Nowadays, it is becoming incredibly difficult to protect data and computers without the use of top-notch antivirus software. What is becoming even more difficult is picking software that can guarantee round the clock protection from hackers and malware attacks. Avast and McAfee software are two very popular programs used by many the world over. Between McAfee vs Avast, which is the better protector against negative external threats? Read on to find out.

Short Verdict

Both are highly reliable programs and are known to provide users with first-class safety from malware attacks as well as anti-hacking protection. Furthermore, they and both provide similar benefits to users. However, McAfee proves to be the better one simply because it has less of an impact on devices when running in the background.

Without further ado, let’s delve deeper into the various features and Utilities of these amazing antivirus programs.

Lower Price – Avast or McAfee

Is McAfee better than Avast? To answer this question, let’s look at the price at which both programs are sold to users online. To find out more about their prices, we visited the websites of both developers, and we found out that the various Pro versions of both programs are sold for different prices. However, when comparing McAfee vs Avast based on the price, we found McAfee to be the cheaper of the two.

Verdict: McAfee’s lower price makes it a clear winner in this category.

McAfee vs Avast: Scanning Types and Features

McAfee Total Protection

To begin with, McAfee does not have a free option for users as their products. The various programs all have varieties of similar and dissimilar features. Let’s briefly take a look at some of them from the most basic to the most advanced versions.

With a single payment subscription plan, users get unlimited protection on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android systems. With this plan, you can protect multiple devices using the same plan making it one of the most economical Antivirus programs online today. This plus plan also has what is called an Intuitive Security Management Console and a very responsive Network Manager. It can locate and lock down your device if stolen, prevent Intruders from gaining access to the data stored in your device and premium Antivirus protection.

Also, it includes:

• Powerful True key identity manager for device protection and Malware prevention
• Two-factor authentication code for extra user safety
• Facial recognition software

McAfee Live Safe

It is one of most advanced of McAfee’s offerings. The Live Safe Software has a secure cloud storage space where you can save as much as 1 GB of data. It also has not one but 5 True Key protection licenses.

Avast Antivirus

Avast also comes fully loaded with responsive digital security protection for both Windows and Mac systems. Unlike McAfee, which offers no free option, Avast has a Free option which it uses to execute tasks faster than many other free programs can keep up. With the Free Antivirus option from Avast you enjoy:

• Protection against known and unknown malware, Trojan, ransomware, spyware;
• WiFi inspector for searching for Wi-Fi networks and intruder checks;
• Silent gaming mode for the uninterrupted gaming experience;

Avast Premium Security

This is a paid version of the program that affords users all the benefits of the free option and lots more.  With Avast Pro you get:

• Sandbox technology for running potentially harmful files in isolated locations;
• Real Site feature for hack prevention and for shutting out fake websites;
• Premium Customer Support;
• advanced firewall, extra protection against malware, and an anti-spam filter.

In turn, Avast Ultimate has a data Shredder included, webcam protection and an App updater. It also includes Cleanup Premium, SecureLine VPN and Passwords Premium.

Verdict: As can be seen, both programs have high tech features for data and device security, and they are reliable programs in their own right. No clear winner. A tie.

McAfee vs Avast: Protection

 Any Antivirus program can detect a known virus, but not all have advanced signatures that can determine unknown malware and spyware. To successfully protect devices, a reliable program should be able to detect both known and unknown malware, and both McAfee and Avast excel in this regard.

AV-Test is a world-renowned test institution that conducted tests on both programs. The result released independently by the institution show some interesting statistics.

AV-Test

AV-Test tested both programs on a Windows 10 device between November and December. Both were tested against 185-day malware samples and against 10,684 malware samples that were widespread.

McAfee did really well to score a 100% success rate against both malware samples earning it a 6/6 star rating by AV-Test experts. Subsequently, it posted one false alert, but its rating was still maintained because of its success rate.

Avast did quite well but scored slightly lower than McAfee using the same samples. It registered 4 false alerts earning it 99.9% success rate and a 5.5/6 star rating.

Verdict: Both programs did well, but McAfee wins the protection race by a very tiny margin.

Avast vs McAfee: Resources

When looking at the capabilities of the resource of both programs, we wanted to know which one of these programs had the least impact on devices when running in the background. We looked through the test results released by AV-Test and Av Comparatives and see what we found.

AV-Test ran a test on Windows 10 platforms last year using both programs independently by performing simple tasks like installing and downloading files, copying files, browsing the internet, etc. McAfee scored a perfect 6/6 rating while Avast lagged slightly behind with 5/6 rating.

AV-Comparatives also released their own findings, and in their results, both programs performed just like they did with AV-Test. They both ranked very high with Avast scoring 8.9 level of impact while McAfee did a little better with a score of 7.3.

Verdict: McAfee has less of an impact on systems than Avast. McAfee wins

Avast Antivirus vs McAfee: Interface

In recent years McAfee has gone through tremendous interface upgrades to make it simpler, brighter and more attractive. It now sports a mixture of white, pale blue, white and grey with a Home window that allows you to surf across different pages. Its quick links are also very effective, and it notifies you regarding the health of your device using a green and red color code.

Avast has a modern look with dark color schemes spotting a highly intuitive design. It’s simple and horizontal menu makes it easy to navigate from one menu to the other. With only a few clicks, users can access the three tabs menu on the homepage, along with other relevant features.

Verdict: It’s a tie.

Final Verdict

Both programs are highly durable and reliable apps for data and device protection, so the decision to use either of the two should be based on choice. But is McAfee better than Avast? The answer is yes because many of its versions are cheaper than their Avast equivalent, and they have less of an impact on devices when running in the background.

• McAfee offers full-featured protection.
• This is one of the most intuitive and easy-to-use antiviruses.
• Reliability is well above average, but not superb.
• Value: above average.
• Money-Back Guarantee is 30-days-long.

• Compatible with all modern platforms.
• Different levels of protection against malware.
• Effectively detects phishing sites.
• A strong security plug-in for browsers which automatically detects suspicious websites.
• New passive mode for running multiple security products in parallel.