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McAfee Total Protection vs Stytch

McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Software

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stytch logo

Stytch

Software

Identity platform with passwordless auth, passkeys and bot detection.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stytch has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: McAfee Total Protection significant renewal price increase after first year (from $29.99 to $84.99/year); Stytch free tier limited to 10,000 monthly active users; scaling beyond this requires custom pricing negotiation

Where they differ

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

Attributes where McAfee Total Protection and Stytch differ
AttributeMcAfee Total ProtectionStytch
Starting price$29.99/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, API
Founded1987Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Stytch

Nothing recorded that McAfee Total Protection does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

McAfee Total Protection

  • Antivirusnot Stytch
  • Internet Securitynot Stytch
  • Identity Protectionnot Stytch

Stytch

  • Applications prioritising passwordless and passkey authenticationnot McAfee Total Protection
  • SaaS platforms requiring AI agent authentication and machine-to-machine flowsnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Companies with emerging identity needs such as bot detection and device intelligencenot McAfee Total Protection
  • Organisations building with Next.js and React requiring modern auth patternsnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Applications needing transparent pricing without surprise tiers or feature gatingnot 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

Stytch

  • Free tier limited to 10,000 monthly active users; scaling beyond this requires custom pricing negotiation
  • Fraud prevention capabilities billed at $0.005 per fingerprint for usage exceeding 10,000 free checks
  • Additional SSO or SCIM connections beyond the 5 included in free tier cost $125 each
  • Brand customisation and email removal require one-time payment of $99
  • HIPAA and advanced fraud protection only available in Enterprise tier
  • No native UI builder; requires custom frontend development for fully-branded auth flows

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

Stytch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 monthly active users and AI agents
    • Unlimited organisations
    • 5 SSO or SCIM connections
  • Scaled$null/variable
    • Usage-based pricing for users exceeding 10,000
    • All free tier features
    • Volume discounts available
  • Enterprise$null/variable
    • Custom pricing
    • Discounted volume rates
    • Enterprise support SLA

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 Stytch if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
Stytch review

Questions people ask

Is McAfee Total Protection or Stytch better?
Neither clearly leads. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Stytch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, McAfee Total Protection or Stytch?
Stytch has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29.99/year for McAfee Total Protection and Free for Stytch.
Does McAfee Total Protection or Stytch run on more platforms?
McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Stytch runs on Web, API.
Can I use Stytch for free?
Yes. Stytch has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year.
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 Stytch is typically brought in for.
What can McAfee Total Protection do that Stytch cannot?
McAfee Total Protection covers Real-time antivirus, Firewall, Safe browsing, Password manager.

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
Stytch: What is included in Stytch's free tier?

The free tier includes 10,000 monthly active users (human and AI agents), unlimited organisations, 5 SSO or SCIM connections, and 1,000 machine-to-machine tokens with full authentication features.

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
Stytch: Does Stytch support AI agent authentication?

Yes. Stytch provides native AI agent authentication and authorisation, with support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for authenticating AI agents accessing external systems.

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
Stytch: What fraud prevention features does Stytch offer?

Stytch includes bot detection with 99.99% accuracy, device fingerprinting, invisible CAPTCHA, and zero-day device intelligence built into all tiers.

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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