⚡ Verdict rapide :
- Tarification : Avast starts at $49.99/first yr (Premium Security). McAfee starts at $39.99/yr (Essential).
- Idéal pour : Avast SecureLine VPN suits people who want a long trial and 10 device slots. McAfee suits existing antivirus customers who want identity protection too.
- Différence principale : Avast supports OpenVPN, WireGuard and its own Mimic protocol. McAfee Safe Connect VPN runs on Catapult Hydra and logs your IP address.
- Notre choix : Avast VPN, mainly because it does not log identifiable browsing données and gives you a 60 day free trial.
Both of these come from antivirus companies, not VPN companies.
That single fact explains almost every difference between them.
Avast built a standalone product with its own protocol and apps.
McAfee built a switch inside a bigger security bundle.
One of them logs your IP address. The other does not.
Aperçu
This Avast VPN vs McAfee VPN comparison covers pricing, servers, protocols and privacy policy.
We also look at streaming, device support and security features.
Our sources are published specs, both privacy policies and our own review notes.
Notre écrivain has hands-on time with Avast SecureLine VPN.
Observations on McAfee come from our published review and its documentation.
Qu'est-ce qu'Avast VPN ?
Avast SecureLine VPN is a virtual private network built by the Avast antivirus team.
Il crypte votre connexion internet et masque votre véritable adresse IP.
The service runs about 700 servers across 34 countries.
That is a small network next to what most VPNs offer.
You get apps for Windows, macOS, Androïde, iOS and Android TV.
Avast is based in the Czech Republic, outside any data-sharing alliance.
🏆 Winner: Avast SecureLine VPN
A 60 day trial is rare in this market. Ten device slots and a proper kill switch help too.
Tarifs d'Avast VPN
Avast sells the VPN inside its wider security packages.
| Plan | Prix | Idéal pour |
|---|---|---|
| Antivirus gratuit | Gratuit | Basic malware cover with no VPN tunnel |
| Sécurité Premium | 49,99 $/première année | Households wanting Avast products on multiple platforms |
| Ultime | 49,99 $/première année | People who want SecureLine plus cleanup and AntiTrack |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Essai gratuit : Yes. Avast offers a 60 day free trial, one of the longest in this market. You must add payment information first, but nothing is charged until the 60 day trial ends.
Garantie de remboursement : Avast refunds paid subscriptions within 30 days of purchase. Cancel before renewal to avoid a second charge.
📌 Note: Both paid tiers carry the same first-year price in our data. Ultimate adds Avast Cleanup Premium, AntiTrack and Secure Browser PRO on top of the same VPN tunnel.
⚠️ Pricing conflict flagged: Third-party sources list standalone SecureLine plans near $4.29–$4.59 per month on multi-year terms. Our CSV records the bundle pricing shown above, so the table uses those figures. Check the checkout page before you buy.
Principaux avantages d'Avast VPN
Here is what you actually get when you use Avast SecureLine VPN:
- Long free trial: The 60 day free trial runs on every supported platform. That is long enough to run your own speed tests and stress tests.
- Three protocol choices: The app supports the OpenVPN protocol, WireGuard and the proprietary Mimic protocol. Mimic exists to disguise VPN traffic on restrictive networks.
- Smart VPN mode: Smart VPN lets you set rules so the tunnel can automatically connect for banking sites or torrenting servers.
- Interrupteur coupe-circuit : If the vpn connection dies, the kill switch cuts your internet so nothing leaks during connection drops.
- Wide device support: One subscription covers 10 devices across Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Android TV.
- Public network safety: Using the VPN on a public network raises security against man-in-the-middle attacks on café and airport Wi-Fi.
- Less tracking: Masking your location limits price discrimination and stops third party advertisers profiling your online activities.
Ce que notre équipe a remarqué
Our writer signed up for Avast SecureLine and ran it as a daily driver for several days. Here is what stood out from that hands-on time:
The clip below walks through the same session.
