The Internet has spread all over the world. It contains tons of useful information essential for education, work, or communication, but it can also be used as a weapon. Every day, thousands of cyber threats such as ransomware, adware, Trojans, and more appear to steal your money or receive access to your private data and sell it to criminals. Moreover, all devices leave a digital fingerprint, so there is no anonymity of your digital identity and current physical location. Your browsing history is also used to provide your targeted advertisement. That is why it is essential to protect yourself from ID theft, leakage of personal information and data, and downloading harmful software.
A good antivirus is developed to protect you from all possible attacks, including zero-day attacks. In this article, we compare two reliable antiviruses from two popular companies – F-Secure vs. McAfee. We provide their detailed characteristics and try to find the best one.
F-Secure vs. McAfee – Comparison Table
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| Purpose | Antivirus | Antivirus |
| Supported OS | Windows, macOS | macOS, Windows, ChromeOS |
| Mobile/ Tablet version | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Internet protection | Ransomware, Adware, Spyware, Zero-day exploits, e-threats, Rootkits, Trojans, Worms | Ransomware, Adware, Spyware, Zero-day exploits, e-threats, Rootkits, Trojans, Worms |
| Real-time protection |  | |
| VPN | | |
| System optimizer |  | |
| Password Manager | | |
| Automatic Software Updates | | |
| Safe Browser | | |
| Web cab/microphone monitor | | |
| Gaming mode | | |
| Firewall | | |
| Parental control | | |
| Business version | | |
| Free version | | |
| Dark Web Monitoring | | |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days |
| Technical support | Phone / chat | Email / chat / phone |
| Additional features | IP Checker, Data Discovery helper, Router checker, Password generator, identity theft checker, Text message checker, Online shopping checker | WebAdvisor, Password Generator, Device Security Scan |
| LINK |
Main differences between F-Secure and McAfee
F-Secure and McAfee have the main purpose of protecting devices from any cyber threats, but they do this using different tools. In this part, we list the main differences; the rest are described in further parts of the comparison.
- McAfee has guided installation and technical assistance that you can purchase additionally. F-Secure does not provide this option.
- F-Secure has a game mode; McAfee does not have it.
- McAfee has up to $2 million in insurance for identity theft and numerous monitoring tools for your financial statements. F-Secure has fewer tools. But F-Secure has more free tools.
- McAfee has several scanning options – quick, full, manual, and scheduled. At the same time, F-Secure is only automatic and manual.
- McAfee has a firewall, but F-Secure does not have one.
More information about unique features is available further.
F-Secure and McAfee – Overview
Our detailed comparison starts with the product and company overview. This information helps to understand the company experience and main features of the compared antiviruses.
F-Secure is one of the leading antiviruses to enjoy your online life without interventions. The developer company – F-Secure Corporation –is a global cyber security corporation with more than 30 years of experience and presence in more than 100 countries all over the world. It produces not only antivirus but also specializes in password management, VPN, and other cyber products.
F-Secure is strong against all types of cyber threats and light without slowing down the performance of your devices. All information that you receive from the Internet is checked in the cloud before it reaches your device. To ensure safe surfing, you have protection from malicious websites to prevent visiting fake websites. For online banking, the app provides another protection layer detecting connections to all unsafe third-party devices. The antivirus is constantly updated to build a strong shield from the newest and existing viruses, ransomware, adware, etc.
You can also safeguard your identity (banking credentials, location data, medical records, passports, browsing history, SSN, social accounts, and many more) with F-Secure. By using the free F-Secure ID theft checker, you can check whether your data is sold on the dark web or not. With one subscription, you can secure all devices in the family. Moreover, you receive access to such tools as advanced parental control. For all questions, you can access the free customer support, check user guides, or visit the community forum. The service is available in more than 20 languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, etc.).
