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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

McAfee Total Protection vs Vanta

McAfee Total Protection logo

McAfee Total Protection

Security & Cybersecurity

Award-winning antivirus trusted by millions

From
$29.99/year
Rated
-
Vanta logo

Vanta

Security & Cybersecurity

Compliance automation platform for SOC 2, ISO 27001 and similar frameworks.

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); Vanta no published pricing for any tier; all plans require requesting a demo and contacting sales

Where they differ

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

Attributes where McAfee Total Protection and Vanta differ
AttributeMcAfee Total ProtectionVanta
Starting price$29.99/yearOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, API
Founded1987Unknown

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 Vanta

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 Vanta
  • Internet Securitynot Vanta
  • Identity Protectionnot Vanta

Vanta

  • SaaS and fintech companies needing rapid SOC 2 certification for enterprise salesnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Healthcare organisations automating HIPAA compliance managementnot McAfee Total Protection
  • European companies managing GDPR and privacy compliancenot McAfee Total Protection
  • Organisations implementing ISO 27001 and other security standardsnot McAfee Total Protection
  • Companies conducting vendor security assessments and managing third-party risknot 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

Vanta

  • No published pricing for any tier; all plans require requesting a demo and contacting sales
  • Essentials tier limited to one compliance framework; organisations needing multiple frameworks must upgrade to higher tiers
  • Plus and Professional tiers feature unclear differentiation; specific pricing and included questionnaires not published
  • Enterprise pricing fully custom; no transparency on costs or what features are included
  • AI questionnaire automation capped at 25 annually in Plus tier, only 144 annually in Professional tier

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

Vanta

On request
  • Essentials$null/variable
    • One compliance framework
    • Vanta AI Agent features
    • Automated evidence collection
  • Plus$null/variable
    • All Essentials features
    • Enhanced AI Agent capabilities
    • AI-powered questionnaire automation (25 annually)
  • Professional$null/variable
    • All Plus features
    • 144 questionnaires annually (marked 'Most Popular')
    • Risk management tools
  • Enterprise$null/variable
    • Fully customisable package
    • Flexible, scalable, advanced compliance
    • Tailored to sophisticated GRC requirements

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 Vanta if

  • You work on Web, API.

Questions people ask

Is McAfee Total Protection or Vanta better?
Neither clearly leads. McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Vanta 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 Vanta?
McAfee Total Protection starts at $29.99/year and Vanta at On request.
Does McAfee Total Protection or Vanta run on more platforms?
McAfee Total Protection runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Vanta 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 Vanta is typically brought in for.
What can McAfee Total Protection do that Vanta 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
Vanta: How many compliance frameworks does Vanta support?

Vanta supports 35+ compliance frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR and custom frameworks.

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
Vanta: Does Vanta automate questionnaires?

Yes. Vanta's AI Agent can automate questionnaire completion, with the number of annually supported questionnaires varying by plan (25 in Plus tier, 144 in Professional tier).

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
Vanta: How many integrations does Vanta support?

Vanta integrates with 300+ pre-built system connections and supports over 90% automation of compliance tasks through these integrations.

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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