to go a lot simpler on it. That’s, as long as you don’t typically add or replace tons of information in your machine. However even in the event you do, McAfee occasions its full scans for off-hours by default, which ought to reduce the influence.

Must you purchase McAfee Complete Safety?

McAfee Complete Safety covers the complete fundamentals of on-line safety. Free software program can adequately cowl malware and community safety, however Complete Safety pairs password administration and VPN providers with its antivirus engine, plus provides in a few PC utilities to cowl your bases. However this attractive package deal is undercut by an interface concurrently easy and sprawling, and a password supervisor with an unreliable system for setup. Related rivals present extra well-rounded efficiency, which is unlucky — with extra polish, McAfee’s software program could be a far simpler promote.

Editor’s observe: As a result of on-line providers are sometimes iterative, gaining new options and efficiency enhancements over time, this overview is topic to alter so as to precisely mirror the present state of the service. Any adjustments to textual content or our remaining overview verdict might be famous on the high of this text.