Avantages et inconvénients d'Avast VPN
✅ Avantages
- 60 day free trial on every supported platform
- Connects up to 10 devices on one subscription
- Supports OpenVPN, WireGuard and the Mimic protocol
- Does not log identifiable information about you
- Czech Republic base sits outside data-sharing alliances
❌ Inconvénients
- Only around 700 servers in 34 countries
- Aucun audit indépendant de la politique de non-conservation des journaux
- Avast paid a $16.5 million FTC penalty in February 2024
- Les vitesses chutent fortement sur les serveurs distants.
Qu'est-ce que McAfee VPN ?
McAfee Safe Connect VPN is the tunnel built into McAfee’s security suite.
It encrypts traffic and swaps your real IP for a shared one.
Safe Connect runs roughly 2,000 servers across 47 countries.
The tunnel uses Catapult Hydra, the same protocol behind Hotspot Shield.
Apps cover Windows, iOS and Android, but there is no macOS app.
McAfee is a US company, which places it inside the Five Eyes alliance.
Runner Up: McAfee VPN
The cheapest way in, and the VPN is only part of it. You also get antivirus and identity protection.
Tarifs de McAfee VPN
Every McAfee annual plan bundles the VPN with antivirus.
| Plan | Prix | Idéal pour |
|---|---|---|
| Essentiel | 39,99 $/an | Solo users who want basic online security |
| Individu avancé | 89,99 $/an | People who want identity protection and credit monitoring |
| Famille avancée | 119,99 $/an | Households needing separate accounts per member |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Essai gratuit : Yes, seven days. There is also a limited free VPN capped at 500MB per month, which is barely enough for occasional use.
Garantie de remboursement : 30 days on paid plans. You have to contact McAfee support before the deadline to get the refund processed.
📌 Note: Unlimited bandwidth is normally tied to auto-renewal. Turn renewal off and the data cap can come back.
⚠️ Avertissement: Renewal pricing climbs steeply after year one. Third-party listings also show a standalone $7.99 monthly option that our data does not carry, so confirm the figure at checkout.
Principaux avantages du VPN McAfee
Here is what the bundle actually gives you:
- Automatic Wi-Fi cover: The VPN switches on by itself the moment you join an unsecured hotspot. That protects banking details from man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Chiffrement robuste : Safe Connect uses AES-256 encryption to scramble your data in transit.
- Throttling defence: Encrypting your online activity makes it harder for an ISP or mobile carrier to spot bandwidth-heavy transfers and slow you down.
- Protection contre les fuites : The apps include DNS leak protection alongside multi-device support.
- Geo-unblocking basics: Connecting to another country changes the geo location information sites read from you.
- Identity tools included: Advanced plans add dark web monitoring, a security freeze and credit monitoring.
- Android split tunneling: On Android you can pick which apps use the tunnel and which stay on the normal connection.
Ce que notre équipe a remarqué
Our published McAfee VPN review recorded a speed test of 97Mbps on a nearby server. Download speed never fell under 75Mbps on international hops.
The same review found Netflix blocked the connection on every server tried. Latency also spiked badly on Windows, which rules out gaming.
Note: McAfee does not have a dedicated hands-on block in our media library yet, so the notes above come from our own published review rather than a fresh session.
Avantages et inconvénients de McAfee VPN
✅ Avantages
- Lowest entry price of the two at $39.99/yr
- Around 2,000 servers, far more than Avast
- Fast Catapult Hydra speeds on nearby servers
- Turns on automatically on unsecured Wi-Fi
- Identity protection and credit monitoring included
❌ Inconvénients
- Logs your IP address and the sites you visit
- No macOS or Linux app at all
- Kill switch missing on iOS and Android
- No P2P support and poor streaming results
Comparaison des fonctionnalités
Here is where the two products actually split apart. We walk through ten areas that decide which VPN service fits your life.
