10 Best McAfee Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

McAfee is a long-established cybersecurity vendor offering protection for consumers and organizations across endpoints, devices, identity, and broader security environments. Its enterprise portfolio has included endpoint protection, EDR, cloud security, data protection, and security operations capabilities, while its consumer products focus on device and identity protection.

For businesses, McAfee has traditionally been used to protect endpoints against malware, ransomware, exploits, and other threats while providing centralized security management. Its enterprise capabilities also extend beyond traditional antivirus into endpoint detection, investigation, data protection, and threat response.

Organizations evaluating McAfee alternatives may be looking for a more cloud-native endpoint platform, deeper EDR capabilities, broader XDR coverage, stronger automation, or tighter integration with their existing security stack. Vendors such as CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, Sophos, Trellix, and Bitdefender take different approaches to endpoint and enterprise security.

This guide covers 10 McAfee alternatives and competitors in 2026, comparing their security capabilities, key features, use cases, pricing availability, and other factors organizations can consider when evaluating an endpoint-security replacement.

Why Look for McAfee Alternatives?

Organizations may evaluate McAfee alternatives for different reasons, ranging from endpoint-security requirements to broader security operations and cloud environments.

• Cloud-native security: Some organizations prefer endpoint platforms built around cloud-based management, telemetry, analytics, and response.
• Advanced EDR: Security teams may need deeper endpoint visibility, threat hunting, investigation, and response than traditional endpoint protection provides.
• XDR requirements: Organizations may want to correlate endpoint events with identity, email, cloud, network, and other security signals.
• Security automation: Automated investigation, containment, remediation, and response can help reduce repetitive work for SOC teams.
• Ransomware protection: Businesses may compare platforms based on behavioral ransomware detection, prevention, containment, and recovery capabilities.
• Broader cloud coverage: Organizations with cloud workloads may want endpoint protection integrated with cloud, workload, container, and infrastructure security.
• Identity security: Modern attacks frequently involve compromised credentials, making identity detection and response an important part of an endpoint-security strategy.
• Managed detection and response: Organizations with smaller security teams may prefer a vendor that can provide continuous monitoring, threat hunting, and incident response.
• Security consolidation: Some companies may want to replace multiple security products with a platform that covers endpoint, identity, cloud, email, and security operations.
• Integration requirements: SIEM, SOAR, identity, ITSM, cloud, and vulnerability-management integrations can influence which McAfee alternative fits an existing environment.

McAfee Alternatives Comparison Table

No.	Tool	Product / Service	Best For	Free Trial	G2 Rating	Pricing
1	CrowdStrike Falcon	Endpoint, EDR, XDR, Identity, Cloud Security	Enterprise threat detection and response	Yes	4.7/5	From $7.99/device/month
2	SentinelOne Singularity	Endpoint, EDR, XDR, Identity, Cloud Security	Autonomous endpoint protection	Yes	4.7/5	From $179.99/endpoint/year
3	Microsoft Defender	Endpoint, XDR, Identity, Email, Cloud Security	Microsoft-centric environments	Yes	4.5/5	From $3/user/month
4	Palo Alto Networks Cortex	EDR, XDR, SOC, Cloud Security	Security operations and threat detection	Yes	4.6/5	Contact sales
5	Sophos	Endpoint, XDR, MDR, Firewall, Email Security	Integrated endpoint and network security	Yes	4.6/5	Contact sales
6	Bitdefender GravityZone	Endpoint, EDR, XDR, Risk Analytics	Layered endpoint protection	Yes	4.7/5	Contact sales
7	Trend Vision One	XDR, Endpoint, Email, Cloud, Network Security	Cross-environment security	Yes	4.3/5	Contact sales
8	Trellix	Endpoint, XDR, DLP, Email, Network Security	Enterprise endpoint and data security	Yes	4.6/5	Contact sales
9	Fortinet	Endpoint, Firewall, SASE, Network Security	Integrated network and security infrastructure	Yes	4.7/5	Contact sales
10	ESET PROTECT	Endpoint, EDR, XDR, Cloud Security	Endpoint protection and centralized management	Yes	4.6/5	Contact sales

Note: G2 ratings and pricing are based on information available when this article was researched and may change over time. We recommend confirming the latest G2 rating and pricing on the respective vendor’s official website before making a purchasing decision.

Top 10 McAfee Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

Now let’s look in detail at the leading McAfee alternatives and competitors, covering endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, ransomware defense, threat hunting, identity security, cloud protection, and managed detection and response.

1. CrowdStrike Falcon

CrowdStrike Falcon is a cloud-native security platform covering endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, identity security, cloud security, threat intelligence, and managed detection and response. Its architecture is built around a lightweight endpoint sensor and cloud-based security services, giving security teams centralized visibility into endpoint activity and threats.

