N
NMcAfee vs Surfshark
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
M
Choose McAfee if…
- you're in its core audience: home users, families
S
Choose Surfshark if…
- you work on Windows, macOS, Linux
- you're in its core audience: privacy-conscious individuals, families
Side by side
Feature McAfee Surfshark
Pricing modelPricing unknownPaid
Starting price—$2.49/mo
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Data retention—Does not log online activity; servers RAM-only, wiped on restart
Platforms—Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome
CategoryAntivirusVPN
CompanyMcAfeeSurfshark B.V.
Full feature lists
M McAfee
- Antivirus and malware protection
- McAfee+ plans that include identity protection
- Individual and family subscription plans
S Surfshark
- 4500+ servers in 100 countries at 10 Gbps
- Unlimited simultaneous devices
- Split tunneling, rotating IP and double VPN
- Ad and cookie pop-up blocker
- Antivirus with real-time scans and webcam protection
- Scam text detection and AI email scam checker
- Data leak alerts for email, ID and credit cards
- Masked email and persona generator
What you'd pay
The cheapest plan that fits, per month, billed yearly where the plan offers it.
McAfee
Pricing unknown. Plan details aren't published.
Surfshark
Surfshark Starter$2.49/mo ($67.23 for first 27 months), or $2.99/mo on 12-month plan ($44.85 for first 15 months), or $18.95/mo billed monthly
Surfshark One$2.49/mo ($67.23 for first 27 months), or $3.09/mo on 12-month plan ($46.35 for first 15 months), or $19.95/mo billed monthly
Surfshark One+$3.99/mo ($107.73 for first 27 months), or $6.99/mo on 12-month plan ($104.85 for first 15 months), or $22.85/mo billed monthly
Price changes we've recorded
We re-read each pricing page every month and log what changed.
McAfee
No changes since we started tracking.
Surfshark
- Nov 7, 2026Starting price: none → $2.49/mo; Surfshark Starter: £1.79/mo (£48.33 for first 27 months) → $2.49; Surfshark One: £1.79/mo (£48.33 for first 27 months) → $2.49; Surfshark One+: £2.89/mo (£78.03 for first 27 months) → $3.99
Strengths and limitations
McAfee
- Individual and family plans available
- One subscription bundles device security with identity protection
- Introductory first-year prices renew at a higher regular rate
Surfshark
- Unlimited devices on one account
- 4500+ servers in 100 countries with RAM-only, audited no-logs setup
- Antivirus certified by AV-Test
- 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 support
- No free plan
- Identity theft coverage limited to US residents, excluding New York State
- Incogni data removal only for US, UK, EU, Swiss and Canadian residents
- Scam call protection not yet available
More comparisons
Other options to consider
NN
From $1.67/mo
B
BB
Freemium
B
Antivirus and security suites for homes, small businesses and enterprises
AntivirusFree plan
A
AA
Freemium
E
EE
Paid
I
II
From $2.19/mo
V
VV
From $1.99/mo
Facts from each vendor's public pages, prices checked Nov 7, 2026. Editorial policy