Avira and McAfee are among the best internet security suites on the market. Both are able to detect 100% of malware samples and both provide excellent additional features. I also found both Avira and McAfee easy to set up and use.
However, there are a few differences between them. For example, McAfee provides parental controls, but Avira doesn’t. In addition, McAfee can cover unlimited devices, which Avira doesn’t.
Today, I’m going to explore more differences between the two antiviruses so you can make an informed decision.
Short on Time? Avira vs. McAfee — Final Verdict:
- 1st place:
- 2nd place:
McAfee has better parental controls, web protection, and customer support. If you want a comprehensive antivirus with some of the best anti-phishing tools and parental controls on the market, go with McAfee.
Avira is more intuitive to use and has a better VPN. If you want a simple antivirus with a good VPN, go with Avira.
Malware Protection
Avira
Avira uses a powerful cloud-based malware scanner that offloads the CPU-intensive scanning process to the cloud, meaning you can scan your computer without any slowdown to your device. The scanner uses heuristic analysis and a massive malware directory to detect all malware threats, including trojans, worms, rootkits, and more.
To test Avira, I downloaded 1,000s of malware samples onto my device. This included rootkits, spyware, keylogging software, ransomware, and more. I then ran a full system scan, and Avira was consistently able to find 100% of malware samples on my device.
Avira’s real-time protection also worked well, blocking 100% of malware samples I tried downloading onto my device.
McAfee
McAfee also uses heuristic analysis and a large malware database to protect your computer from zero-day attacks and known malware threats. McAfee doesn’t offload the scanning process to the cloud like Avira does, and I had some slowdown when running scans.
Like Avira, McAfee found every malware sample — I downloaded the same 1,000 malware samples I used to test Avira and ran a full system scan. The scan only took an hour to complete, which is pretty good.
McAfee also provides excellent real-time protection, which blocked 100% of malware samples I tried to download.
Web Security
Avira
Avira’s web extension — Browser Safety — works across most browsers. It stops you from visiting dangerous phishing websites or having trackers steal your data on websites.
Avira blocked most phishing websites I tried visiting in my tests, achieving better results than the built-in protections on Edge, Firefox, and Chrome. Avira was also decent at blocking exploit attacks when I tested this aspect of its web protection.
McAfee
McAfee uses a web shield called Web Advisor, which works on Windows and Mac (like Avira). It’s pretty good and blocks more dangerous phishing websites than the default protections on web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
McAfee is also able to block cryptojacking attempts, something I didn’t really see in Avira.
Finally, I like how McAfee adds color-coded safety ratings to search results. A secure website will have a green lock symbol on the Google search engine results page. Similarly, a red cross will indicate a dangerous site you should avoid.
Features
Avira
Avira Prime offers protection on up to 25 devices and includes:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Password manager.
- VPN (virtual private network).
- Device optimization tool.
- File shredder.
- Browser security.
- Driver updater.
- And more…
I really like how Avira includes a driver updater. You’re vulnerable to exploit attacks if you have outdated drivers on your computer. Because Avira doesn’t have the best exploit protections, keeping your software updated is essential to staying protected from exploits.
I’m also impressed with Avira’s VPN. It uses 256-bit AES encryption to keep your data protected, includes DNS leak protection, and has over 1,400 server locations. This is comparable to some of the top standalone VPNs on the market. Unfortunately, Avira doesn’t work with popular streaming websites like VPNs such as ExpressVPN do. That being said, I didn’t notice any slowdown while running Avira’s VPN, and I love how it provides up to 5 simultaneous connections (i.e. your mobile devices and computers).
McAfee
McAfee gives you coverage on either 5 or an unlimited number of devices and includes:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Web protection.
- Network scanner.
- Computer optimizer.
- VPN.
- Password manager.
- Identity theft monitoring.
- Parental controls.
- And more…
McAfee’s performance optimization deletes cookies, unnecessary system files, trackers, and more. After running it, I noticed a significant speed increase on my computer.
I also really like McAfee’s parental controls, which are included in the Premium and Advanced Family plans. In my tests, I could easily block dangerous websites — including those that show violence, drugs, and pornography. McAfee’s geofencing capabilities are great too. Most antiviruses only let you see where your kids are located when you check the parental controls, but McAfee allows your kids to send you a notification when they arrive at a safe location — such as school or a friend’s house.
Ease of Use
Avira
Avira is one of the easiest antiviruses to use in 2024. It takes less than 10 minutes to install, and you can access most of Avira’s features with just a few clicks. I particularly like how easy Avira makes it to schedule virus scans. All you have to do is click on a calendar icon next to the scan type and choose the frequency you want the scan to happen (i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly).
I also didn’t notice any slowdown when running Avira. I could run a malware scan and still play video games or stream HD video — which is pretty good.
Avira’s mobile app for iOS and Android has a pretty intuitive interface and includes some really good features, such as a call and app locker — something many mobile antiviruses don’t include. I never had difficulty navigating the mobile app, so beginner users will find it super straightforward.
McAfee
McAfee is also well-designed and pretty easy to use. I like how the main dashboard shows everything available on your current subscription and makes it easy to run a virus scan.
However, some features are only available from the online dashboard, which is pretty annoying. It can make it difficult for beginner users to find where everything is located. Further, if your internet connection drops, some of the more important features — such as the parental controls — are inaccessible.
That being said, McAfee’s mobile apps are really good. The design is intuitive and well laid out, and each feature is easy to access and run. I never struggled to find anything, and unlike the desktop app, everything is localized in one efficient location.
Customer Support
Avira
I like Avira’s customer support, but the absence of a live chat feature is a drawback. However, it compensates for this with efficient email and phone support and a user-friendly knowledge base which addresses most concerns.
Avira’s phone support is only offered to premium users, which is a shame because Avira has one of the best free plans on the market. That said, it’s a toll-free number and available in over 30+ countries. If you live in an unsupported country, you can also call an Avira support number that charges your local telephone rates. I tested the phone support multiple times and always connected with a helpful agent who provided clear answers.
Its email support was helpful, but it took 24 hours to get a response. This falls short compared to McAfee’s support, which responded within just 6 hours.
McAfee
McAfee has an excellent range of customer support options. It offers email, live chat, and phone support, as well as community forums and an online knowledge base.
Throughout my tests, the phone assistance was always prompt and straightforward. Likewise, my interaction with McAfee’s live chat support was quite similar, offering fast and useful replies.
Unfortunately, McAfee’s knowledge base was disappointing. It’s not updated regularly, so many of its instructions weren’t compatible with the latest versions of McAfee.
That said, McAfee only took around 6 hours to respond to my emails — which is pretty good. The email support was always clear, concise, and helpful, like the phone and live chat support.
