Choosing between McAfee VPN and NordVPN boils down to more than a few factors. If you’re after security, privacy, and streaming, the choice won’t be obvious at first. Both providers promise great things. But are their deliveries convincing?
McAfee is a cybersecurity giant known for an impressive package of security apps. It protects against viruses and malware, ensuring online privacy for its users. However, NordVPN isn’t your run-of-the-mill VPN. This provider is state-of-the-art, offering impenetrable encryption.
Moreover, NordVPN also includes antivirus and additional malware protection. This allows it to rival even other security apps, such as – you’ve guessed it – McAfee Plus. Today, however, we’ll compare NordVPN vs McAfee VPN by examining their in-app features.
This means we’ll test their VPN capabilities and discover what they offer as strictly VPN apps. For more information, you can read our McAfee VPN review since it’s a less-known option. If you’d rather read only this NordVPN vs McAfee VPN comparison, be our guest – enjoy!
McAfee VPN vs NordVPN: Our Quick Recap
The duel between NordVPN and McAfee VPN was an easy one. NordVPN won with a score of 8:1 and is overall, a more reliable package than McAfee VPN. Below, we list both VPNs’ advantages in case you’re busy and can’t read the entire thing.
McAfee is best for:
- Cheap subscription plans
NordVPN is best for:
- Unlimited streaming and P2P
- 256-bit AES encryption standard
- Double VPN servers
- Bypassing censorship in China
- 6,000+ servers in 60+ countries
- Verified no-logging policy
- Native Firestick TV client
McAfee VPN vs NordVPN: Apps & Ease of Use
Think of this as a warm-up round because we’re discussing only applications and ease of use of NordVPN and McAfee VPN. Both services have apps for major desktop and mobile systems like macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. McAfee stops there, unfortunately.
However, NordVPN fixes things up by including apps for several Linux distros, routers, gaming consoles, and tvOS. This means you can install it directly on Apple TV and enjoy streaming geo-blocked content. We like its support for other streaming devices.
Namely, NordVPN works on Fire TV, simultaneously offering an impeccable app for Android Smart TVs from Philips, Xiaomi, Sony, and many others. Its device compatibility is impressive, alas, it limits you to 6 simultaneous connections per subscription.
That’s, believe it or not, better than McAfee VPN whose 5 simultaneous connections are depressing. ExpressVPN offers 8, while CyberGhost comes with 7. Not to mention Surfshark and its unlimited connections for an even better experience.
McAfee VPN
Now that we touched upon the experience, McAfee VPN feels outdated, sluggish, and disappointing. Its Windows app has a pointless world map that you can’t use to connect. Instead, you’ll use a drop-down server list from the upper-right portion.
Unwrap the list, select the country, and click on Start Protection. When you do that, you’ll have to wait for 5-8 seconds, which is a very long connection period. To access other features, you’ll use the icons on the left side of the app window.
The Gear icon contains VPN settings – albeit not many – where you can tweak some settings. However, these are mainly basic options with nothing standing out. McAfee Safe Connect VPN has iOS and Android apps, both of which are… average at best.
They follow the same principle but we noticed they’re a tad more responsive. However, if you need an Android VPN or one for your iOS device, we don’t recommend McAfee VPN. Its rival NordVPN is better at optimizing its mobile apps and now, you’ll see why.
NordVPN
NordVPN feels and looks like a million dollars. Its Windows and macOS apps are beautiful, with a fully functional world map used to connect to the desired location.
Additionally, NordVPN is fairly quick and snappy, so connection times are no more than 3 seconds.
Open the server list on the left, click once on the county, and you’re there. NordVPN’s Settings are on the Gear icon, where you’ll find a heap of options. There’s the kill switch, split tunneling, protocol selection, DNS options, and so on…
Furthermore, NordVPN includes its advanced tools on the home screen if you look at the left-side menu. The Shield is your Threat Protection, and underneath, you’ll find Meshnet. All of these unique features of NordVPN are at your hand’s reach, making the app intuitive.
We’d like to mention its other apps as well – in particular, apps for iOS and Android phones. They’re almost identical to the one above, offering a world map, all 6,000+ servers, and even advanced security features like Threat Protection Lite.
These apps are optimized well, offering fast connections and low battery drain. The same applies to desktop apps often used on Windows laptops. During our NordVPN use, we noticed no particular battery stress or severe drain.
Who Wins?
