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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

McAfee Total Protection vs Recorded Future

McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Security & Cybersecurity

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
Rated
-
Recorded Future logo

Recorded Future

Security & Cybersecurity

Intelligence-driven cybersecurity

From
$25000/year
Rated
-

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); Recorded Future listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £40,500 per licence for Recorded Future, via reseller Softcat plc
  • They diverge on capability: McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where McAfee Total Protection and Recorded Future differ
AttributeMcAfee Total ProtectionRecorded Future
Starting price$29.99/year$25000/year
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, Api, Cloud
Founded19872009

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

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 Recorded Future

  • Real-time threat intelligence
  • Vulnerability intelligence
  • Internet-wide data analysis
  • Insikt group intelligence
  • Brand intelligence
  • API-first platform
  • Alert and notification system
  • Custom reporting

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

McAfee Total Protection

  • Antivirusnot Recorded Future
  • Internet Securitynot Recorded Future
  • Identity Protectionnot Recorded Future

Recorded Future

  • Threat Intelligencenot McAfee Total Protection
  • Vulnerability Managementnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Risk Intelligencenot 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

Recorded Future

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £40,500 per licence for Recorded Future, via reseller Softcat plc

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

Recorded Future

$25000/year
  • Threat Intelligence$25000/year
    • Threat feeds
    • IP reputation
    • Domain analysis
  • Vulnerability Intelligence$35000/year
    • CVE monitoring
    • Patch intelligence
    • Vulnerability trending
  • Complete Intelligence$50000/year
    • All features
    • Analyst access
    • Dedicated feed

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.

Choose Recorded Future if

  • You need real-time threat intelligence.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cloud.
  • You also want vulnerability intelligence.

Questions people ask

Is McAfee Total Protection or Recorded Future better?
Neither clearly leads. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Recorded Future at $25000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, McAfee Total Protection or Recorded Future?
McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Recorded Future at $25000/year.
Does McAfee Total Protection or Recorded Future run on more platforms?
McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Recorded Future runs on Web, Api, Cloud.
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 Recorded Future is typically brought in for.
What can McAfee Total Protection do that Recorded Future cannot?
McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Firewall, Safe browsing, Password manager. Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence, Vulnerability intelligence, Internet-wide data analysis, Insikt group intelligence. Both handle Cloud deployment.

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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