McAfee and Kaspersky are two standard antivirus options that deliver an equal mixture of positives and negatives.
On one hand, Kaspersky’s top-tier detection and antivirus efficiency are shadowed by its current ban from the US following allegations of Russian authorities ties. However, McAfee’s fame as an ad-heavy service holds it again regardless of providing respectable scanning capabilities.
On this article, we check out which antivirus resolution is greatest for you and your online business.
- McAfee: Finest for U.S.-based people and small companies that prioritize a collection of safety companies in a single subscription.
- Kaspersky: Finest for non-U.S. customers in search of a light-weight and high quality antivirus resolution providing top-quality risk safety and detection.
McAfee vs Kaspersky: Function comparability
As a disclaimer, this evaluation will evaluate McAfee’s and Kaspersky’s total antivirus choices. Given the range in each suppliers’ antivirus plans, my purpose is to supply a extra common view of how the 2 distributors’ antivirus choices stack up towards one another.
SEE: 9 Finest Antivirus Software program for Companies in 2024 (TechRepublic)
This includes issues just like the detection outcomes, extra safety features and machine impression of those antivirus options.
| Efficiency score (AV-Check) | ||
| Safety price (AV Comparatives) | ||
| Further safety features | ||
| Foremost drawback | ||
| Free trial | ||
| Beginning value | ||
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McAfee and Kaspersky antivirus pricing
McAfee pricing
McAfee gives 5 subscription choices for its antivirus service, with subscriptions for each single and a number of machine safety. Beneath is a fast rundown of pricing and have variations for every plan:
| Plan | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worth | |||||
| Units coated | |||||
| Function inclusions | VPN, safety scoring and id alerts | VPN, rip-off safety, safety rating and password supervisor | All Important options plus social privateness supervisor and private knowledge clean-up software | All Premium options plus id theft protection and safety freeze | All Superior options plus 401(okay) transaction monitoring and ransomware protection |
McAfee gives a 30-day money-back assure for annual subscription clients. One factor I’ve to say is that the above-listed pricing is McAfee’s first-year value for its antivirus plans.
SEE: CrowdStrike vs Trellix (2024): What Are the Foremost Variations? (TechRepublic)
There’s a likelihood that renewal pricing will change after your first yr, so pay attention to this everytime you funds for a McAfee subscription.
Kaspersky pricing
An necessary be aware: Given Kaspersky’s ban within the U.S. in 2024, the costs mirrored under are from Kaspersky’s official web site in the UK.
For its client antivirus resolution, Kaspersky has three plans: Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Normal and Plus. I’ve listed the pricing for every antivirus tier for a single machine. Every plan may be personalized relying on what number of units you need.
| Plan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worth | |||
| Units protected | |||
| Foremost antivirus service | All free options plus secure net searching, anti-phishing and efficiency optimization | All Normal options plus crypto risk safety, knowledge leak checker and password supervisor |
For small and medium companies, Kaspersky gives its Small Workplace Safety service. Like its client choices, the ultimate value relies on the variety of units you want protected and whether or not you get a one-year or two-year plan.
- Kaspersky Small Workplace Safety 1 yr: £185 per yr; 5 units.
- Kaspersky Small Workplace Safety 1 yr: £330 per yr; 10 units.
- Kaspersky Small Workplace Safety 2 years: £290 per yr; 5 units.
- Kaspersky Small Workplace Safety 2 years: £530 per yr; 10 units.
Small Workplace Safety contains business-focused options like a password supervisor, phishing and ransomware safety, in addition to a built-in VPN.
Head-to-head comparability: McAfee vs Kaspersky
On the Kaspersky U.S. ban
Earlier than going additional, I’ve to speak about Kaspersky’s 2024 ban in the US. On June 20, 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Trade and Safety introduced the sale of Kaspersky cybersecurity merchandise and antivirus software program is prohibited beginning September 29, 2024 at 12:00 AM EDT. In keeping with the BIS, Kaspersky’s merchandise posed nationwide safety dangers to the U.S. because of Russian ties.
The U.S. authorities stated Kaspersky uncovered the U.S. and its individuals to attainable espionage, knowledge theft or system malfunction. It is because Kaspersky Lab, with its operations primarily based in Russia, is topic to the Russian authorities’s management and jurisdiction.
With this, I simply can’t suggest Kaspersky to any enterprise or person at the moment residing in the US. Not solely does the ban prohibit the sale of Kaspersky merchandise, however it additionally prevents any future antivirus signature or codebase updates to the product.
You possibly can learn the total BIS assertion on Kaspersky.
Whereas I’m in no place to supply geopolitical evaluation of Kaspersky’s scenario, I believe non-U.S. customers ought to nonetheless pay attention to this growth earlier than shopping for any of Kaspersky’s cybersecurity choices.
Risk detection and impartial check outcomes
Whereas antiviruses have turn out to be feature-packed options, their primary goal is to scan and detect threats in your system. One option to get a baseline understanding of how these two companies fare on this division is to examine lab outcomes from impartial antivirus testing organizations.
