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McAfee Total Protection vs Mullvad VPN

McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Software

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mullvad VPN logo

Mullvad VPN

Software

Privacy-first VPN with one flat price and no email required to sign up

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: McAfee Total Protection significant renewal price increase after first year (from $29.99 to $84.99/year); Mullvad VPN offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where McAfee Total Protection and Mullvad VPN differ
AttributeMcAfee Total ProtectionMullvad VPN
Starting price$29.99/year$5/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, Androidwindows, mac, linux, ios, android
Founded19872009

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

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 McAfee Total Protection

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

Only in Mullvad VPN

  • Flat single pricing
  • Account-number signup
  • Cash and crypto payments
  • WireGuard support
  • Independent audits

What people use each for

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

McAfee Total Protection

  • Antivirusnot Mullvad VPN
  • Internet Securitynot Mullvad VPN
  • Identity Protectionnot Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN

  • Paying for a VPN anonymously with cash or cryptocurrencynot McAfee Total Protection
  • Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot McAfee Total Protection
  • Signing up without providing an email addressnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot McAfee Total Protection

Where each one falls short

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

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

Mullvad VPN

  • Offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.
  • Lacks a bundled tiered structure, so there is no cheaper limited plan for occasional users.
  • Server network and streaming-unblocking performance is smaller than large mainstream VPN providers.
  • No annual discount, meaning long-term subscribers pay the same monthly rate as short-term users.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Mullvad VPN

$5/month
  • Mullvad VPN$5/month
    • Flat rate regardless of subscription length
    • 5 simultaneous devices
    • No email required

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Mullvad VPN if

  • You need flat single pricing.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
  • You also want account-number signup.
Mullvad VPN review

Questions people ask

Is McAfee Total Protection or Mullvad VPN better?
Neither clearly leads. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Mullvad VPN at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, McAfee Total Protection or Mullvad VPN?
McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Mullvad VPN at $5/month.
Does McAfee Total Protection or Mullvad VPN run on more platforms?
McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Mullvad VPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
What is McAfee Total Protection best used for?
McAfee Total Protection is most often used for antivirus, internet security, identity protection. Of those, antivirus and internet security are not what Mullvad VPN is typically brought in for.
What can McAfee Total Protection do that Mullvad VPN cannot?
McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Firewall, Safe browsing, Password manager. Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
McAfee Total Protection: Does McAfee Total Protection include VPN?

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

Source
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