| Fonctionnalité | Avast SecureLine VPN | VPN McAfee Safe Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Prix initial | 49,99 $/première année | 39,99 $/an |
| Essai gratuit | ✅ 60 jours | ✅ 7 days + free VPN 500MB |
| Serveurs | ~700 dans 34 pays | Environ 2 000 dans 47 pays |
| Kill Switch (all platforms) | ✅ | ❌ |
| macOS App | ✅ | ❌ |
| Logs IP Addresses | ❌ | ✅ |
| Services de streaming | ⚠️ Mixte | ❌ |
| Torrenting / P2P | ✅ Torrenting servers | ❌ |
| Connexions simultanées | 10 | 5 |
| Idéal pour | Privacy plus a long trial | Protection antivirus et d'identité intégrée |
1. Réseau et emplacement des serveurs
Avast SecureLine VPN : The server list is short. Avast SecureLine VPN servers number roughly 700 across 34 countries, which limits your options for speed and routing. Coverage thins out badly once you look past Europe and North America toward the Middle East.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : Roughly 2,000 servers sit in about 47 countries. That is close to triple the footprint, and more server locations usually means a shorter hop to something nearby.
2. Speed and Protocols
Avast SecureLine VPN : You get the OpenVPN protocol, WireGuard and Mimic. Avast tunes its servers to avoid throttling during heavy transfers. Speeds hold up nearby but fall off sharply on distant hops, so it is not a fast VPN everywhere.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : Catapult Hydra is built for throughput, and it shows in speed tests. The catch is latency, which has been reported to climb around 600 percent on Windows. Fast connection, poor ping.
3. Dispositifs de sécurité
Avast SecureLine VPN : The kill switch works across desktop apps and kills the internet on connection drops. DNS leak protection and WebRTC leak protection are handled inside the vpn tunnel, so DNS leaks stay contained.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : AES-256 encryption is solid, but the extras are the bare minimum. There is no multi hop, no smart dns, and the kill switch only exists on Windows. Advanced security features are the weakest part of this VPN app.
⚠️ Avertissement: Si vous utilisez iPhone or Android as your main device, McAfee leaves you without a kill switch. A dropped connection exposes your real IP address before you notice.
4. Confidentialité et journalisation
Avast SecureLine VPN : Avast records timestamps, data volume and connection details. It does not log identifiable information. No independent audit backs that claim, and the Jumpshot scandal still shadows the brand. Avast paid the FTC $16.5 million in February 2024 over selling browsing data.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : This one logs your IP address and the sites you visit. Records are kept indefinitely and held 30 days after account deletion. McAfee claims a no-logs stance, but the policy is shared with the wider suite and never names the VPN. It also says data goes to any legal authority on request.
⚠️ Avertissement: Neither service has passed independent audits. If you want a verified no-logs promise, the best VPNs in the wider market publish audit reports and these two do not.
5. Diffusion en continu et déblocage
Avast SecureLine VPN : Its streaming servers reach Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video with mixed results. Hulu and BBC iPlayer are the usual failures. Prime Video works more often than the rest.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : Streaming is simply not a use case here. The VPN fails against Netflix and Hulu, and there is no dedicated streaming tier to fall back on.
6. Device Support and Connections
Avast SecureLine VPN : One subscription covers 10 simultaneous connections. The Windows app, Mac client, Android app and iOS build all exist, plus Android TV. Multiple platforms are genuinely covered, not just listed.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : Five devices, and no macOS app or Linux client. Device support stops at Windows, iOS and Android, so Mac and Apple TV households are stuck.
7. Apps and Ease of Use
Avast SecureLine VPN : The app is easy to install and easy to navigate, especially for beginners. Avast also ships a hardened browser and browser extensions for people who want more security at the browser layer.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : The interface is user friendly and fine for beginners. It is also thin on settings, and live chat support quality draws complaints. Reviews describe the experience as basic rather than capable.
8. Automation and Split Tunneling
Avast SecureLine VPN : Smart VPN mode is the standout. You write rules and the tunnel will automatically connect for banking sites, torrenting servers or a named public network. Some people report Smart VPN misfiring on certain networks.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : Automation is limited to auto-connecting on unsecured public Wi-Fi. Split tunneling exists on Android only, so Windows users get no app-level control.
