McAfee vs Quick Heal Total Security (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, McAfee and Quick Heal Total Security share a 2.8 GPA, and only McAfee has a free plan.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
McAfee grades higher on ease of use. Quick Heal Total Security grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
McAfee
Antivirus, VPN and identity monitoring for PCs, Macs and phones
Quick Heal Total Security
Antivirus suite for Windows, Mac and Android with parental controls
Which one is for you
Pick McAfee if
- Fits if scam texts and phishing emails worry you more than viruses
- Works for households covering PCs, Macs and phones on one 5-device subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want real protection for free, as the free app only scans one device
- Pricey if you renew, as Essential goes from $39.99 to $119.99 a year
- Pricey if you go for McAfee+ Advanced, at $199.99 a year after an $89.99 first year, or $19.99 a month in the iPhone app
- Watch out: every plan renews by itself at full price, and first-year prices are for new customers only
- Watch out: McAfee says not every feature is available on every device, location or plan
Pick Quick Heal Total Security if
- Fits if you want a low yearly price for one Windows PC or Android phone
- Works for a family on 3 or 5 mixed Windows, Mac and Android devices
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use an iPhone, as no iPhone product is listed
- Watch out: every price sits next to a higher crossed-out one with no end date, so renewal prices are unknown
- Not for you if you are outside India and want identity monitoring, as dark web monitoring is described with Aadhaar and PAN
- Tight if you want one licence for everything: Windows, Mac and Android are sold as different products
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMcAfeeGood | 2.8GPAQuick Heal Total SecurityGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEssential covers 5 devices for $39.99 the first year, then $119.99, so two years cost $159.98, about $6.67 a month. That's right at the dearer quarter of antivirus, short of the dearest tenth. The renewal is three times the first year. | BTotal Security is $30 a year, $2.50 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of antivirus ($2.92 and under). Mobile Security is $10 and Antivirus Pro $12. The renewal price is not stated. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free McAfee Security app covers one device with a Wi-Fi scan, an identity scan and a system scan. That's a look, not protection: safe browsing, the VPN and scam detection all need a paid plan. | CFree one-month trials of Internet Security (Windows) and Mobile Security (Android). The pages read do not mention a card. |
| Features | BScam Detector for texts and emails, safe browsing, a VPN from the Basic plan up, breach alerts for up to 10 emails and cards, and on McAfee+ data broker cleanup and $1M identity theft cover. McAfee notes not every feature is on every device. | BAnti-ransomware, parental control, scam and phishing protection, dark web monitoring, safe banking and backup on Total Security. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job. |
| Ease of use | A4.72 from about 239,000 App Store ratings, the highest score from the biggest crowd in this category. | BNo store rating on record. It is installed software with nothing to set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Android and iPhone. No web app, integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac and Android, with a multi-device licence for 3 or 5 devices. No iPhone app listed. |
| Best for | scam checks and identity monitoring across devices | cheap antivirus for Windows and Android |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: McAfee and Quick Heal Total Security. How we grade
Price against what you get
McAfee starts at $10 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Quick Heal Total Security starts at $0.83 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
McAfee scores higher, and starts $9.17 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, none scores higher than McAfee for less, and none scores higher than Quick Heal Total Security for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- McAfee also covers vPN.
At a glance
| McAfee | Quick Heal Total Security | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $119.99 per year for 5 devices at renewal (Essential), after a first year at $39.99 | $10 per year for 1 user (Mobile Security, listed at $20) |
| Free plan | The free McAfee Security mobile app covers one device with a Wi-Fi scan, an identity scan and a system scan. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free one-month trials of Internet Security Essentials (Windows) and Mobile Security (Android) |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | McAfee, LLC | Quick Heal Technologies Limited |
| Price read from | mcafee.com | quickheal.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
McAfee
- First-year prices are for new customers only, and every plan renews automatically each year at its full price.
- In the iPhone app, McAfee+ Advanced is sold as an in-app subscription at $199.99 a year or $19.99 a month.
- The free app only scans; safe browsing, the VPN and scam detection need a paid plan.
- McAfee notes that not every feature is available on every device, location or plan.
Quick Heal Total Security
- Prices are shown against a higher crossed-out figure with no end date, so renewal prices are not stated on the pages read.
- Dark web monitoring is described with Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar and PAN, which suggests it is built mainly for buyers in India.
