{"id":4568,"date":"2025-09-10T12:20:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T20:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/?p=4568"},"modified":"2025-09-10T12:32:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T20:32:56","slug":"norton-360-vs-mcafee-total-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/norton-360-vs-mcafee-total-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>Which Antivirus Should You Choose in 2025?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Protecting your devices in 2025 isn\u2019t optional \u2014 it\u2019s essential.<\/strong> With ransomware<\/a>, phishing<\/a>, spyware<\/a>, and zero-day threats<\/a> constantly evolving, your antivirus software<\/a> needs to do more than just scan files. It has to protect your identity, secure your Wi-Fi, manage your passwords, and even block trackers while you browse.<\/p>\n

Norton 360<\/strong><\/a> and McAfee Total Protection<\/strong><\/a> are some of the biggest names in cybersecurity. Each offers a full suite of tools: antivirus, VPN, password manager, firewall, parental controls, and more. But which one is actually better?<\/em> And more importantly \u2014 which one is right for you<\/em>?<\/p>\n

In this in-depth comparison, we\u2019ll break down Norton and McAfee across the features that matter most: malware protection, performance, pricing, ease of use, bonus tools, and real-world reliability. We\u2019ll also include expert lab results from AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, SE Labs, and SoftwareLab.org to help you make a confident decision based on real data \u2014 not hype.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to choose the best antivirus in 2025, this guide has you covered.<\/p>\n

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\"Norton<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>II. Quick Comparison Table<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s a high-level look at how Norton 360<\/strong> and McAfee Total Protection<\/strong> stack up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nNorton 360<\/strong><\/th>\nMcAfee Total Protection<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Malware Protection<\/strong><\/td>\nExcellent (Top Product \u2013 AV-Test)<\/td>\nExcellent (Top Product \u2013 AV-Test)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
VPN Included<\/strong><\/td>\nYes (unlimited on select plans)<\/td>\nYes (unlimited)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Password Manager<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Parental Controls<\/strong><\/td>\nYes (on Deluxe and higher)<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Identity Theft Protection<\/strong><\/td>\nYes (LifeLock, U.S. only)<\/td>\nYes (U.S. only)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cloud Backup<\/strong><\/td>\nYes (10GB\u2013100GB depending on plan)<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
File Shredder<\/strong><\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Firewall<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devices Covered<\/strong><\/td>\n1\u201310 (Unlimited with LifeLock Ultimate Plus)<\/td>\nUnlimited (with Premium & Advanced)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Performance Impact<\/strong><\/td>\nVery Low<\/td>\nExtremely Low<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best For<\/strong><\/td>\nPrivacy & identity protection<\/td>\nMulti-device households<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Starting Price (Year 1)<\/strong><\/td>\n$49.99<\/td>\n$39.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note: Prices may vary based on promotions or renewal rates.<\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/span>III. Core Protection Capabilities<\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/span>AV\u2011Test (Protection, Performance, Usability)<\/span><\/h4>\n

Both Norton\u202f360<\/strong> and McAfee Total Protection<\/strong> earned the \u201cTop Product\u201d<\/strong> designation in the most recent AV\u2011Test evaluations for Windows users. That means each achieved near-perfect scores\u2014typically 6\/6<\/strong> in Protection, Performance, and Usability categories (av-test.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/span>AV\u2011Comparatives \u2013 Real\u2011World Protection & False Positives<\/span><\/h4>\n

According to AV\u2011Comparatives\u2019 real-world malware protection testing reported in March 2025<\/strong>, both products excelled\u2014each blocked 99.96%<\/strong> of threats. However, McAfee had more false positives<\/strong> (15 files flagged incorrectly) compared to Norton (10 false positives), so Norton had a slight accuracy edge (TechRadar<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/span>SE\u202fLabs \u2013 Realistic Threat Handling<\/span><\/h4>\n

SE\u202fLabs\u2019 Q2\u202f2025 Endpoint Security (Home)<\/strong> report evaluates software based on how well they handle real-world threats in controlled, realistic scenarios. While I couldn\u2019t access the detailed numeric results for Norton vs. McAfee in the summary, SE\u202fLabs is known for offering transparent, consistent testing<\/strong> that reflects genuine user threats (SE LABS \u00ae<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/span>SoftwareLab.org \u2013 In-House Lab Insights<\/span><\/h4>\n

In SoftwareLab\u2019s 2025 ranking of antivirus solutions for Windows\u202f11<\/strong>, Norton takes the top spot (#1 out of 28) for having perfect malware protection, no speed impact, comprehensive features, and strong value<\/strong>. McAfee also performs very well, ranked #5, with perfect protection, intuitive design, and full feature set<\/strong> (SoftwareLab<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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<\/span>Summary:<\/span><\/h4>\n