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Software · head to head

McAfee Total Protection vs Splunk Enterprise Security

McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Software

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
Rated
-
Splunk Enterprise Security logo

Splunk Enterprise Security

Software

The platform for operational intelligence

From
On request
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); Splunk Enterprise Security splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
  • They diverge on capability: McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which McAfee Total Protection and Splunk Enterprise Security actually diverge.

Attributes where McAfee Total Protection and Splunk Enterprise Security differ
AttributeMcAfee Total ProtectionSplunk Enterprise Security
Starting price$29.99/yearOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, Api
Founded19872003

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 Splunk Enterprise Security

  • Security monitoring
  • Incident review
  • Risk-based alerting
  • Threat intelligence
  • Investigation workbench
  • MITRE ATT&CK mapping
  • Automated response
  • Compliance reporting

What people use each for

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

McAfee Total Protection

  • Antivirusnot Splunk Enterprise Security
  • Internet Securitynot Splunk Enterprise Security
  • Identity Protectionnot Splunk Enterprise Security

Splunk Enterprise Security

  • Running a security operations centre on Splunk indexed log datanot McAfee Total Protection
  • Correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigationnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Compliance reporting from pooled security telemetrynot 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

Splunk Enterprise Security

  • Splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
  • Splunk publishes no rate for Enterprise Security and directs buyers to contact a pricing expert
  • UEBA, SOAR and automated threat analysis require the Premier edition rather than Essentials
  • The platform underneath can be billed by ingest volume, workload or activity, so the total cost depends on a pricing model chosen at contract time rather than a list price

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

Splunk Enterprise Security

On request
  • Workload PricingFree
    • Pay per compute
    • Flexible scaling
    • All features
  • Ingest PricingFree
    • Pay per GB ingested
    • Predictable costs
    • All features
  • Entity PricingFree
    • Pay per monitored entity
    • Security focused
    • All features

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 Splunk Enterprise Security if

  • You need security monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want incident review.

Questions people ask

Is McAfee Total Protection or Splunk Enterprise Security better?
Neither clearly leads. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, McAfee Total Protection or Splunk Enterprise Security?
McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request.
Does McAfee Total Protection or Splunk Enterprise Security run on more platforms?
McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Splunk Enterprise Security runs on Web, Api.
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 Splunk Enterprise Security is typically brought in for.
What can McAfee Total Protection do that Splunk Enterprise Security cannot?
McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Firewall, Safe browsing, Password manager. Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Incident review, Risk-based alerting, Threat intelligence.

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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