McAfee identity theft protection review 2024
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 12:06 p.m. UTC Oct. 5, 2023
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Our Take
McAfee isn’t the most affordable or best-rated company for identity theft protection. Plan prices start low, but you’ll need to buy a mid-tier or high-end plan if you want some of the main features associated with identity protection.
McAfee updated its offerings in Sept. and Oct. of 2023, now using AI tools for some of its identity theft protection plans to detect phishing and smishing scams. The company also did away with its previous pricing structure, in which plan prices skyrocketed after the first year.
Pros
- Password manager and dark web monitoring included in all plans.
- Most plans use AI to detect phishing and smishing scams.
- 30-day money back guarantee.
Cons
- Several plans don’t include virus protection, identity theft insurance coverage and credit monitoring.
- Low ratings from customers.
- Identity theft coverage isn’t available for New York state residents.
McAfee plans & costs
McAfee offers six different identity protection plans starting at $29.99 a year. Regardless of which plan you choose, you’ll get these two features:
- Protection score: A score up to 1,000 points that reflects your personal security based on details such as whether your information was exposed in a data breach or is found on the dark web.
- Identity monitoring: Dark web monitoring, alerts and restoration support.
For some of the valuable protections you might want, such as credit monitoring and VPNs, you’ll have to pay for one of McAfee’s higher-tiered plans, which cost up to $279.99 for individuals.
McAfee+ identity theft plans for individuals
| PRIVACY & IDENTITY GUARD | PREMIUM | ADVANCED | ULTIMATE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Price
| $89.99 (Advanced plan)
| $49.99 for the first year; then $149.99 thereafter
| $99.99 for the first year; then $199.99 thereafter
| $199.99 for the first year; then $279.99 thereafter
|
Unlimited devices
| X
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
Identity monitoring
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
Anti-virus
| X
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
VPN
| X
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
Financial transaction monitoring
| X
| X
| ✓
| ✓
|
Credit monitoring
| X
| X
| Monthly
| Daily
|
Identity theft coverage
| X
| X
| $1M
| $2M
|
*Public offers may differ from the offers found in this article.
If you’re looking for protection for your whole family, you can upgrade any of McAfee’s individual plans to cover up to two adults and four children.
McAfee’s family plans ongoing prices range from $169.99 to $424.99. Generally, the higher priced plans include far more valuable features, like credit monitoring and insurance, but they all come with:
- Coverage for unlimited devices
- Parental controls
- Social privacy manager
- Expert online support
Aura Individual
Disclosure
¹$1,000,000 Identity Theft Insurance for Eligible Losses: Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group‚ Inc.. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.
No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively.
What is McAfee and how does it work?
McAfee was founded in 1987 as McAfee Associates, an antivirus provider. Today, the company, which is headquartered in San Jose, California, is self-described as an “online protection company.
Over the years McAfee has added a handful of identity theft protection tools to its roster, and the company now offers McAfee+ subscription plans that include anything from individual credit monitoring to family plans with parental controls and social media security. You can also buy separate products from McAfee, such as packages of multiple VPNs.
To set up an identity theft protection plan, you’ll need to go to the website and provide your email address and payment information. McAfee offers a 30-day money back guarantee, and you can cancel by logging into your McAfee account to un-select auto-renewal. Just note that many customers report receiving charges even after they cancel.
Key features
Before choosing a McAfee+ identity protection plan, you’ll want to take a close look at the plan’s features. Each plan includes dark web monitoring and a password manager, which generates and stores complex and unique passwords for each of your online accounts.
But several plans lack the key security features associated with identity protection, such as:
- Identity theft insurance coverage.
- Security for multiple devices.
- Credit monitoring.
- Financial transaction monitoring.
- Access to licensed restoration experts.
How McAfee compares
You can find low-priced plans through McAfee, but they don’t necessarily compete with plans you’ll find elsewhere.
Take Identity Guard, for example. Their most affordable plan, which costs $6.67 a month (if you pay annually), includes $1M in identity theft insurance, and the mid-tier plan ($13.33 if you pay annually) comes with credit report and score monitoring. To get insurance protection and credit monitoring from McAfee, you’d have to purchase the Advanced plan for $199.99 a year ($16.67 a month).
For large families, you may also need to look elsewhere. While McAfee’s family plans cover up to two adults and four children, LifeLock by Norton covers five kids and Identity Guard’s family plan covers five adults and unlimited children.
For credit protection, Experian’s free IdentityWorks plan could be your best choice, although it does not come with device security features.
| STARTING PRICE PER MONTH | STARTING ANNUAL PRICE | ID THEFT INSURANCE | DARK WEB MONITORING | VPN | ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION | FAMILY PLANS AVAILABLE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
McAfee Mobile Security
| $2.50
| $29.99
| X
| ✓
| ✓
| X
| ✓
|
Experian IdentityWorks (Basic)
| $0
| $0
| X
| ✓
| X
| X
| ✓
|
Identity Guard
| $8.99
| $80.04
| ✓
| ✓
| X
| X
| ✓
|
LifeLock by Norton
| $11.99
| $89.99 (first year; then $124.99)
| ✓
| ✓
| X
| X
| ✓
|
Final verdict
McAfee identity theft plans are available for just a few dollars a month, and each plan includes dark web monitoring and a password manager. But you may not be inclined to shell out the extra money needed for a plan with virus protection, identity theft monitoring or credit monitoring.
On top of that, one recent study suggests that free antivirus programs are more effective than paid ones. But even if you do want to pay, keep in mind that McAfee has poor ratings from customers, and their family plans don’t cover as many people as some competitors’ plans do.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
McAfee’s identity theft protection is not free. Plans for individuals range from $29.99 to $279.99 a year and family plans range from $169.99 to $424.99.
McAfee identity theft protection plans have features that can protect your iPhone. The lowest priced plan (the Mobile Security plan) covers one device, but users get identity monitoring regardless of which plan they choose.
McAfee does collect users’ internet browsing information. The information they collect may include search history, websites you visit and your geolocation.
McAfee will either permanently delete, destroy, or de-identify your personal data after you cancel your protection plan. You may also be able to request that certain personal data be deleted.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
