# McAfee vs Malwarebytes

The clearest difference is rating: McAfee at 4.7 against Malwarebytes's 4.5. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. McAfee sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Malwarebytes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

McAfee holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 238K and 109K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of McAfee's written reviews are positive against 48% of Malwarebytes's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | McAfee | Malwarebytes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (238K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcafee-stay-secure-and-private/id724596345/reviews)** | [4.5 (109K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malwarebytes-mobile-security/id1327105431/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **238K** | 109K |
| Positive reviews | **51.6% of reviews** | 47.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | #38 |
| Size | 406 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [McAfee, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/369885745) | [Malwarebytes](https://appshunter.io/developer/610302098) |

## What reviewers say

### McAfee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcafee-stay-secure-and-private/id724596345)

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Utilities, #102 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

This app offers comprehensive protection against online threats, including scam detection for texts and emails, VPN for secure browsing, and identity monitoring. It helps safeguard your personal information and devices from various cyber risks.

**Highlights:** Scam Detector for texts and emails, Secure VPN for public Wi-Fi, Identity monitoring and alerts, Transaction and credit monitoring, Safe browsing with malicious site blocking, Personal data cleanup from brokers

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Basic Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Standard Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plus Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Advanced Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Total Protection Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| McAfee+ Advanced Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Yearly Standard Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plus Subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Total Protection Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| McAfee+ Advanced Yearly | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great protection
- 🔒 Secure VPN
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful features like media vault

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 🔒 Issues with VPN connectivity
- 💰 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- App keeps logging users out
- VPN not working as expected
- Compatibility issues with iOS updates

**Requested features**

- More customization options
- Improved scanning and detection capabilities
- Better integration with other devices


### Malwarebytes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malwarebytes-mobile-security/id1327105431)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This app offers comprehensive mobile security and privacy protection for Apple devices. It includes features like ad blocking, scam text filtering, and identity protection. A free trial is available, with ongoing free protection and optional premium subscription features.

**Highlights:** Ad Blocking for Safari, Text Message Filtering, Digital Footprint Scanner, Identity Protection, Secure VPN, Web Protection, Call Protection

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard | $2.49 | per month |
| Standard | $19.99 | per year |
| Plus | $44.99 | per year |
| Standard (3 devices) | $59.99 | per year |
| Plus (3 devices) | $79.99 | per year |
| Advanced | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Keeps devices updated and protected
- 🔒 Provides security and peace of mind
- 👍 Easy to use and set up
- 🚀 Excellent protection and performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Activation and subscription issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent or non-functional features
- 🐛 Fails to block spam calls and texts
- 🔋 Drains battery life
- 💰 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Activation and subscription problems
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Inability to scan or detect malware on devices

**Requested features**

- Add bulk reporting of scam numbers
- Improve text message filtering
- Implement automatic updates
- Provide more comprehensive dashboard and scanning capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is McAfee free?

McAfee is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Malwarebytes free?

Malwarebytes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, McAfee or Malwarebytes?

McAfee is rated higher. McAfee averages 4.7 out of 5 from 238K ratings, while Malwarebytes averages 4.5 from 109K ratings.

### Do McAfee or Malwarebytes have ads?

Neither McAfee nor Malwarebytes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, McAfee or Malwarebytes?

McAfee ships an update every 3 weeks, and Malwarebytes every 3 weeks. Most recently, McAfee was updated on September 24, 2026 and Malwarebytes on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, McAfee or Malwarebytes?

McAfee currently peaks at #16 in the App Store charts, and Malwarebytes at #38. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*