Without a doubt, NordVPN WINS the first round of the McAfee VPN vs NordVPN analysis. Its device compatibility is above average, it has more simultaneous connections and comes with better-looking and more feature-packed apps.
Security & Privacy: Which One Is Safer to Use?
One thing leads to another and the chain of events in which we mentioned features brings us to security features! We blitzed through some of them quickly in the previous section but in this NordVPN vs McAfee VPN round, we’ll delve deeper into them.
Security Features
NordVPN and McAfee VPN share some security features – very few of them. Namely, both services use bank-grade encryption, also known as 256-bit AES encryption. Then, there’s a kill switch on both sides. It’s called Safe Reconnect in McAfee VPN to avoid confusion.
McAfee VPN is bare. It’s empty. This goes to show why it has no more features similar to NordVPN. Even their protocols are different but we’ll discuss that in the next sub-section of today’s insightful comparison.
What Are the Differences?
NordVPN uses NordLynx, a proprietary VPN protocol based on WireGuard. It’s perfect and has everything you need – speed, security, and privacy. McAfee VPN relies on the Catapult Hydra protocol, also used by Hotspot Shield and even Kaspersky VPN.
Catapult Hydra relies on OpenVPN TLS and in theory, it’s capable of bypassing censorship but we’ll see if that’s the case later. McAfee VPN offers no other features but NordVPN does. Some of the basic ones include split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and an ad blocker.
The latter comes in the Threat Protection bundle, which every subscription plan from NordVPN has. This bundle has antivirus plus malware protection to ensure 360-degree protection. NordVPN has RAM servers, which add to your privacy tremendously.
It means the server loses its information with each restart, which prevents the data from being compromised, as NordVPN can always restart the server and wipe it clean. Another benefit is Private DNS, which prevents third-party DNS services from tracking your DNS requests.
We also appreciate Meshnet, often used for remote control and access to other devices. NordVPN has a dark web monitor, which informs you if your accounts are compromised, letting you take action immediately.
NordVPN comes with vulnerability detection, which warns you about vulnerable apps on your computer. Finally, the VPN has PFS or Perfect Forward Secrecy, assigning unique encryption keys for each connection for additional privacy.
Is There a No-Logs Policy?
If you’re worried about logging practices and don’t fully trust VPN companies, you’re partially right. However, not all VPNs are malicious, so don’t generalize. Deciding between NordVPN and McAfee VPN will also come down to privacy, so let us go through their privacy policies and see if they keep logs.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN
As you know, McAfee is an American company. It’s based in California, which is one of the worst jurisdictions for a VPN service. Making things worse is a vague but LONG privacy policy, which makes it hard to tell what the company tried to signal.
On one side, it says it doesn’t log information that you receive or send on the internet. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see this isn’t true because McAfee VPN’s privacy policy takes a turn for the worse. In the collected info section, you’ll see an alarming sub-section.
Here, McAfee states it collects geolocation data, browsing history, IP address, mobile carrier details, etc. This is allegedly to provide the service and detect malware and spam but we don’t believe this because NordVPN keeps no logs and functions normally.
Besides, McAfee has no third-party audits and it won’t get any because the auditor would detect shocking information. Remember that McAfee offers many other security products, which, whether you want it or not, must monitor some of your private data.
That said, don’t believe everything you read on McAfee’s website – especially its bold no-logging claims that likely are faker than a three-dollar bill.
NordVPN
NordVPN takes us to the sunnier side of the beach – quite literally, as it’s based in Panama. Panama is an off-shore location with stringent privacy laws, which lays the foundation for a no-logging policy. Indeed, NordVPN is log-free, which is a breath of fresh air.
The VPN keeps no logs of your online history, IP address, DNS queries, geolocation data, and timestamps. This provider collects only technical data needed for troubleshooting, none of which can be used to identify you. If you don’t believe us, look at its few audits.
PwC and Deloitte audited NordVPN’s apps and privacy policy several times. Their audits are publicly available to anyone who wants to read them as well. NordVPN’s dedication to privacy is more than obvious and the company does its best to keep it that way.
Compare NordVPN to Hotspot Shield, another US VPN, and you’ll see the difference. NordVPN, along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, represents one of THE best options to stay anonymous online and enjoy your privacy.
Who Wins?
NordVPN WINS the second round against McAfee VPN, making the score 2:0. Do we need to explain why? It has more and better security features, comes with an audited no-logging policy, and is based in a privacy-friendly country. That wraps up this round.
