Head-to-head

Norton vs McAfee

The two oldest names in the business, both reborn as identity-plus-security subscriptions. One prices per five devices, the other covers unlimited devices.

Our pick
Full protection
Norton 360 Deluxe logoNorton 360 Deluxe
Gen Digital

Norton 360 Deluxe

The everything-suite, with identity protection in its DNA.

Identity
McAfee+ logoMcAfee+
McAfee

McAfee+

One subscription, every device in the house, identity included.

Norton 360 DeluxeMcAfee+
Our score4.5 / 54.0 / 5
PriceFrom $4.17/moFrom $4.17/mo
Free planNoNo
Best forFamilies wanting one subscriptionBig households, many devices
CategoryComplete suitesIdentity protection
ProviderGen DigitalMcAfee

Our verdict

Norton wins on protection quality and on the depth of its suite: better lab consistency, cloud backup, and the stronger identity story through LifeLock. McAfee has one genuinely unique card: unlimited devices on McAfee+ Premium, which can make it the better per-device deal for a big household with six or more gadgets. If you are protecting a family zoo of laptops and phones on a budget, consider McAfee; for everyone else Norton is the more complete product. Both renew at far above the first-year price.

The most complete all-rounder: excellent lab scores, generous cloud backup, a real VPN, and the deepest identity tools of any mainstream suite. It does more in the background than Bitdefender, and the renewal jump is steep, but as a one-subscription-covers-everything deal it is hard to beat.Editorial team, on Norton 360 Deluxe
Unlimited devices on one plan is McAfee’s trump card, and the identity pivot is real: credit monitoring and identity insurance are now the core product. The scanner is solid, but the constant upsells and a renewal price that triples make this a deal only at first-year prices.Editorial team, on McAfee+