Picking the best antivirus can be hard, especially when choosing between two solutions that many consider to be in the upper echelons of the personal security industry.
Case in point: both Bitdefender and McAfee are known for their stellar track record in battling malware. Both also come packed with a similar bag of extra security functions, so a glance at the list of features is enough to induce the dreaded case of analysis paralysis.
Thankfully, a deeper dive into the intricacies of those overlapping security bells and whistles may help you decide which one will work better for your personal cybersecurity needs.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: Background
Bitdefender’s beginnings are certainly humble. Originating in Romania in 1997 as AVX (Antivirus Expert), its parent company quickly gave it a massive makeover in 2001 and rebranded it as Bitdefender. The rest is pretty much history, as it eventually became one of the most popular pieces of cybersecurity software in the world.
McAfee, on the other hand, is the name synonymous with antivirus software. Starting as the brainchild of John McAfee in 1987, it has been at the forefront of the industry since the early days of personal computing, and is still at the very top.
History aside, McAfee and Bitdefender adapted over time as cybersecurity expanded. These days, they provide user-friendly digital suites for a plethora of different devices, with a great deal of useful security features that go beyond just malware protection.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: Security features
The core protection is solid with both providers, so the decision on which antivirus will find a home on your device will greatly rely on other functionalities (that most cybersecurity companies now offer).
We’ll evaluate the quality of real-time threat detection, identity theft protection, and indispensable features like firewall protection, VPN, parental controls, and password managers. As you’ll soon see, despite a similar bag of goodies, the way they go about implementing these is somewhat different.
Real-time threat detection
Bitdefender will undoubtedly put your mind at ease with its real-time threat detection that’s 98% effective (offline and online detection rates) and its Advanced Threat Defense aimed at detecting zero-day threats. This high-level defense monitors all applications and processes on your devices, and if it notices anything out of the ordinary, it will swiftly block the suspicious app until it does any damage.
McAfee boasts a similar function. By leveraging machine learning, it looks for patterns and unique behaviors in new threats, which allows it to safeguard against threats not found in malware databases. Unfortunately, McAfee can be considered a bit trigger-happy in this regard, since its machine learning algorithm often ends up targeting safe files, leading to a lot of false positives.
Firewall
No security suite is complete without a firewall, a function that monitors inbound and outbound connections on your devices to protect from unauthorized access.
Bitdefender’s firewall does the job. Albeit a bit basic, it’s configurable and allows you to select which apps get to connect to the internet. Mind you, this feature is not available on macOS devices.
McAfee takes things a step further with its firewall protection by implementing a series of smart features for extra security, and allows you to track all devices connected to your network – something that makes Bitdefender’s firewall seem pretty outdated in comparison.
Identity theft protection
Bitdefender offers a separate Digital Identity Protection service, which is a bit of a copout, as plenty of antivirus vendors provide this feature in their security suites. Still, it’s worth noting that Bitdefender’s identity theft protection service is highly affordable at $3.33/mo.
McAfee includes various identity theft protections. In the ‘Premium’ subscription tier, you’ll receive options like personal data scans, online account scans, and identity monitoring and alerts. As you move up the tiers, the identity protections get a lot more sophisticated.
For instance, the ‘Ultimate’ plan includes a full personal data cleanup service, bank and credit card monitoring, credit monitoring, security freeze feature, $25K ransomware coverage, and up to $2M in identity theft coverage, plus identity restoration support.
VPN
While Bitdefender offers a VPN in all its subscriptions, it implements a 200MB daily data cap in each of its packages except the most expensive one (you also have the option of purchasing a $69 per year premium VPN add-on for lower-priced tiers). This is a shame as the VPN is quite comprehensive, offering a network of 3k servers in 100 countries, and powerful functionalities like a kill switch and split tunneling, which you can routinely find offered by the best VPN services.
When it comes to McAfee, there’s a catch: while it provides unlimited VPN in all its McAfee+ subscriptions, the VPN itself can’t stack up against dedicated VPN services, as it has a selection of just 47 countries and only includes basic features like an on/off switch and auto-connect.
Password manager
Let’s preface this by saying that password managers provided out of the box by Bitdefender and McAfee have some limitations compared to the top password managers in the market. Yet, both do the job admirably.
Bitdefender has a bunch of practical little functionalities like the ability to sync passwords across devices, auto-save, auto-fill, password wallet, and a password generator. The only drawback is that it doesn’t support two-factor authentication.
Its competitor is known for the True Key Password Manager, which is available in all McAfee subscriptions from ‘Basic’ to ‘Premium’, and comes with a slew of robust multi-factor authentication options. While it doesn’t support password sharing or form-filling, it allows you to easily import stored passwords from most web browsers and other password managers.
Parental controls
As expected, Bitdefender has a set of straightforward, yet powerful parental controls that provide insight into the apps and websites your child has access to, allow you to track their screen time, and even block content (or whole sites) in accordance with different categories.
McAfee’s parental controls take the cake here. In addition to everything available in Bitdefender, McAfee’s Safe Family parental controls provide the ability to check your kids’ locations on a map and receive alerts if they leave or wander into specific areas.