9. Bundled Extras
Avast SecureLine VPN : The paid tiers pull in Avast antivirus, BreachGuard, gestion des correctifs and cleanup tools. Avast products lean toward device hygiene rather than identity cover.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : This is where McAfee pulls ahead. Advanced plans add a gestionnaire de mots de passe, dark web identity monitoring, a security freeze, credit monitoring and up to $1 million in theft coverage.
10. Tarification et coût
Let us put the plans side by side.
| Étage | Avast SecureLine VPN | VPN McAfee Safe Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuit | Antivirus gratuit (sans VPN) | Free VPN capped at 500MB/month |
| Entrée payante | Premium Security — $49.99/first yr | Essential — $39.99/yr |
| Salaire moyen | Ultimate — $49.99/first yr | Advanced Individual — $89.99/yr |
| Les mieux payés | — | Advanced Family — $119.99/yr |
Avast SecureLine VPN : Ten dollars more to start, but you also get double the device slots and a 60 day free trial instead of seven days. Free trials this long let you test before payment information ever matters.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN : The $39.99 entry point is the cheapest way onto either platform. Move up to identity protection and the annual plan more than doubles.
Différents scénarios
| Si vous avez besoin | Choisir | Pourquoi |
|---|---|---|
| prix d'entrée le plus bas | McAfee | $39.99/yr beats $49.99 |
| A verified privacy stance | Avast | No identifiable logs kept |
| Prise en charge de Mac ou Linux | Avast | McAfee has no macOS app |
| Identity theft cover | McAfee | Monitoring and credit freeze |
| Torrenting or streaming | Avast | P2P allowed, McAfee blocks it |
| A long test window | Avast | 60 days versus 7 days |
💰 Votre budget
McAfee wins on day one and loses on renewal. Avast costs more up front but the 60 day trial means you risk nothing tôt.
🔌 Vos appareils
Mac owners can stop reading here and pick Avast. Android users and iOS users get a working McAfee client, but without a kill switch.
🔒 Your Privacy Bar
McAfee stores your browsing history and hands it to authorities on request. Avast keeps connection metadata only, though neither has an audit to prove it.
🎓 Votre niveau d'expérience
Both suit beginners. Avast gives you more knobs once you outgrow the defaults, mainly through Smart VPN rules and protocol switching.
🆓 Essais et démos gratuits
Run both before you commit. Free vpns and trial tiers rarely reflect paid performance, so test on your own connection.
🛟 Options d'assistance
Support is a weak spot for both. Avast draws complaints for unhelpful replies, and McAfee’s chat gets similar criticism from vpn users.
Guide de changement
Already on one of them? Here is what changes.
🔄 Switching from Avast to McAfee?
✅ Ce que vous y gagnerez :
- Roughly triple the servers and more countries
- Identity monitoring, credit freeze and a password manager
- A cheaper first year at $39.99
❌ Ce que vous perdrez :
- Mac support and half your device slots
- Smart VPN rules and protocol choice
- A policy that keeps your IP out of the logs
📋 Comment changer :
- Cancel Avast before the renewal date and confirm the refund window
- Buy a McAfee annual plan and download the app on one device first
- Enable auto-connect for Wi-Fi, then add your remaining four devices
🔄 Switching from McAfee to Avast?
✅ Ce que vous y gagnerez :
- Kill switch across desktop plus WebRTC and DNS leak protection
- Ten device slots, Mac support and Android TV
- P2P servers and better streaming odds
❌ Ce que vous perdrez :
- About 1,300 servers and 13 countries of coverage
- Identity theft cover and credit monitoring
- The lower first-year price
📋 Comment changer :
- Request your McAfee refund inside the 30 day window
- Start the Avast 60 day trial and add payment information
- Set Smart VPN rules, then install on the rest of your devices
Ce que notre analyse n'a pas couvert
We focused on individuals and small households. We did not test entreprise licensing, router setups, or long-term throughput under sustained load. Server counts and pricing reflect September 2026 and both vendors change them often. If you run a Linux fleet or need a VPN for a team, neither product here is built for that.
