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Government · head to head

Accela vs McAfee Total Protection

Accela logo

Accela

Government

Civic Solutions for Modern Government

From
$800/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Cybersecurity

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Accela pricing not publicly available; requires sales consultation and government procurement process; McAfee Total Protection significant renewal price increase after first year (from $29.99 to $84.99/year)
  • They diverge on capability: Accela covers Building Permits, McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Accela and McAfee Total Protection actually diverge.

Attributes where Accela and McAfee Total Protection differ
AttributeAccelaMcAfee Total Protection
Starting price$800/month$29.99/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded19991987

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Accela

  • Building Permits
  • Business Licenses
  • Code Enforcement
  • Planning & Zoning
  • Environmental Health
  • Esri ArcGIS
  • Bluebeam
  • DocuSign

Only in McAfee Total Protection

  • Real-time antivirus
  • Firewall
  • Safe browsing
  • Password manager
  • Secure VPN
  • Identity monitoring
  • Protection Score
  • Parental controls

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Accela

  • Citizen Servicesnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Records Managementnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Public Safetynot McAfee Total Protection
  • Civic Engagementnot McAfee Total Protection

McAfee Total Protection

  • Antivirusnot Accela
  • Internet Securitynot Accela
  • Identity Protectionnot Accela

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Accela

  • Pricing not publicly available; requires sales consultation and government procurement process
  • Significant upfront implementation costs typical of enterprise government software
  • Complex deployment requiring significant customization for different agency workflows

McAfee Total Protection

  • Significant renewal price increase after first year (from $29.99 to $84.99/year)
  • Customer support responsiveness issues reported as reason for switching
  • Renewal billing can be aggressive with auto-renewal defaults

Pricing, plan by plan

Accela

$800/month
  • Civic Platform$800/month
    • Permitting
    • Licensing
    • Code Enforcement

McAfee Total Protection

$29.99/year
  • Basic$29.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • 1 device
  • Plus$39.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • 5 devices
  • Premium$49.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • VPN
  • Advanced$74.99/year
    • Antivirus
    • Firewall
    • VPN

Which should you pick?

Choose Accela if

  • You need building permits.
  • You also want business licenses.
Accela review

Choose McAfee Total Protection if

  • You need real-time antivirus.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want firewall.
McAfee Total Protection review

Questions people ask

Is Accela or McAfee Total Protection better?
Neither clearly leads. Accela starts at $800/month and McAfee Total Protection at $29.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Accela or McAfee Total Protection?
Accela starts at $800/month and McAfee Total Protection at $29.99/year.
Does Accela or McAfee Total Protection run on more platforms?
Accela runs on Web. McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
What is Accela best used for?
Accela is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what McAfee Total Protection is typically brought in for.
What can Accela do that McAfee Total Protection cannot?
Accela covers Building Permits, Business Licenses, Code Enforcement, Planning & Zoning. McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Firewall, Safe browsing, Password manager. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Accela: What government functions does Accela's Civic Platform cover?

Accela provides solutions for permitting (building, planning, zoning), licensing (business, occupational, alcohol), public health (environmental health, fire prevention), asset management, and citizen services (complaints, requests).

Source
McAfee Total Protection: How much does McAfee Total Protection cost?

McAfee Total Protection introductory pricing ranges from $29.99/year (Basic) to $74.99/year (Advanced), but renewal costs jump to $84.99/year after the first year.

Source
Accela: Does Accela include AI capabilities?

Yes. Accela offers CivicAI, described as AI built for government rather than adapted from commercial solutions, with emphasis on explainability and auditability for regulatory compliance.

Source
McAfee Total Protection: What is the trial period for McAfee Total Protection?

McAfee offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk-free for two months.

Source
Accela: Can Accela handle multiple department reviews simultaneously?

Yes. Accela's building permitting module enables concurrent multi-department review where fire, planning, public works, and utilities departments review applications simultaneously, with real-time tracking of annotations and approvals.

Source
McAfee Total Protection: How many devices can I protect with one McAfee Total Protection subscription?

Device coverage varies by plan: Basic covers 1 device, while other plans protect 5 to unlimited devices depending on the tier selected.

Source
Accela: How many government agencies use Accela?

Accela serves 900+ government agencies globally, including over 50% of top U.S. cities and counties.

Source
McAfee Total Protection: Does McAfee Total Protection include VPN?

VPN is included in higher-tier McAfee plans if you opt for auto-renewal.

Source
Accela: Does Accela publish its pricing?

No. Accela does not publish pricing on its website. Costs are custom-quoted based on agency size, modules deployed, and integration needs, typically through government procurement processes.

Source
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