Additional features
The fun doesn’t stop there as the two vendors offer more firepower that provides better value for your money. A good example is the file shredder offered by both McAfee and Bitdefender that allows you to permanently erase files, thus stopping them from being recovered by nefarious threat actors.
Beyond that, Bitdefender has a nice microphone and webcam protection (you can finally remove that piece of tape from the webcam), while McAfee allows you to scan and scrub for unused online accounts.
Before we delve deeper, it’s worth noting that McAfee currently has a small edge over Bitdefender strictly on the merits of its security extras. While the latter is no slouch, it does have a few limitations, like the VPN data cap and missing functions on MacOS devices. Add to that granular parental controls and more powerful identity theft protection, and McAfee has a more well-rounded arsenal of tools.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: System performance
Bitdefender spent years amassing a reputation as a lightweight antivirus solution that won’t slow down your device, but it appears McAfee beats it in terms of optimization, according to the latest third-party tests.
Don’t let this discourage you, as Bitdefender is still an admirable performer. In fact, it earned a “Top Product” award and had top scores on tests conducted by AV-Test in February, but McAfee is simply performs better when it comes to system performance.
According to a more in-depth AV-Comparatives April 2025 test, Bitdefender received an impact score of 25, which is pretty average considering that a low number indicates superior performance. McAfee, by contrast, came out as an all-around winner, snagging a 2.6 score.
Although Bitdefender probably won’t slow down your PC significantly, McAfee is a solid choice if you need an antivirus that will have a minimal effect on performance.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: Ease of use
Only a few things can sour your day like struggling with a confusing piece of software. The good news is that both antivirus suites have sleek apps and well-designed interfaces that are approachable for total beginners and cybersecurity aficionados.
With Bitdefender, clear organization is the name of the game, as the suite groups are divided into three tabs where you can access individual features in a few clicks. For example, the ‘Protection’ tab houses the main features, and the ‘Privacy’ tab is where you’ll find the VPN and the password managers.
Furthermore, you can customize your dashboard by implementing quick actions, which are super useful if you’re keen on specific tools. Since it has some degree of customization, we’d also have no problems recommending this piece of software for more advanced users.
What about McAfee?
It bolsters an uncluttered design where you can perform most actions with just a few clicks. Most functions have shortcut tiles, and even the most advanced tools are within reach on the left sidebar.
As such, it’s ideal for non-technical users, although more experienced individuals may find this approach too simplistic.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: Protection
After a round of appetizers, it’s time for the main dish – the antivirus protection.
Spoiler alert: both vendors do a darn good job, although McAfee struggles slightly with its offline detection rates, according to the March 2025 malware protection tests by AV-Comparatives.
Bitdefender had an impressive offline and online detection rate of 98.7%, and an impeccable 99.97% online protection rate. Another impressive metric logged during these tests is the low false alarm count (false positives) of five.
McAfee did have a low offline detection rate of 79.3%, but it did slightly outpace Bitdefender in online detection rates, scoring a commendable 99.6%, with a 99.96% online protection (only 0.01% lower than Bitdefender). As we mentioned earlier, McAfee is a bit too keen here, raising 15 false alarms over the course of these threats. This can be considered many and a nuisance in your day-to-day work.
It’s also worth mentioning that McAfee can struggle with ransomware or phishing, which is something we found out in our recent tests.
Tiny snags aside, data shows that McAfee and Bitdefender are among the world’s best antivirus programs in terms of protection. Whichever you choose, you’re in good hands.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: Pricing
Bitdefender may have a few limitations with its features, but credit where credit is due – it’s much more affordable than McAfee. Rudimentary free tier aside, Bitdefender’s first paid plan, Antivirus Plus, costs just $9.99 per year (for the first year) for one device. For more features and more devices (three), you can upgrade to the Total Security plan for $19.99, or go all in on the most powerful Premium Security that supports up to ten devices for a reasonable $79.99 per year.
McAfee isn’t as economical. The McAfee Basic plan, which protects one device and has a few restrictions (most notably in terms of identity theft protections), is $29.99. McAfee Essential comes at $35.99 and extends the support to up to five devices. McAfee+ Premium costs $44.99 and supports unlimited devices, while for total protection, it’s recommended to upgrade to McAfee+ Advanced or McAfee+ Ultimate, which run $80.99 and $199.99 per year, respectively.
Bitdefender provides a much better price-to-feature ratio and is more wallet-friendly. However, if you require advanced identity theft protection (and we do mean advanced), then McAfee is a superior choice.
It’s worth pointing out that these prices are limited to the first year of use, and renewals often end up costing double the amount.
Bitdefender versus McAfee: Which is best?
Bitdefender and McAfee are amazing antivirus solutions that will perform well and protect you against malware and a variety of other digital threats. The answer to which one is better depends solely on your needs.
If you want a budget AV that doesn’t sacrifice quality, then Bitdefender is great and even outpaces McAfee in some areas. For a more comprehensive security suite that protects your device and helps safeguard your digital footprint, McAfee is a better choice.
You’re safe regardless of the vendor you go with, which should theoretically alleviate some of that stress, because you really can’t go wrong with either of the two.