Verdict final
| Catégorie | Gagnant |
|---|---|
| 💰 Tarification | McAfee |
| 🌐 Réseau de serveurs | McAfee |
| ⚡ Vitesse | Cravate |
| 🔐 Fonctionnalités de sécurité | Avast |
| 🕵️ Privacy and Logging | Avast |
| 📺 Streaming and P2P | Avast |
| 📱 Assistance technique | Avast |
| 🏆 Vainqueur toutes catégories | Avast SecureLine VPN |
🏆 WINNER: AVAST SECURELINE VPN
Avast wins 4 of 7 categories.
Idéal pour : Mac households, privacy-first users, people who want to test before paying
Neither of these is a good VPN by the standards of dedicated vpn services. Both are antivirus companies with a tunnel attached, and it shows in the server counts and the missing audits.
Avast wins because it behaves like a VPN product. Three protocols, a real kill switch, ten devices, P2P allowed, and no identifiable logs.
McAfee is the better buy only if you want the identity protection package. As a standalone tunnel it logs too much and covers too few platforms.
If online privacy is the whole point, use Avast SecureLine VPN and take the 60 days to decide.
Comparatif d'Avast VPN
Here is how Avast holds up against the dedicated players:
Avast wins on: a 60 day trial window, 10 device slots, bundled antivirus in the same subscription
NordVPN l'emporte sur : audited no-logs claims, a far larger server list, consistent streaming access, dedicated obfuscated servers
Avast VPN contre ExpressVPN
Avast wins on: cheaper bundled entry, longer trial, device hygiene tools ExpressVPN does not ship
ExpressVPN l'emporte sur : speed on distant hops, router firmware, unblocking that rarely breaks, published audits
Avast VPN contre Surfshark
Avast wins on: trial length, Android TV support out of the box, antivirus in the same bill
Surfshark l'emporte sur : unlimited connections instead of 10, multi hop routing, cheaper long-term terms, GPS spoofing on Android
Comparatif des VPN McAfee
And how Safe Connect measures up elsewhere:
McAfee l'emporte sur : identity theft coverage, credit monitoring, one bill for antivirus and VPN
NordVPN l'emporte sur : a no-logs policy that survives audits, Netflix and BBC iPlayer access, kill switch on every platform, P2P support
McAfee VPN contre ProtonVPN
McAfee l'emporte sur : bundled antivirus, dark web monitoring, simpler setup for non-technical buyers
ProtonVPN l'emporte sur : Swiss jurisdiction, an unlimited free tier, open-source audited apps, Secure Core routing
McAfee VPN contre Private Internet Access
McAfee l'emporte sur : identity restoration support, brand familiarity, all-in-one billing
PIA victoires sur : dedicated P2P servers, a court-tested no-logs record, per-app split tunneling on desktop, cheaper multi-year terms
Foire aux questions
Le VPN Avast SecureLine est-il sûr à utiliser ?
It encrypts traffic and keeps no identifiable logs, so everyday use is safe enough. The missing third-party audit and the 2024 FTC penalty are fair reasons to stay cautious.
Avast propose-t-il un VPN gratuit ?
No. The free tier is antivirus only. You get a 60 day trial of the tunnel instead, which needs card details but charges nothing until it ends.
McAfee VPN est-il meilleur que NordVPN ?
No. NordVPN has audited no-logs, more servers and working streaming. Safe Connect only wins if you specifically want antivirus and identity monitoring on the same bill.
Quels sont les inconvénients du VPN McAfee ?
No macOS or Linux app, only five connections, no kill switch on mobile, no P2P, and it fails against streaming. Many vpns cost less and do more.
Le VPN McAfee collecte-t-il des données ?
Yes. It records your IP address and browsing history, keeps it indefinitely, and will share it with legal authorities on request. That is the main reason to look elsewhere.
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