McAfee+ Premium vs Norton 360 Deluxe
Both cost $49.99 for the first year in Tom’s Guide’s deals and scored 6/6 at AV-Test. McAfee+ Premium covers unlimited devices; Norton 360 Deluxe covers five but is Tom’s Guide’s best antivirus overall.
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Quick answer
Get McAfee+ Premium if you have more than five devices in the household: it covers unlimited devices and had the lowest system impact in AV-Comparatives’ test. Get Norton 360 Deluxe for more scan options, 50GB cloud backup and Tom’s Guide’s #1-rated protection. Both renew at much higher prices.
Last updated Prices checked Oct 2026
Check McAfee+ Premium pricing (opens in a new tab)Check Norton 360 Deluxe pricing (opens in a new tab)
Key facts at a glance
| McAfee+ Premium | Norton 360 Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|
| First-year price | $49.99 (Individual, Tom’s Guide) | $49.99 (Tom’s Guide deal); $119.99 at Norton list |
| Tom’s Guide rank | #5; best for families | #1 best overall |
| Renewal | About three times the first-year price (Tom’s Guide) | Sharp jump (Tom’s Guide) |
| Devices | Unlimited | 5 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones (Norton) |
| AV-Test (Feb 2026) | 6/6 protection, performance, usability | 6/6 protection, performance, usability |
McAfee’s site blocked our fetcher, so McAfee prices come from Tom’s Guide[1]. See also best antivirus.
McAfee+ Premium vs Norton 360 Deluxe: side-by-side
| McAfee+ Premium | Norton 360 Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|
| Tom’s Guide rank | #5; best for families | #1 best overall |
| First-year price | $49.99 (Individual, Tom’s Guide) | $49.99 (Tom’s Guide deal); $119.99 at Norton list |
| Renewal | About three times the first-year price (Tom’s Guide) | Sharp jump (Tom’s Guide) |
| Devices | Unlimited | 5 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones (Norton) |
| AV-Test (Feb 2026) | 6/6 protection, performance, usability | 6/6 protection, performance, usability |
| AV-Comparatives (Apr 2026) | 90/100; impact 3.3 (lower is better) | 90/100; impact 5.3 |
| Scans | Quick (29 sec) and full (34 min 40 sec) | Quick, full, targeted and startup |
| Game FPS during full scan | 99 → 87 | 118 → 105 |
| Extras | Unlimited VPN, scam detector, identity monitoring, password manager | VPN, 50GB cloud backup, password manager, firewall, deepfake protection |
| Support | 24/7 phone and chat | 24/7 phone, email and chat |
How much do they cost?
McAfee+ Premium plans
| Option | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Individual | $49.99 first year | Unlimited devices; renews at about 3x |
Norton 360 Deluxe plans
| Option | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AntiVirus Plus | $59.99 first year | 1 device |
| 360 Standard | $94.99 first year | 3 devices |
| 360 Deluxe | $119.99 first year at Norton; $49.99 via Tom’s Guide | 5 devices, 50GB backup |
| 360 with LifeLock Select Plus | $189.99 first year | 10 devices |
What are the pros and cons?
McAfee+ Premium: pros
- Unlimited devices
- Lowest system impact (AV-Comparatives)
- VPN has no data limits
McAfee+ Premium: cons
- Slow full scan
- Renews at about three times the price
Norton 360 Deluxe: pros
- Tom’s Guide’s best antivirus
- More scan types
- 50GB cloud backup
Norton 360 Deluxe: cons
- Only five devices on Deluxe
- Some features paywalled
- Big renewal jump
Which should you choose: McAfee+ Premium or Norton 360 Deluxe?
Protection is a tie in the lab tests Tom’s Guide[1] cites. McAfee is the better deal for big households because it has no device limit. Norton is the more complete package for a single person or couple and is Tom’s Guide’s top pick.
Choose McAfee+ Premium if…
- You have more than five devices
- You want an unlimited VPN
- You care most about low system impact
Choose Norton 360 Deluxe if…
- You have five or fewer devices
- You want cloud backup
- You want more scan options
Lab results
Watch renewal prices
Both use low first-year prices. Tom’s Guide[1] says McAfee renews at about three times the cost, and Norton’s list price for 360 Deluxe is $119.99. For other choices, see Norton vs Bitdefender and best free antivirus.
Frequently asked questions
Is McAfee or Norton better?
How many devices does Norton 360 Deluxe cover?
Does McAfee slow down your computer?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Oct 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- Tom’s Guide: The best antivirus software (2026) (tomsguide.com)
- Norton: Products and plans (us.norton.com)
- PCMag: The best antivirus software (pcmag.com)
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