SEE: Bitdefender vs McAfee: Evaluate EDR Software program (TechRepublic)
Particularly, I’ve gathered McAfee and Kaspersky scores from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives — two of essentially the most revered AV testing corporations available in the market.
First, let’s examine how each distributors scored on AV-TEST. The outcomes under showcase scores from the AV-TEST rundown of the very best house antivirus options examined in April 2024. As a Home windows person, I seemed on the outcomes for the Home windows model of each suppliers.
| McAfee Complete Safety 1.14 and 1.16 | |||
| Kaspersky Plus 21.16 |
As seen above, each McAfee and Kaspersky recorded excellent scores throughout the board. With a 6/6 remaining safety score from AV-TEST, the 2 antivirus companies supply top-tier safety efficiency each in detecting malware and enacting measures to guard towards them.
Going to AV-Comparatives, we get related outcomes. In AV-Comparatives Actual-World Safety Check carried out from February to Might 2024, the 2 options recorded the identical safety price share.
| McAfee Complete Safety | |
| Kaspersky Normal |
With the check outcomes proven above, it’s clear that each McAfee and Kaspersky supply high-quality malware detection and safety capabilities, irrespective of which supplier you select.
Affect on efficiency
Having a look at how every antivirus software program impacts system efficiency, we as soon as once more seek the advice of with AV-TEST’s findings.
Each McAfee and Kaspersky scored an ideal 6/6 for Efficiency this previous April 2024. Which means each companies had minimal affect on laptop pace whereas the antivirus was in use or operating.
SEE: Bitdefender vs Kaspersky (2024): Which Resolution Is Higher? (TechRepublic)
Qualitatively talking, nonetheless, there are blended opinions in relation to McAfee particularly.
In a put up inside the antivirus Reddit neighborhood, many commenters shared how McAfee tends to “spam you with popups” and generally is a “resource hog” for machines. Two individuals particularly known as McAfee “adware” that makes it arduous for customers to uninstall.
On the flip aspect, I discovered one Reddit thread on Kaspersky the place somebody shared that the antivirus was “light weight” and fewer impactful on system sources.
That being stated, your expertise with both resolution could differ relying in your specific system and different contributing elements.
Included safety features
We get a handful of extra safety features from each McAfee and Kaspersky. On McAfee, we get AI-powered real-time safety, id theft monitoring and alerts, rip-off safety, private knowledge clear up, in addition to an included VPN service on prime.
A McAfee subscription can even internet you its devoted True Key password supervisor software program. If you wish to study extra about True Key itself, try our full McAfee True Key evaluation.
In the meantime, Kaspersky has its personal suite of options, together with anti-phishing, secure net searching, a two-way firewall and efficiency optimisation capabilities. It additionally has a VPN and a password administration service with its paid plans.
I personally like how Kaspersky gives a completely free model of its desktop antivirus resolution. This provides customers a style of the answer with out the necessity for an preliminary paid subscription.
McAfee execs and cons
Execs
- Excessive detection price.
- Affords quite a lot of subscription choices.
- Should purchase plans with password supervisor and VPN.
Cons
- Identified to be resource-intensive.
- Fame for having intrusive advertisements.
Kaspersky execs and cons
Execs
- High quality risk detection and efficiency.
- Light-weight and low impression on the system.
- Has a free model.
Cons
- Prohibited in the US.
- Alleged Russian ties.
Ought to your group use McAfee or Kaspersky?
Due to the current United States ban on Kaspersky antivirus and different cybersecurity merchandise, I’ve to offer the win to McAfee. It’s not typically a match-up of ours is influenced by such an impactful growth — significantly with an antivirus supplier as standard and efficient as Kaspersky.
SEE: Easy methods to Begin a Profession in Cybersecurity (TechRepublic Premium)
Whereas non-U.S. customers or companies can nonetheless buy and use Kaspersky, there’s that underlying fear that different areas could ban it quickly as effectively. Whether or not or not the Russian allegations are true, companies could not need the headache that comes with Kaspersky’s present scenario. Personally, I don’t suppose it’s price taking a danger security-wise and financially for a software program resolution that will find yourself being prohibited in my space.
To McAfee’s credit score, it gives a stable antivirus package deal with sturdy risk detection, an intensive suite of extra safety features and all kinds of paid subscription choices. It additionally gives a handy money-back assure coverage for customers who need to check out an antivirus service with much less dedication.
Methodology
My head-to-head comparability between McAfee and Kaspersky’s antivirus options concerned a complete evaluation of every product’s real-world efficiency, worth and antivirus capabilities.
Particularly, I evaluated each suppliers’ respective antivirus options, resembling risk scanning and detection, real-time malware safety, impression on total system efficiency and different additional safety features.
This was achieved by means of analysis of each merchandise’ official documentation and by consulting lab outcomes from revered antivirus testing organizations like AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives.
Lastly, I additionally took under consideration actual person suggestions from neighborhood boards and respected evaluation websites to get a well-rounded view of every resolution’s benefits and downsides.