NordVPN vs McAfee VPN Streaming Test
Streaming enthusiasts will think about whether to pick NordVPN or McAfee VPN in 2024. Let us start with NordVPN whose performance always blows us away. This VPN is relentless when it comes to unblocking geo-restricted content, especially Netflix catalogs.
It works with twenty and more, and with excellent performance, users can enjoy 4K movies and series as well. For streaming, NordVPN goes a step ahead, unblocking services like Hulu, Disney Plus, ABC, Peacock TV, and Paramount Plus.
We should mention its SmartDNS addition, which works with US streaming services and doesn’t require a VPN setup. NordVPN’s speeds ensure no buffering and with proper streaming optimization, you can unblock an entire world of content – sweet!
McAfee Safe Connect VPN isn’t so sweet. It’s bitter like a shot of tonic. Streaming with this VPN is hellishly bad, as it can’t unblock a single Netflix catalog. We tested at least 15 and none of them worked. Some even produced a Netflix error message as a result of a VPN detection.
Regardless, we tested other popular streaming services and detected that BBC iPlayer and Hotstar wouldn’t work. McAfee VPN unblocked some TV channels but the US ones are an obstacle, as their security measures easily detect this provider.
McAfee VPN isn’t a speed champ, though. This often produces unwanted buffering and longer loading times, especially when trying to watch 4K content on YouTube. After a while, the VPN stabilizes but if you use a more distant server, you’ll have to drop the quality a bit.
Who Wins?
Another round, another McAfee VPN’s failure. NordVPN WINS the streaming comparison by offering superior overall performance and unblocking capabilities than McAfee VPN. Such an impressive VPN for relaxing after a hard day’s work!
NordVPN vs McAfee VPN Speed Comparison
Which VPN is faster – McAfee VPN or NordVPN? While we trust you can anticipate the answer, let us still go through our tests. First of all, we’re in Southeastern Europe at the time of testing and our native internet speeds are displayed below:
We tested both VPNs for 3 days in a row, 3 times a day, across 4 VPN locations. To ensure we cover near and distant servers, we used locations in the UK, the US, Australia, and Japan. In both cases, we didn’t want to mess around with the protocols.
For NordVPN, that setting was on Auto, while McAfee VPN uses only Hydra, with no option to change the protocol. After all, that’s how most of you use a VPN, as the majority of people don’t really care that much about protocols and other mundane stuff.
Okay, so after extensive testing, we’ll check out the speed test results.
NordVPN
UK:
US:
Australia:
Japan:
McAfee VPN
UK:
US:
Australia:
Japan:
Who Wins?
Now that our results are up there, we can say that NordVPN WINS out over McAfee VPN. Isn’t it obvious that this is a faster VPN? NordVPN showed impressive results on all four locations, preserving our speeds and latency very well. That especially applies to the UK server.
McAfee VPN’s UK speed was disappointing and was already reduced by roughly 40%. Every other test displayed progressively worse results, with latency that reached almost 370 ms. NordVPN’s maximum latency was around 265 ms, which is far better.
Torrenting: NordVPN vs McAfee VPN
McAfee VPN has serious torrenting issues we couldn’t bypass. We connected to a random server and tried to download Linux Mint from a torrent site. This is a free OS, so it’s not a copyright violation. For some reason, the download wouldn’t start.
It’s as if the torrent had no seeds and peers, which, of course, wasn’t the case. We tested numerous servers from McAfee VPN and none of them worked for P2P for whatever reason. Only when we disconnected and tried torrenting without a VPN, did everything work.
NordVPN has no such issues and its P2P servers are master-class. Connect to any P2P server and start downloading torrents – it couldn’t be simpler. We often opt for a server close to us but NordVPN’s astonishing performance sees no boundaries.
For example, while in Europe, we used the US server many times and still managed to download at full speed! Additionally, we discovered that NordVPN works for P2P even when not using any of the torrent-optimized servers. For instance, Double VPN servers will work.
As you can see above, we used the Bulgarian VPN server and the process was smooth. NordVPN offers SOCKS5 if you want additional torrenting benefits but lacks port forwarding. Frankly, none of these are particularly handy, as NordVPN works perfectly either way.
Accompanied by its strong privacy and RAM-only servers, this VPN is also safe for P2P activities. Your ISP or anyone else won’t know what you downloaded, which is exquisite.
