An antivirus is software that protects against computer viruses, a type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other software programs. The best antivirus programs scan files to protect your computer and devices from such threats, while keeping resource consumption to a minimum.

What is the Difference Between Malware and a Virus?

Malware is a term for any type of malicious software, regardless of how it works, its intent or how it’s distributed. A virus is a specific type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other programs.

Should I go for free or paid antivirus?

Usually free antivirus software offers baseline malware protection that may not be sufficient to combat the ever-evolving threat landscape, particularly when it comes to the wide variety of zero-day threats and/or digital threats that go beyond just antivirus. Rest assured that with our free 30-day trial you’ll get all the features of our flagship McAfee® Total Protection suite, including antivirus, web protection, password manager, file encryption and more. Take advantage of our free trial and gain greater peace of mind every time you use your devices.

How to avoid a fake antivirus software?

Fake antivirus software is one of the most persistent threats on the internet today. Masquerading as legitimate antivirus software, fake antivirus software is in fact a malicious program that extorts money from you to “fix” your computer. And often, this new “antivirus” program disables legitimate security software that you already have, exposing you to real threats. These rogue programs try to hook you while you’re browsing the web by displaying a popup window that warns you that your computer may be infected, and that you need to download (fake) security software to fix the problem. This type of software is often referred to as “scareware” since the pop-ups use messages like “You have a virus,” as a way to get you to click. Most of us are eager to get rid of any potential problems as quickly as possible, which in turn has made the bad guys who make fake antivirus software so successful. Once you agree to the purchase, the cybercriminals end up with your credit card details and other personal information, and you get nothing but malware in return.

What is McAfee's Virus Protection Pledge?

When you purchase a qualifying McAfee antivirus suite and opt-in for automatic renewal, you will gain access to our Virus Protection Pledge. With this, you have our 100% Guarantee that if a supported device gets a virus, a McAfee expert will remove it, and if we can’t, we will offer a refund on your purchase price. From the moment you subscribe, you can rest easy knowing that we’re here to help keep your devices virus-free with our multi-layered protection.

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Why McAfee

Award-winning antivirus software protects your data and devices

Our award-winning antivirus software in McAfee+ frees you to live your connected life safe from threats like ransomware, malware, phishing, and more.

Our award-winning antivirus software in McAfee® Total Protection frees you to live your connected life safe from threats like ransomware, malware, phishing, and more.

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How does McAfee antivirus secure your devices?

Real-time threat protection

24/7 protection for everyone’s devices from ever-evolving malware and online threats.

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Connect all your computers and smartphones and easily manage them from a single dashboard.

Leader in consumer security

Trusted protection for over 600 million devices. Keeping you safer online is what we do best.

Virus Protection Pledge

100% guarantee we’ll remove viruses on your devices, or we’ll give you your money back**

Award-winning antivirus software protects your data and devices

Award-winning PC protection just got faster and stronger with AI

How does McAfee antivirus secure your devices?

Real-time threat protection

Easy to use

Leader in consumer security

Virus Protection Pledge

Award-winning PC  protection just got faster and stronger with AI