McAfee is a very famous antivirus as it has been working in the digital world for more than 30 years. It includes all standard features such as real-time scanning and firewall, and also some extras. It has several features for protecting your identity and privacy online. It monitors personal identity information on the Internet and the dark web, and in case some leaks are found, you will receive the alert much earlier than users of other software. McAfee has several financial tracking services to monitor your credit history and protect from questionable transactions or payday loans.
AI protection helps people surf safely by avoiding scams in texts, blocking risky links in emails, and providing alerts in case of any threats. McAfee guarantees the removal of all viruses from your devices; otherwise, your money will be returned. McAfee blocks up to 42 million threats per day and has one of the highest ratings in the independent labs. More than 600 million devices trust their digital security to McAfee. In case of any problem, you receive not only technical support but also guidance from professionals regarding further identity theft and professional recommendations for your privacy settings.
It contains all the features that are required for modern users and families. Unlike other antiviruses, there are individual and family subscriptions. One family license is for two adults and four children. The protection is personalized based on the required identity and privacy security level, age, and device. You can also ask for online help to remove your personal information from old accounts (applicable not for all subscriptions). The service is available in 15 languages (German, English, Swedish, Italian, etc.).
verdictMcAfee and F-secure are trustable antiviruses with more than 30 years of experience. They have many features to protect your personal identity, files, personal info, and software from all digital attacks. It is not clear so far which product is better; the more detailed face-to-face comparison can tell that. There is no winner in this section.
F-Secure vs. McAfee – Face-to-Face Comparison
To understand better the similarities and differences mentioned in the previous part of the comparison of F-Secure vs. McAfee, please go through their face-to-face comparison in terms of available scanning and security tools, prices, supported OS, additional tools, and more.
Scanning
In case of finding any threats (any nature or complexity, including zero-day threats), they are isolated and eliminated. Moreover, all downloads are scanned, and you receive an alert in case of any risks.
verdictMcAfee wins this part of the battle, as you have more scanning options. You can set a scheduled scan and define how deep they are.
Security
F-Secure consists of several tools to protect your online privacy:
- Antivirus to protect your devices from spyware, malware, viruses, Trojans, and ransomware.
- Browsing protection to escape dangerous web pages and protect personal data. It will stop these websites from downloading unwanted software or illegal material on your device. You can manually block websites.
- Advanced protection from ransomware.
- Wi-Fi protection from access hackers and criminals.
- Possibility to change your virtual location to add a security layer to your privacy.
- Protection from trackers in ads.
- Online monitoring 24/7 of identity theft on the dark web and regular Internet. In case of found breaches (email address, SSN, credit card, physical address, phone number, or other personal info), you will receive an alert with security advice.
None of the tools limit traffic or data transfer. You can control all of them in an easy-to-use management service in the app. For Windows OS, you can turn on game mode to turn off disturbing notifications for a while. If you are interested in statistics, you can check the number of tracking attempts and blocked websites in the protection statistics.
McAfee has robust real-time digital protection from ransomware and malware. It is executed in several ways:
- Browser extension to prevent malware and block suspicious URLs. If you type the URL incorrectly, you will be informed accordingly to prevent you from visiting risky websites.
- Behavioral analysis of apps to detect suspicious content, trackers, or software.
- Advanced fully customizable firewall with artificial intelligence to protect suspicious outbound connections.
- $2 million identity theft coverage if you become a victim to cover lawyer expenses, travel expenses, or funds.
- Protection of lost wallets to replace credit cards or IDs quickly with minimal effort.
- Personal Data Cleanup to prevent personal info from sale. The scanner regularly checks the sites that may collect and sell personal data. If it finds your info, you can ask to remove it via McAfee broker.
- Monitoring the most essential personal details (bank accounts, credit history, credit card numbers, emails, addresses, IDs, etc.). You can add your email account (up to 10 email addresses) and name into the system to monitor the leaks of this info in real-time on the regular Internet and dark web.
- Set a security freeze on some level and receive notifications if this freeze changes. You can unfreeze the info if you are applying for new loans or other financial products.
