BitDefender vs. McAfee

When it comes time to choosing antivirus protection, consumers often narrow down the choices to a couple of applications.

At that point, at least for the most part, it's a matter of assembling facts and features, where you're gathering the relative merits (or shortcomings) of particular security software.

Our goal with these antivirus comparison pages is to help consumers look at not just the two A/V applications being compared but also at other software he or she may not have otherwise considered.

Read on to compare:
BitDefender Antivirus vs. McAfee Antivirus.

$24.95*

Vs.

$39.99*

<< previous: BitDefender vs Norton

Which Has the Best Real-time Protection?

BitDefender	McAfee
Real-time protection by BitDefender scans files, web pages, and email for incoming virus attacks with ease. Testing gave BitDefender antivirus a 96% success rate at defeating viruses and malware. This is a very high score, given that no antivirus application is 100% accurate. It's first-class antivirus software with solid real-time protection.	McAfee's real-time antivirus protection is still good this year, but slightly less effective than BitDefender. Testing showed McAfee to rank slightly behind the competitors overall in real-time protection. While no antivirus is 100% accurate, McAfee could do a little better.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender With a 96% accuracy rate, BitDefender easily wins this round in real-time antivirus protection.

Which is Most Effective Against Spyware?

BitDefender	McAfee
BitDefender's antispyware feature protects (and protects well) against spyware threats to your PC. Spyware definition updates are downloaded at hourly intervals to keep your computer safe and up to date with the most current spyware protection. During independent testing, BitDefender scored high marks in identifying and defeating spyware.	The antispyware feature on McAfee isn't as effective as it could be. Independent testing showed several known spyware threats that got past McAfee. Unfortunately, the latest spyware and malware definitions only come out daily. Not fast enough in our book. You need hourly or faster for the most up to date protection.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender In overall spyware detection and prevention, BitDefender comes out on top between these two antivirus / antispyware applications.

Which Has the Lowest Resource Usage?

BitDefender	McAfee
On average, BitDefender did better than McAfee in the resource usage department. During a manual scan, BitDefender used only half of the memory McAfee used. The CPU percentage used during a scan was slightly above that of McAfee. During real-time protection, BitDefender came in well under 4% of total memory used while McAfee was just over 4%.	McAfee's resource usage was a bit on the heavy side for our liking. During a manual scan, McAfee antivirus used twice the memory BitDefender did making it one of the heaviest manual scans among competitors. CPU usage faired better for McAfee coming in just under BitDefender. Total memory used during real time protection was back in the sluggish range ranking just over 4% while BitDefender ranked well under.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender BitDefender nudges slightly ahead in low resource usage. In comparison, it's still lighter and faster than McAfee where it counts.

Which Has the Best User Interface?

BitDefender	McAfee
The BitDefender user interface is relatively clean, simple, and easy to use. The features are sectioned off into tabs instead of all on one page. Unfortunately, this requires the user to click around to find what they need, but still simple enough to navigate. Overall, the user interface for BitDefender is intuitive and functional.	While the McAfee user interface is gray and uninspired, it gets the job done. The UI is easy to use, and clean. All of the basic features are listed on the left side like a standard website. System status is clearly located on the right for easy identification. Basic and advanced options are available for the beginner or more advanced user.
RESULT: Tie Both BitDefender and McAfee have easy to use and functional user interfaces.

Which Has the Best Customer Support?

BitDefender	McAfee
Unfortunately, there have been several complaints about BitDefender's antivirus customer support. They do offer email, free chat, and free phone support. However, you'll need to click into at least 12 different sections before you can even access their phone support. You'll then be required to create a new account if you wish to continue. Phone support should be free and easy to find, in our opinion. If other companies have managed to do it, so can BitDefender.	McAfee's customer support is standard for the most part, but could offer free, easy-access phone support. Email and free chat are available along with a knowledge base. A "Virtual Technician" is also available (a piece of software that you download to "fix" your problem), but we don't have much faith in robotic service. And there's still no manual or online tutorial if you need more basic info. Overall, McAfee's support is average at best.
RESULT: Tie Both BitDefender and McAfee could really improve their game by providing free, easy to find phone support for all paying customers.

Which is Easiest to Install?

BitDefender	McAfee
Installing BitDefender is relatively quick and painless. A standard installation wizard will guide you through all the necessary questions for setup, then the installation will complete without any issues. Resource usage is at a minimum during the process and there shouldn't be any significant problems.	Installation for McAfee antivirus is simple and shouldn't provide any real problems. They've created a faster installation for the most part this year (install times vary per computer). A standard set-up wizard prompts you for answers, then the installation completes without any noticeable trouble.
RESULT: Tie BitDefender and McAfee both have fast and easy installation processes.

Which Has the Best Email Virus Protection?

BitDefender	McAfee
Email virus protection is not enabled by default for some reason in BitDefender antivirus. This is concerning because there are so many known virus and spyware threats that are transmitted through email. However, once you activate email protection in the Advanced View section, BitDefender does a fine job at scanning and protecting incoming emails before they hit your PC.	McAfee's email virus protection is active but could still be more effective. Email clients that support POP3 are all supported as is most web mail. However, testing showed McAfee to perform with mixed results. Independent testing showed average to good email protection depending on the test. Many users have reported McAfee's email protection to less than effective.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender Even though BitDefender's email protection is turned off by default, once turned on, BitDefender's email protection is equal to that of its virus protection.

What's the Best Antivirus Software?

BitDefender	McAfee
While BitDefender isn't our "best antivirus software" this year, it certainly holds a strong number two position for good reason. Even with poor customer support, BitDefender gets high marks for excellent protection right out of the box. We voted BitDefender number one last year due to its top-notch antivirus, antispyware, and malware protection. The resource usage falls into the acceptable range, and the user interface is clean and functional. Overall, still an excellent antivirus solution.	McAfee still holds a large market share based on its long-standing reputation over the years. However, they've let a few things slide with their lower ranking test results, and slightly sluggish performance. Still, McAfee is a suitable antivirus application despite its flaws. We'd like to see better customer support, and tighter controls in the real-time protection department. There are better options for antivirus this year, but McAfee can still be a viable option for loyal users.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender BitDefender is less expensive than McAfee and packs a more powerful punch in the antivirus department. BitDefender is a better option this year if you're looking for something a little lighter, faster, and overall more powerful.

BitDefender vs McAfee: Conclusion

BitDefender	McAfee
#1 $24.95*	#2 $39.99*
* No coupon currently available.	* No coupon currently available.
CONCLUSION: Winner BitDefender