- Each tier is a separate one-year licence; Windows, Mac and Android editions are sold as different products.
- The pages read describe the Total Security tier at one user for one year; a 5-device Multi-Device licence costs $20 more than 3 devices.
Key features
McAfee
- Scam Detector
- Flags risky texts and emails, explains what is wrong with them, and blocks harmful sites even after an accidental click.
- Secure VPN
- Encrypts traffic on public Wi-Fi and lets you connect through other countries. Included from the Basic Protection plan up.
- Safe browsing and device scans
- Blocks malicious websites automatically, scans the device and Wi-Fi networks for risks, and guides you through fixing what it finds.
- Identity and credit monitoring
- Watches for up to 10 email addresses, ID numbers, passport numbers and bank cards in breaches; McAfee+ adds transaction and credit monitoring.
- Personal data and account cleanup
- McAfee+ Advanced finds sites selling your information and old online accounts, and can ask for removal or delete them for you.
- Identity theft coverage
- Higher plans include $1M identity theft coverage, restoration help from a licensed professional, and security freeze and credit lock tools.
Quick Heal Total Security
- Anti-ransomware
- Total Security lists an AI-powered anti-ransomware feature that the page says blocks ransomware before it can encrypt files.
- Parental control
- Lets parents monitor and manage a child's online activity. The product page lists it among the features of the Total Security tier.
- Scam and phishing protection
- Scam link protection blocks dangerous sites, phishing and email filtering is listed, and AntiFraud.AI checks URLs, emails and apps for fraud.
- Dark web monitoring
- Scans the dark web for leaked data such as phone numbers, emails and passwords and gives a privacy score. The page names Indian IDs such as Aadhaar and PAN.
- Safe Banking and data backup
- Safe Banking sets up a protected environment for online transactions, and Data Backup keeps copies of important files.
- SIA assistant and metaProtect
- SIA is an in-app chatbot that explains alerts, and metaProtect manages protection on all of a user's devices with one login.
Plans
McAfee
Total Protection Essential$119.99
per year for 5 devices at renewal, after a first year
Core protection for five devices, with antivirus and Scam Detector. New customers pay $39.99 for the first year, then it renews at $119.99 a year.
McAfee+ Premium Individual$149.99
per year for unlimited devices at renewal, after a first year
Unlimited devices for one person, with personal info scans and 24/7 monitoring. The first year costs $49.99, then $149.99 a year.
McAfee+ Advanced Individual$199.99
per year for unlimited devices at renewal, after a first year
Adds personal info removal, bank and credit monitoring and identity restoration. The first year costs $89.99, then $199.99 a year.
Quick Heal Total Security
Mobile Security$10
per year for 1 user, Android
Android app. Shown at $10 against a crossed-out $20 with no end date.
Antivirus Pro$12
per year for 1 user, Windows
Entry Windows tier. Shown at $12 against a crossed-out $30 with no end date.
Internet Security$18
per year for 1 user, Windows
Adds protection for browsing, banking and email. Shown at $18 against a crossed-out $40.
Total Security$30
per year for 1 user, Windows
Adds parental control, dark web monitoring, anti-ransomware and data backup. Shown at $30 against a crossed-out $60.
Total Security for Mac$30
per year for 1 user, Mac
Mac edition of Total Security. Shown at $30 against a crossed-out $60 with no end date.
Total Security Multi-Device$30
per year for 3 devices ($50 for 5 devices)
One licence for Windows, Mac and Android devices. Shown at $30 against a crossed-out $60.
Ways to pay less
McAfee
- Other savings
First year of Essential for $39.99
New customers pay $39.99 for the first year of Total Protection Essential, then $119.99 a year. Premium is $49.99, then $149.99, and Advanced $89.99, then $199.99.
Quick Heal Total Security
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, McAfee or Quick Heal Total Security?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Quick Heal Total Security is cheaper to start with: $0.83 a month when paid by the year, against $10 a month when paid by the year for McAfee. McAfee starts at $119.99 per year for 5 devices at renewal (Essential), after a first year at $39.99, and Quick Heal Total Security starts at $10 per year for 1 user (Mobile Security, listed at $20).
Which has a free plan, McAfee or Quick Heal Total Security?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only McAfee has a free plan. Quick Heal Total Security does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do McAfee and Quick Heal Total Security run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only McAfee lists an iOS app. Both list macOS, Windows and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.