McAfee is one of the most popular cybersecurity brands in the market, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, and India. The company is known for its antivirus solution, but McAfee VPN is the recent addition to the lineup.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN claims to protect your online activity and network connection. So, let’s review the new VPN service’s speed, performance, security, privacy, pricing, and other features to determine its overall efficacy.
Stay along the ride to find out my final verdict and learn how reliable is McAfee VPN.
McAfee Safe Connect VPN: An Overview
McAfee Safe Connect is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution that allows you to protect your identity, browse anonymously, and access restricted sites.
McAfee with VPN scrambles your data with encryption and sends it via a secure tunnel. This means that the hacker would not be able to read your personal information. It also offers a dynamic IP address feature, which constantly changes the IP address of your device to hide your location.
It is good for privacy and can also unblock restricted content in your region. The service is compatible with Windows, Android, and iOS devices.
How Reliable is McAfee VPN for Streaming?
To be honest, VPN McAfee is not considered the best VPN for torrenting or streaming. However, it works well at unblocking content on major streaming platforms.
In our test, the service easily unblock the restricted content of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer. It has servers in more than 48 countries, which allows you to enjoy your favorite streaming services in high quality.
However, many McAfee VPN reviews and customer feedback suggest that the servers are overcrowded. So, you may receive poor-quality videos in some instances.
Speed and Performance
McAfeeVPN uses the Catapult Hydra protocol, which is not known for being fast and stable. Plus, this protocol can also raise privacy concerns, which I will discuss in the coming sections.
While testing, I found that the download speeds were decent in most locations except Japan. However, the upload speeds were very low, which is a major turn-off for users who need to regularly upload large files.
Overall, it offers average speeds, but if you are looking for a fast browsing experience, you should tr y a faster option like Private Internet Access or Proton VPN.
Server Networks and Location
McAfee Secure VPN has around 2000 servers in more than 48 countries. The server network covers a decent range but its small size often leads to overcrowding, which can result in slower speeds.
Most of the locations are concentrated in the United States, Europe, and other popular regions. However, one drawback of McAfee is that it does not allow you to manually select a specific server location within a country.
It performs decently in this aspect, but you can surely get a better experience with many popular VPN providers.
Security and Privacy
McAfee Safe Connect claims to be a safe VPN provider for all your needs. Well, it does have most of the critical security features that are crucial to providing basic online protection.
It uses AES-256 encryption, which is the most advanced solution to encrypt your internet traffic. Furthermore, the Kill Switch feature can save your day by protecting your IP during the VPN connection drop.
Everything was fine until they decided to use the Catapult Hydra tunneling protocol. Despite its decent performance, this protocol is infamous for tracking the personal data of users. So, the privacy aspect of this protocol is questionable.
Another concern is that the McAfee VPN is located in the United States (a part of the 5-Eyes alliance). This allows them to openly collect some personal details, like the type of your device. So, if you are looking for a reliable VPN with robust safety features, try using Surfshark or NordVPN.
Pricing and Customer Support
McAfeeVPN offers simple annual plans, ranging from $34.99 to $79.99 for the first year. Unfortunately, there are no monthly plans; you can choose from the following three plans:
- Privacy: $39.99 per year
- Privacy + Security: $34.99 per year (this plan comes with antivirus at no extra cost)
- Privacy + Security + Identity: $79.99 per year (offers additional services like identity theft protection, personal data cleanup, and online account cleanup)
This is a bit funny, but the best plan in the 1st year is Privacy + Security. It offers additional antivirus capability, and its price is lower than the Privacy plan. Anyway, we do not recommend using the VPN as a standalone product because it lacks advanced security features.
In terms of customer support, they offer various online guides and 24/7 assistance via live chat or phone. According to the online user reviews, agents are responsive, but they may need time for technical questions.
Important: You can try McAfee Secure VPN for free, but it is limited to 250 MB/month and one server. Also, they give you a 30-day money-back guarantee on premium versions.
McAfee Secure VPN: Pros and Cons
I have tried to give you my feedback on various aspects; now let’s take a brief look at the pros and cons of McAfee VPN. This will enable you to make an informed decision.
Final Verdict: Is McAfee VPN Good?
So, what is the verdict of this McAfee VPN review? In my opinion, McAfee Safe Connect is not the best choice for a VPN right now. While it performs decently in simple tasks like web browsing, it is not trustworthy for high-risk activities or anything requiring a strong connection.
For better security and speed, try using ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or ExpressVPN. Even some free VPNs like Ultrasurf VPN and Thunder VPN may provide you with better performance for your needs.
McAfee has a market share of 17.37% in the cybersecurity market because of their impressive antivirus software. However, their VPN falls short of meeting expectations.
How to get McAfee VPN to work with Bit Torrent?
McAfee offers decent support for torrenting and has specific servers for peer-to-peer connections. You can easily utilize it using Bit Torrent.
Why is McAfee VPN not working?
Network issues, outdated software, and configuration errors are some major reasons. Make sure that the settings are configured correctly, that you are getting a stable internet connection, and regularly update your software.
Does McAfee have a VPN?
Yes, it has launched a Safe Connect VPN recently. It has 3 different plans: Privacy, Privacy + Security, and Privacy + Security + Identity.
Is McAfee VPN free?
It offers a free option with the limitation of only 1 server and 250 MB per month.
Is McAfee better than Nord?
NordVPN offers better speed, security, and torrenting experience. Plus, McAfee lacks split tunneling and a verified no-logs policy.