Falcon provides more than traditional antivirus protection. Security teams can investigate processes, files, network connections, user activity, and other endpoint events while using automated controls to contain threats. The platform can also connect endpoint telemetry with identity, cloud, and other security signals for investigations that extend beyond individual devices.

CrowdStrike is a strong McAfee alternative for organizations looking for a cloud-first endpoint security platform with extensive detection and response capabilities. It is particularly relevant for enterprises that want to combine endpoint prevention with threat hunting, automated response, identity protection, cloud security, and managed security services.

Key Features

• Next-Generation Antivirus: Uses behavioral analysis, machine learning, exploit prevention, and other detection techniques to identify and block malicious activity on endpoints.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides detailed endpoint telemetry covering processes, files, users, network connections, and other activity to support investigation and incident response.
• Extended Detection and Response: Correlates security signals from endpoints with supported identity, cloud, and other environments to provide broader visibility into attacks.
• Threat Hunting: Gives security teams tools to search endpoint and security telemetry for suspicious behavior, indicators, attacker techniques, and potential threats.
• Identity Protection: Helps detect suspicious authentication activity, credential theft, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and other identity-related attack behavior.
• Cloud Security: Extends security visibility and protection to cloud workloads, containers, cloud identities, and supported cloud infrastructure.
• Managed Detection and Response: Falcon Complete provides continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response for organizations that want managed security operations.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides adversary and threat intelligence that can add context to investigations and help security teams understand attacker activity.
• Vulnerability Management: Helps organizations identify vulnerabilities and prioritize weaknesses that could expose endpoints and other assets to attacks.

Also Read: Best CrowdStrike Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

2. SentinelOne Singularity

SentinelOne Singularity brings endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, identity security, and cloud security together in one platform. Its endpoint technology focuses heavily on behavioral detection, allowing it to identify suspicious activity based on what applications and processes are doing rather than depending only on known malware signatures.

The platform continuously monitors endpoint activity and can take automated actions when malicious behavior is identified. Security teams can investigate incidents, isolate affected devices, and perform remediation while using the broader Singularity platform to connect endpoint activity with identity and cloud security signals.

SentinelOne is a compelling McAfee alternative for organizations that want strong endpoint protection with a greater emphasis on autonomous detection and response. It can be useful for security teams looking to reduce manual endpoint investigation while maintaining detailed EDR capabilities for deeper threat analysis and hunting.

Key Features

• Endpoint Protection: Protects workstations and servers against malware, ransomware, exploits, fileless attacks, and other malicious activity using behavioral and machine-learning-based detection.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Records detailed endpoint activity so security teams can investigate processes, files, network connections, and other events associated with an incident.
• Autonomous Response: Can automatically isolate compromised endpoints and take remediation actions when malicious activity is detected.
• Behavioral Detection: Analyzes process and application behavior to identify suspicious activity that may not match traditional malware signatures.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses behavioral analysis and automated response capabilities to detect ransomware activity and help prevent unauthorized encryption or other destructive actions.
• XDR: Extends detection and investigation beyond endpoints by bringing together supported identity, cloud, and other security telemetry.
• Identity Security: Provides visibility into identity-related threats and suspicious activity involving users, credentials, and authentication.
• Cloud Security: Extends protection and visibility into supported cloud workloads and infrastructure.
• Threat Hunting: Provides security teams with tools for investigating endpoint activity and searching for indicators and behaviors associated with attacks.
• Managed Detection and Response: SentinelOne’s managed services provide continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response for organizations that need additional security operations support.

Also Read: Best SentinelOne Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

3. Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender provides endpoint protection and detection capabilities alongside identity, email, cloud, and security operations products. Defender for Endpoint provides the core endpoint security and EDR capabilities, while Microsoft Defender XDR connects signals from endpoints, identities, email, and other Microsoft security services.

The platform is particularly relevant for organizations already using Microsoft 365, Azure, and Microsoft Entra. Security teams can connect endpoint events with identity risks, email attacks, cloud activity, and broader security operations data instead of managing these areas entirely through separate security products.

Microsoft Defender is a practical replacement for McAfee for organizations that want endpoint security integrated into a larger security ecosystem. Its combination of endpoint, identity, email, cloud, and SIEM capabilities can be especially useful for enterprises that have already standardized much of their IT environment around Microsoft technologies.