You can analyze your identity coverage to understand where you need to increase the protection. The calculated protection score is a hint of how to improve your protection.
verdictMcAfee has more security features, including $2 million insurance and an outbound firewall. The ability to protect personal data and secure browsing is effective for both products. But in this round, McAfee is again the winner.
System optimization
Unfortunately, F-Secure does not propose any system optimization tool to combine cluttered files or delete junk files.
You have a possibility to speed up your system with an App boost from McAfee. This feature automatically speeds up the browser and all installed apps. Also, there are other tools for system optimization: free up space on your device by removing junk files, not required programs, cookies, temporary files, etc.; improve PC speed by removing the background process and not required programs; speed up browsing and streams by removing unnecessary background processes. These tools can be purchased separately for a 1-year plan for $34.99 (10 PCs but only for Windows 10,11, and 8.1).
verdictMcAfee is the winner with many system optimization tools, as F-Secure does not have any.
Supported OS
For some separate products, the requirements can be slightly different. If you have trouble setting up the antivirus software on your devices, you can purchase the paid online guided installation ($29.99 for one-time assistance) with McAfee security experts. If you need more technical support in a single incident ($69.95) or one-year subscriptions (1 PC – $179.95 and 2 PC – $209.95), there are proposals as well.
verdictMcAfee supports more OS, which makes it the winner again. Moreover, you can use a paid technical assistance service.
VPN
With F-Secure, you can connect to the Internet via a personal VPN that ensures traffic encryption and replaces your real ID on all web resources you visit. You can bypass the censorship or geolocation restrictions easily. If you are sure about the Wi-Fi network on Android devices, you can split your traffic; some websites will use VPN tunneling, and some will not. You can establish a safe VPN connection during online shopping or banking.
In case of accidental abruption of the Internet or VPN connection, the kill switch function (available for Windows, Mac, or Android) will prevent your data leakage. At any time, you can check VPN traffic using protection statistics.
You can purchase a VPN separately for $49.99 for 1 device per year, 3 devices – for $69.99, and 5 devices – for $79.99. If you purchase this tool for 2 years, you receive a discount.
McAfee proposes a basic VPN service for its users as well. You can choose a virtual server location from 50 countries for a secure and private connection when shopping, banking, or browsing. It creates a bank-encrypted tunnel to protect data from any cyber-attacks.
You can choose an automatic connection to the VPN for all your devices when you use public Wi-Fi. The VPN service is available from any country in the world. For each device, you can find a detailed guide on how to set up a VPN.
You can purchase separately for $39.99/year for 5 licenses for a year. This VPN service is compatible with iOS and Android devices as well. You can enhance the security by purchasing an essential package with antivirus ($39.99/year) to receive a firewall, file shredder, and web protection.
verdictBoth antiviruses propose only basic VPNs that do not have all the options of standalone leading apps. Nevertheless, McAfee allows you to choose between 50 countries, and an annual subscription for 5 devices is significantly cheaper. So, McAfee is the winner.
Mobile
verdictMcAfee has better mobile apps for cyber threat protection, so in this part of the comparison, F-Secure vs. McAfee is the winner.
Parental control
You do not need to purchase separate software for parental control; it is included in one package with F-Secure antivirus. With this tool, you can protect kids from inappropriate content, such as gambling and adult videos, or you can block certain apps and limit Internet usage. Your family members can’t download malware or other dangerous software and access harmful websites.
McAfee has a strong Parental control tool for protecting kids online. You can limit or block inappropriate content, manage their screen time, and receive alerts if your kid arrives or leaves the place that is determined places. The parental control tool is available in the family subscription.
verdictThe capabilities of Parental Control tools from both brands are similar, and standalone programs are more functional. There is no winner in this part.
Additional tools
F-Secure, in addition to standard antivirus and online protection, has some additional tools, such as Password Manager (included in the Total plan). It stores account names and passwords safely without access to criminals and data leaks. It can also help to generate strong passwords and update the existing weak ones. If you turn on the Auto-fill function, all credentials will be filled automatically, and online services will be speeded up securely.
