As the internet grows, so are its advantages and disadvantages; one of the world’s main disadvantages is the theft of sensitive information, be it bank information, personal images, video, and so on.
Malware, Phishing, online viruses, worms, and trojans are just a few examples of the same.
There are a lot of internet securities to choose from, which provide various software like Anti-virus, Anti-spyware, bot protection, Anti-malware, and so on. Two major cyber securities, in this case, are McAfee Total Security and McAfee Internet Security.
Key Takeaways
- McAfee Internet Security provides basic protection against viruses, malware, and online threats, while McAfee Total Security offers advanced features such as identity theft protection, password management, and parental controls.
- McAfee Total Security is more comprehensive and suitable for users who need extra security and privacy features, while McAfee Internet Security is more basic and affordable.
- McAfee Internet Security and McAfee Total Security have different pricing plans and compatibility requirements, and the choice depends on the user’s needs and devices.
McAfee Internet Security vs. McAfee Total Security
McAfee Internet Security provides antivirus protection, a firewall, a password manager, and a web advisor to protect against malware, spyware, and ransomware. McAfee Total Security offers all the features of McAfee Internet Security, plus additional security features to protect online privacy and identity.

The Mcaffee Total security has many promises, including multi-layer privacy protection and comprehensive internet security. It also helps you optimize the performance of your device.
Internet security from the same brand has more generalized features, which can be expected from any standard cybersecurity software, which include parental control, password manager, and removing viruses, trojans, and other malicious software.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Internet Security | McAfee Total Security |
---|---|---|
What does it offer? | It provides the user with a two-way firewall, parental control, and an anti-spam filter. Along with tracking and removing viruses and malware. | It elaborates on its features, spam filtering capacity, deletion cookies, Mac and mobile protection, etc. The most outstanding feature of it is the Wireless Network protection. |
Price | It is more affordable. | As it has more features, it is more expensive. |
Best for | Those who are looking for affordable internet security. | Those who want robust and dependable security, be it individuals, families, or businesses. |
Storage | It provides 1GB of online storage. | It provides 2GB of online storage. |
What is McAfee Internet Security?
The various internet security breach includes malicious software, Denial-of-service attacks, phishing, and application vulnerabilities.
These can interrupt the working of a computer, gain access to private or sensitive information, or the most well-known computer virus, a Trojan disguised as a harmless file. Still, once it gets installed in the device, it can cause the machine to go haywire.
This product is easy to use and can easily track down and remove viruses.
It has parental control and anti-spam filters, which help users filter out their important emails or messages from unimportant or harmful ones.
They also provide the user with a two-way firewall, which protects their system by filtering network traffic that may be harmful. It has an online backup capacity of about 1GB. It is compatible with most Windows, Mac, or Android devices.
Even with all these features, Internet Security is a very basic Cybersecurity against the numerous threats which the internet is filled with. Hackers are also evolving and getting better at breaking various security measures and breaching firewalls.
What is McAfee Total Security?
The features provided by McAfee Total Security protect the user against the latest viruses, attacks, and phishing. It is compatible with Mac, Windows, Android phones, and watches and encrypts personal data and passwords.
It helps the user shred sensitive files, delete cookies, and delete the digital footprints that might lead to a security compromise. Most importantly, it can optimize your computer’s performance by removing junk files and making it run smoothly.
It is thus more than just an Anti-virus; it helps the user identify and remove viruses and keep their PCs running smoothly.
It also has wireless network protection, which is by far the best feature of McAfee, as nowadays most public places have WIFI, and connecting to them can make one’s machine vulnerable to numerous virus attacks.
The anti-phishing feature it provides also comes in very handy, especially with online hacking, and how hackers extract sensitive pieces of information from unsuspecting users is rather alarming.
Similar to this is the safe URL and URL shortening feature, which deters the user from clicking on any link that may be harmful.
There are various plans depending on the price, like Individual, Family, and Multi-device; the last one can provide protection to up to 10 devices. They also have a 30-day free trial plan, which users can use for 30 days to see how compatible it is with their device.

Main Differences Between McAfee Internet Security and McAfee Total Security
- Internet Security is more generalist, while McAfee Total Security is more niche and provides the user with more features.
- McAfee Total Security provides the user Wireless Network protection to connect to public wifi without attack. This feature is not available in Internet Security.
- Regarding online backup, Internet Security provides the user with 1GB of storage, while Total Security gives its user 2 GB of storage.
- Total Security has Safe URL Sharing and shortening, which is not provided in Internet Security.
- Total Security has more features, so it comes at a higher cost than Internet Security.
References
- https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/berktech10§ion=13
- https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/VJIKMS-09-2016-0052/full/html
Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.