Key Features

• Defender for Endpoint: Provides endpoint prevention, EDR, vulnerability management, attack-surface reduction, automated investigation, and response capabilities.
• Defender XDR: Connects signals from endpoints, identities, email, applications, and other Microsoft security products to identify threats that span multiple environments.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint telemetry and investigation capabilities for identifying suspicious processes, files, connections, and other activities.
• Automated Investigation and Response: Uses automation to investigate supported alerts and perform response actions, helping security teams reduce repetitive manual work.
• Microsoft Entra ID Protection: Identifies risky users and sign-ins and provides identity-risk information that can be incorporated into access and security policies.
• Defender for Office 365: Protects Microsoft 365 email and collaboration environments against phishing, malicious attachments, malicious links, impersonation, and other threats.
• Defender for Cloud: Provides cloud security posture management and workload protection capabilities across supported cloud environments.
• Vulnerability Management: Identifies endpoint vulnerabilities and security weaknesses and provides information that can help security teams prioritize remediation.
• Microsoft Sentinel Integration: Connects Defender security data with Microsoft’s cloud-native SIEM and security operations capabilities for broader investigation and response workflows.
• Attack Surface Reduction: Provides policies and controls designed to reduce common attack vectors and prevent potentially dangerous endpoint behavior.

Also Read: Best Microsoft Defender Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

4. Palo Alto Networks Cortex

Palo Alto Networks Cortex provides endpoint detection, XDR, security analytics, and automated response capabilities through products including Cortex XDR and Cortex XSIAM. Rather than treating endpoint protection as an isolated security layer, Cortex can correlate endpoint activity with information from other supported security sources.

Cortex XDR gives security teams tools for endpoint prevention, detection, investigation, and response, while Cortex XSIAM expands the platform toward broader security operations. This allows teams to investigate relationships between endpoint events and activity occurring across other parts of the environment.

Palo Alto Networks is a good option for organizations evaluating a McAfee replacement that want to connect endpoint security with a wider SOC platform. It is particularly relevant for enterprises looking at EDR alongside security analytics, automated investigation, threat hunting, and response.

Key Features

• Cortex XDR: Provides endpoint protection, detection, investigation, and response while correlating security data from supported sources.
• Cortex XSIAM: Combines security analytics, detection, investigation, automation, and response capabilities for security operations teams.
• Endpoint Protection: Provides prevention against malware, exploits, ransomware, and other endpoint threats.
• Threat Hunting: Allows analysts to search security telemetry and investigate suspicious activity across supported environments.
• Incident Investigation: Provides investigation workflows for understanding attack activity, affected systems, processes, and related security events.
• Automated Response: Supports automated containment and response actions for detected threats.
• Security Analytics: Correlates security events and telemetry to identify relationships that may not be visible when individual alerts are investigated separately.
• Cloud Security Integration: Can work alongside Palo Alto Networks’ broader cloud-security portfolio to extend visibility across cloud environments.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat information and context that can support investigations and help analysts understand attacker behavior.
• Security Operations Automation: Helps security teams automate repetitive investigation and response workflows across supported security data sources.

Also Read: Best Palo Alto Networks Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

5. Sophos

Sophos provides endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, MDR, firewall, email security, and other cybersecurity capabilities through a connected security portfolio. Sophos Central provides centralized cloud management, allowing organizations to manage supported endpoints, security policies, alerts, and products from a common platform.

Its endpoint protection combines malware prevention with behavioral detection, exploit protection, ransomware defense, and response capabilities. Organizations can also use Sophos XDR to bring together security information from Sophos products and supported third-party sources, giving security teams more context during investigations.

Sophos is a good McAfee alternative for organizations that want endpoint protection alongside network, email, and managed security capabilities. Its broader portfolio can be useful for businesses looking to consolidate several security functions while maintaining centralized management across their security environment.

Key Features

• Sophos Endpoint: Protects workstations and servers against malware, ransomware, exploits, potentially unwanted applications, and other endpoint threats.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint visibility and investigation capabilities for identifying suspicious processes, files, applications, and network activity.
• Sophos XDR: Correlates security data from Sophos products and supported third-party sources to help security teams investigate threats across multiple environments.
• Sophos MDR: Provides continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response through a managed security service.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses behavioral detection and CryptoGuard technology to identify and help block ransomware activity.
• Sophos Firewall: Provides next-generation firewall capabilities including intrusion prevention, application control, web protection, VPN, and SD-WAN.
• Sophos Email: Protects email environments against spam, phishing, malware, malicious URLs, and other email-based threats.
• Synchronized Security: Allows supported Sophos products to exchange security information and coordinate responses between endpoint, network, and other security controls.
• Exploit Prevention: Helps protect endpoints against attempts to exploit vulnerable applications and operating-system components.
• Centralized Management: Sophos Central provides cloud-based administration for supported Sophos products, policies, endpoints, alerts, and security operations.

Also Read: Best Sophos Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

6. Bitdefender GravityZone

Bitdefender GravityZone is an enterprise security platform covering endpoint protection, EDR, risk analytics, ransomware defense, and workload security. Its centralized management environment allows organizations to administer security policies and monitor protected endpoints and workloads from a common console.