Who Wins?
As we couldn’t make McAfee VPN work for torrenting, NordVPN WINS this round. It doesn’t only work but does so wonderfully, with fast speeds and impenetrable security, both of which are vital for P2P activities.
Are NordVPN and McAfee VPN Working in China?
Getting over Chinese censorship is a tedious task for many VPNs. CyberGhost still isn’t working in China but does that mean you can pick McAfee or NordVPN instead? That’s only 50% true. McAfee VPN’s Hydra protocol doesn’t seem to phase the Great Firewall.
Our testers had no luck with it, no matter how many times they tried to connect and how many server locations they altered. McAfee VPN has no additional settings either, so if the service isn’t working, the only thing you can do is switch to another server.
The Catapult Hydra protocol isn’t capable of bypassing censorship. We tested Kaspersky VPN and got the same result. The same applies to Hotspot Shield and UltraVPN who also use Hydra. NordVPN turns the table again and includes obfuscated servers.
These servers use OpenVPN TCP with added obfuscation to further mask your VPN traffic. The traffic then looks like ordinary traffic and no VPN presence is detected, so NordVPN manages to slip through the cracks of the Great Firewall.
During our testing, the provider was reliable enough, working 9 out of 10 times without problems. Some issues can occur seldom but nothing you should be worried about. Also, obfuscated servers are numerous, allowing you to switch locations swiftly.
This allows you to even unblock geo-restricted streaming services, play games, and gamble on foreign gambling sites in China. Bear in mind that obfuscation works in Iran, the UAE, Qatar, and other censored parts of the world, making NordVPN exemplary.
Who Wins?
In this McAfee vs NordVPN comparison for 2024, NordVPN WINS in the censorship round. According to our exhaustive tests, it works in China and other censored regions, while McAfee VPN’s Hydra protocol drops the ball and loses its power.
NordVPN vs McAfee VPN Server Fleets
Having a larger server park results in vast possibilities. You can pick from many different locations, unblock a wider array of content, and enjoy the absence of potential overcrowding. So, which one is larger – McAfee VPN or NordVPN?
NordVPN (6,000+ servers in 60+ countries)
The Panamanian service offers a whopping 6,000+ servers in more than 60 countries. This is a prime example of a VPN done right, as it isn’t afraid of showcasing its server distribution and variety. The latter is displayed through many types of servers.
P2P, obfuscated, Onion over VPN, Double VPN, and even Dedicated IP servers are there. NordVPN has 10 Gbps servers and all are RAM-based, making them flagship-grade. Not to mention 2,000 servers in the United States, most of which will be attractive to foreigners.
We like NordVPN’s server distribution despite offering “only” 60+ countries. It has UAE servers and many of them are in Asia and Africa. The provider lacks Indian servers for security reasons but European servers are numerous.
Its servers are optimized for privacy, security, and speed. The VPN also uses a few virtual servers to cover the locations where physical presence is impossible. That said, NordVPN’s server park is one of the most extensive and ubiquitous, as it’s always been.
McAfee VPN (2,000+ servers in 40+ countries)
McAfee VPN’s server network is as average as it gets. The provider’s claims of 2,000+ servers in 40+ countries better be true because it sounds great. A VPN of this caliber would usually offer below 1,000 servers but it looks like these days are far behind us.
Nevertheless, McAfee VPN’s server park is decent on paper. Upon further examination, we noticed that its server distribution isn’t anything special. For instance, it has many servers in the US but some Asian and African locations are missing.
Also, McAfee VPN didn’t introduce us to its network properly in terms of technical stuff. We don’t know if these are 10 Gbps servers, whether they’re based on RAM, or anything else. Dedicated servers also aren’t here, so we’re discussing bog-standard offerings.
All in all, don’t get your hopes up about this service. We honestly doubt there are 2,000+ servers but hey, if it says so on “paper”, we have to deem it valid. No point in probing the company to divulge its perhaps confidential data.
Who Wins?
Our McAfee vs NordVPN server comparison should be clear result-wise. NordVPN WINS, as it offers more servers and countries than McAfee VPN, on top of which, it uses 10 Gbps RAM servers, along with dedicated servers for different purposes. It’s hard to beat NordVPN at its game.
Customer Support: NordVPN or McAfee VPN?
