McAfee Alternatives 2026: 6 Free Options
McAfee alternatives: Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Bitdefender Antivirus Free and 4 more. Prices and licenses checked October 25, 2026.
•3 min read•Security Software & Testing
Verdict:Leave McAfee if the renewal price is the problem. Older listings showed first-year US prices of $29.99 for one device and $39.99 for five, with much higher renewals, so check your own renewal notice for the current figure. On Windows, Microsoft Defender already provides real-time protection at no cost, and for most home users that is enough. Bitdefender Antivirus Free adds ransomware protection and a small VPN allowance. Avast and Avira cover Mac and phones for free, which matters if one McAfee plan protects the whole household. Malwarebytes is a good second scanner, but its real-time protection is paid. ClamAV only fits servers and technical users. The trade-off is what you lose beyond scanning: McAfee's paid bundles add identity monitoring and a VPN, which free tools only sample. Free suites also push upgrades. If you do not use those extras, uninstall McAfee properly with its removal tool before installing another antivirus, because two real-time scanners conflict. If you depend on identity monitoring across several family devices, compare prices before you drop it.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Free (built into Windows) | Windows | Windows users who want to stop paying | Docs only |
| Bitdefender Antivirus Free | Free (Free for Windows with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection; VPN capped at 200 MB per device per day) | Windows | A free Windows replacement | Docs only |
| Avast Free Antivirus | Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Free cover across Windows, Mac and Android | Docs only |
| Avira Free Security | Free (Free antivirus, password manager and VPN capped at 500 MB per month) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | A free all-platform suite | Docs only |
| Malwarebytes | Free (Free malware scanner; per a TechRadar review the free edition has no real-time protection) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | A second-opinion scanner or paid alternative | Docs only |
| ClamAV | Free | Linux, Windows, macOS | Servers and command-line users | Docs only |
| Norton 360 Deluxe | Paid from $119.99 per year, first-year price (Norton 360 Deluxe, 5 devices) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Antivirus | Docs only |
| Bitdefender Total Security | Paid from $59.99 per year, first-year price (Individual, 5 devices; $79.99 Family, 25 devices) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Antivirus | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You run Windows only and want to stop paying (Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the pick)
- You want stronger free protection than Defender (Bitdefender Antivirus Free is the pick)
- You protect a Mac or Android phone too (Avast Free Antivirus is the pick)
- You want a second opinion scan (Malwarebytes is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on McAfee features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
McAfee today: See pricing page (McAfee pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Compared with McAfee: Included with Windows with real-time protection, so there is nothing to renew, unlike McAfee's paid plans. It is Windows only and has no identity or VPN extras.
Price: Free (built into Windows) (Microsoft Defender Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: Windows users who want to stop paying.
Worth knowing: Windows only; central management needs a paid Microsoft product.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free
Compared with McAfee: A free Windows antivirus with real-time and basic ransomware protection, plus a VPN capped at 200 MB per device per day. Mac, iOS and Android need Bitdefender's paid plans.
Price: Free (Free for Windows with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection; VPN capped at 200 MB per device per day) (Bitdefender Antivirus Free pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: A free Windows replacement.
Avast Free Antivirus
Compared with McAfee: Free for Windows, Mac and Android, so a Mac family can leave McAfee without paying. The free app may ask to reactivate after 12 months.
Price: Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) (Avast Free Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Free cover across Windows, Mac and Android.
Avira Free Security
Compared with McAfee: Free antivirus with a password manager and a VPN limited to 500 MB per month on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. The extras are small compared with McAfee's paid suites.
Price: Free (Free antivirus, password manager and VPN capped at 500 MB per month) (Avira Free Security pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: A free all-platform suite.
Malwarebytes
Compared with McAfee: Free Windows scanner for cleanup, with real-time protection behind a paid plan. Check the current Premium price and compare it with McAfee's renewal price.
Price: Free (Free malware scanner; per a TechRadar review the free edition has no real-time protection) (Malwarebytes pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: A second-opinion scanner or paid alternative.
ClamAV
Compared with McAfee: Open-source scanner for servers and technical users, free on Linux, Windows and macOS. It has no consumer interface or real-time scanning by default.
Price: Free (ClamAV pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Linux, Windows, macOS. GPL-2.0 (open source).
Project activity: 7.5k GitHub stars · latest release clamav-1.5.4 (Aug 7, 2026) · last commit Oct 22, 2026
Best for: Servers and command-line users.
Worth knowing: Scanner and signature updates only; no central console or behavioural EDR.
Other popular options (paid)
Norton 360 Deluxe
Compared with McAfee: Norton 360 Deluxe covers 5 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones at $119.99 for the first year and bundles a VPN, dark web monitoring, privacy monitor and parental controls with antivirus. The page shows the renewal price separately.
Price: Paid from $119.99 per year, first-year price (Norton 360 Deluxe, 5 devices) (Norton 360 Deluxe pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Bitdefender Total Security
Compared with McAfee: Total Security Individual covers 5 devices at $59.99 for the first subscription year, with a Family tier at $79.99 for 25 devices and a 30-day trial without a card. The price applies to the first year only.
Price: Paid from $59.99 per year, first-year price (Individual, 5 devices; $79.99 Family, 25 devices) (Bitdefender Total Security pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Which one to pick
- You run Windows only and want to stop paying: Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- You want stronger free protection than Defender: Bitdefender Antivirus Free
- You protect a Mac or Android phone too: Avast Free Antivirus
- You want a second opinion scan: Malwarebytes
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Bitdefender Antivirus Free, Avast Free Antivirus, Avira Free Security, Malwarebytes, ClamAV: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from McAfee. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
More in Security Software & Testing
- Malwarebytes alternatives
- Kaspersky alternatives
- Bitdefender Total Security alternatives
- Norton 360 Deluxe alternatives
Sources
- McAfee pricing
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus pricing
- Bitdefender Antivirus Free pricing
- Avast Free Antivirus pricing
- Avira Free Security pricing
- Malwarebytes pricing
- Malwarebytes (more detail)
- Malwarebytes (more detail)
- ClamAV pricing
- ClamAV license
- ClamAV GitHub repository
- Norton 360 Deluxe pricing
- Bitdefender Total Security pricing
Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-25: McAfee, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Bitdefender Antivirus Free, Avast Free Antivirus, Avira Free Security, Malwarebytes, ClamAV, Norton 360 Deluxe, Bitdefender Total Security. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.