Password managers, as well as other Identity protection tools (such as 24/7 online identity monitoring, real-time alerts, monitoring of different information including dark web, etc.), are available separately for purchase. For 1 device, you will pay $49.99 per year; for 2 – $69.99; and 5 – $79.99.
Moreover, there are a bunch of available tools without subscription – online virus scan for PC, Identity theft checker for stolen personal information, Strong Password Generation, AI Text Message Checker for safe or not, Online Shopping Checker for scams and losing money, IP Checker to check what info is available for websites, Router checker for being safe and not hacked and Data Discovery Helper.
McAfee has a Password Manager (TurnKey). This app is functional and can set multi-factor authentication. You can create new passwords, store them for each account with access via password, and auto-fill where it is required. There is no possibility of purchasing it separately, but it is included in Ultimate, Advanced, and Premium subscriptions.
For free, all users receive access to free tools – WebAdvisor for safe browsing and misclick protection, Password Generator, and Device Security Scan to check your system vulnerabilities and receive solutions (you can even set a schedule for scans). Password Generator is available directly on the website, where you can set the required symbols/letters in the password. The other two tools are available for free download from the official website.
verdictPassword Manager is included in the subscription plans of both antiviruses, but F-Secure has considerably more free tools than McAfee. So, in this round, F-Secure is the winner.
Price
F-Secure has two subscription plans – Total and Internet Security. They differ in the number of tools included for digital security. Total Security has all features, while Internet Security is missing personal VPN and other privacy tools, trusted online shopping store ratings, and identity protection tools. You can choose the subscription based on the desired number of protected devices, whether it is a PC, smartphone, or tablet.
For both subscription plans, you have a 30-day free trial version. Unlike other services, F-Secure will remind you about the end of the trial version and will not charge you money. The trial version gives access to all-in-app, including VPN, ID detection, and Internet security.
| 1 device | 3 devices | 5 devices | |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-Secure Total for 1 year | $69.99 | $89.99 | $99.99 |
| F-Secure Total for 2 years | $124.99 | $159.99 | $179.99 |
| F-Secure Internet Security for 1 year | $49.99 | $69.99 | $79.99 |
| F-Secure Internet Security for 2 years | $89.99 | $124.99 | $144.99 |
McAfee has four subscription plans – Ultimate, Advanced, Premium, and Essential. You can choose between individual or family plans. The ultimate and advanced plan includes all features; the premium lacks financial identity tools (credits, transactions, credit score, lost wallet protection); and the essential plan misses the same features as the premium and online account cleanup and personal data cleanup. The ultimate is better than advanced as it has additional McAfee assistance, new financial monitoring features, and allows the monitoring of 3 bureaus for credits. Parental control is not included in these plans. You can try an essential subscription for 5 devices for 30 days free with 5 VPN licenses.
| Ultimate | Advanced | Premium | Essential | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual plan (annual subscription) | $159.99 | $69.99 | $44.99 | $39.99 |
| Family plan (annual subscription for 2 adults and 4 kids) | $199.99 | $94.99 | $59.99 | - |
There is a special affordable solution for 1 device for 1 year for $29.99, which includes such main features as antivirus, firewall, identity monitoring, web protection, and 1 VPN license.
verdictThere is no winner in price competition. Even though it is a more expensive solution, it has an affordable special proposal. At the same time, F-Secure has more plans to choose from with more discounts.
Conclusion
Our detailed face-to-face comparison of two antiviruses, F-Secure vs. McAfee, has shown that both of them have reliable protection tools. The core features are scanning, antivirus, parental control, browser protection, identity monitoring on the Internet and dark web, VPN, and password manager. The main difference is in the additional free tools, so we suggest choosing between the tools or the price of the subscription plans. You can choose protection for 1 device or save money and choose family plans that are available for both products.