On this front, McAfee VPN and NordVPN are almost identical. They offer 24/7 live chat support and there’s email support for more pressing issues that require further examination from the support team. However, NordVPN responds a bit quicker.
We had a few issues with McAfee VPN and on one occasion, we spent 30 minutes trying to explain and fix the problem we had. With NordVPN, we had no problems, and contacting the support was swift and simple. Besides, NordVPN responds in 10-20 seconds.
McAfee VPN’s support is on the sluggish side, so sometimes, you’ll wait up to 5 minutes. Both services offer on-site help, such as FAQs, how-to guides, and blog posts. This isn’t anything new or revolutionary. Albeit, it’s good to know McAfee has its community.
It’s like a forum where you can post new threads and ask questions and other users will come to your aid. NordVPN lacks this but it’s not needed given the scope and quality of its user-friendly support team.
Who Wins?
Even when talking about customer support, NordVPN WINS against McAfee VPN. We had a better experience with it. Additionally, its live chat service works much better and responds quicker, which is nifty when you’re in a hurry.
NordVPN vs McAfeeVPN Pricing Comparison
Our NordVPN vs McAfee VPN comparison for 2024 will end in style. We’ll see which provider is cheaper and compare their subscription plans. This is a big factor for many but if you ask us, it should never be crucial if the quality difference between the two VPNs is large.
NordVPN
We’ll first examine NordVPN and its plans. As you can see below, the provider’s 2-year plans are more than affordable. We prefer its Standard plan, as it offers all of the features, including malware protection and antivirus, with an ad blocker titled CyberSec.
Currently, NordVPN offers 3 free months for all 2-year plans, which is exciting when the price is just over $3.3 a month. The Plus plan might be interesting for those who want NordPass, while the Ultimate (Complete) plan comes with 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage from NordLocker. That’s not all – we have annual plans as well.
These plans have no free months but they’re priced moderately. Remember that NordVPN is a flagship product and at under $5 a month for the Standard plan, you’re getting your money’s worth. Not to mention the Complete plan, which looks attractive here.
It’s marginally more expensive than its 2-year variant and here, you commit to only a year, which strikes a difference for many. The only thing we don’t recommend is going for any of the monthly plans. In this case, NordVPN becomes less affordable.
However, if you need a VPN for that much – a month or two – the Standard plan is enough. Bear in mind that all plans have a 30-day refund policy. If you don’t want to be charged again, you can cancel the plan and get a refund during this period.
McAfee VPN
Which VPN is cheaper – NordVPN or McAfee VPN? Let’s find out. The latter has a simpler pricing structure with only three plans. The cheapest is called Privacy and it includes only the VPN at $39.99 a year. As you can see, no monthly plans are there.
Absurdly, McAfee has this Privacy + Security plan that costs the SAME but includes Antivirus to complement its VPN. Both are for 5 devices and include features like web protection, a firewall, and a fire shredder that removes excess and useless files.
McAfee’s flagship plan is titled Privacy + Security + Identity. It includes everything we said plus features like personal data cleanup, online account cleanup, and $1M ID theft coverage. In this case, Antivirus covers unlimited devices too, while the VPN remains at 5.
The plan includes a password manager along with identity monitoring and a few other functions. At $89.99 a year, it’s a tad more expensive. However, users will likely get the plan in the middle at $40 a year or just around $3.3 a month.
McAfee VPN has a 30-day refund policy like NordVPN, so don’t worry if you need a refund.
Who Wins?
At the end of the day, despite its dwindling qualities, McAfee WINS the pricing round. No doubt, McAfee VPN is much cheaper than NordVPN, which is already affordable. However, this provider takes it a step further in affordability but several steps back in quality.
Conclusion: NordVPN Wins Against McAfee VPN!
The end of today’s comparison is yet another strong win for NordVPN. The final score is 8:1 for NordVPN, which outperforms McAfee VPN thanks to its technical prowess. We conclude that you should get NordVPN no matter how cheap McAfee VPN is.
In our NordVPN vs McAfee VPN analysis, the first provider constantly beat the other one in all aspects. It’s superior for privacy/security, streaming, torrenting, ease of use, and everything else. McAfee VPN snatched the win in the price category – a clear-cut win.
However, its low price is accompanied by questionable quality. If NordVPN is too expensive for your budget, you can perhaps buy CyberGhost instead. If you find NordVPN’s capabilities impressive and the price gap isn’t a problem, we see no reason to get McAfee VPN.