GravityZone uses multiple layers of prevention and detection to protect against malware, ransomware, exploits, and suspicious behavior. Its EDR capabilities add visibility into endpoint activity, giving security teams more information for investigating incidents and identifying potentially malicious behavior.

Bitdefender GravityZone is a solid choice for organizations considering a McAfee replacement where layered endpoint protection and centralized administration are important. Its support for physical, virtual, and cloud workloads also makes it relevant to organizations managing a mixed infrastructure rather than only traditional desktop endpoints.

Key Features

• Endpoint Protection: Provides multilayered protection against malware, ransomware, exploits, phishing, and other endpoint threats.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides visibility into endpoint activity and supports investigation, threat detection, and response.
• Behavioral Detection: Analyzes application and process behavior to identify malicious activity that may not be detected through traditional signatures.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses prevention and behavioral detection technologies to help protect endpoints from ransomware activity.
• Exploit Protection: Helps defend against exploitation techniques targeting applications, operating systems, and endpoint vulnerabilities.
• Risk Analytics: Helps security teams identify endpoint risks and prioritize security issues using available security telemetry.
• Cloud Workload Security: Extends protection to supported virtualized and cloud workloads, allowing organizations to manage workload security through the same platform.
• Network Attack Defense: Provides additional protection against network-based attack techniques and suspicious network activity.
• Centralized Management: GravityZone provides a central console for managing security policies, endpoints, alerts, and security controls.
• Security Analytics: Provides analytics and security information that can help teams investigate threats and understand endpoint risks across their environment.

Also Read: Best Bitdefender Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

7. Trend Vision One

Trend Vision One is a broad cybersecurity platform that brings together endpoint, XDR, email, cloud, network, and attack-surface security capabilities. Its approach extends beyond traditional endpoint protection by allowing security teams to connect information from multiple security layers during detection and investigation.

The platform’s endpoint capabilities provide prevention and detection, while its wider security services can correlate endpoint events with email threats, cloud activity, network signals, and other security information. This gives analysts additional context when investigating attacks that move across different parts of an organization’s environment.

Trend Vision One is a great McAfee alternative for organizations that want to move toward broader cross-environment security. It can fit enterprises that need endpoint protection while also looking for stronger visibility across cloud, email, network, and other attack surfaces.

Key Features

• Endpoint Security: Provides protection against malware, ransomware, exploits, and other endpoint threats across supported operating systems and devices.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint telemetry and investigation capabilities for detecting suspicious behavior and understanding security incidents.
• XDR: Correlates security information from endpoints, email, cloud, network, and other supported sources to provide broader attack visibility.
• Email Security: Protects email environments against phishing, malware, malicious URLs, business email compromise, and other email-based threats.
• Cloud Security: Provides security capabilities for cloud workloads, applications, containers, and cloud infrastructure.
• Attack Surface Risk Management: Helps organizations identify exposed assets, vulnerabilities, and other risks across their external attack surface.
• Network Security: Provides visibility into network activity and helps identify suspicious communications and potential threats.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat information and adversary context that can help security teams investigate incidents and understand attacker behavior.
• Managed Detection and Response: Trend Micro provides managed security services for organizations that need continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response.
• Security Analytics: Correlates security information across supported environments to help teams identify threats and investigate incidents.

Also Read: Best Trend Micro Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

8. Trellix

Trellix provides an enterprise security portfolio covering endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, data loss prevention, email security, network security, and security operations. Its products are designed to work across multiple security layers, making the platform relevant to organizations that need more than traditional endpoint antivirus.

Its endpoint capabilities provide prevention, detection, and response, while the wider portfolio adds technologies for protecting sensitive information, email environments, and network infrastructure. Trellix also provides security operations capabilities that can help teams investigate and respond to threats across their environment.

Trellix is a strong competitor to McAfee for organizations evaluating enterprise endpoint and data security capabilities. It can be particularly relevant for businesses that want to combine endpoint protection with DLP, email security, network protection, and broader security operations rather than deploying an endpoint product in isolation.

Key Features

• Endpoint Security: Protects endpoints against malware, ransomware, exploits, and other threats using prevention and detection technologies.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint telemetry, investigation, threat detection, and response capabilities for security teams.
• XDR: Correlates security information from supported endpoint, network, email, and other sources to provide broader visibility into security incidents.
• Data Loss Prevention: Helps organizations identify, monitor, and control sensitive information across supported endpoints, networks, and other environments.
• Email Security: Provides protection against phishing, malware, malicious links, spam, and other email-based threats.
• Network Security: Provides security and detection capabilities for monitoring network activity and identifying suspicious behavior.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat information and context to support security investigations and help teams understand attacker activity.
• Security Operations: Provides capabilities for security monitoring, investigation, incident response, and threat management.
• Security Automation: Supports automated workflows and response actions designed to reduce repetitive security operations work.
• Centralized Management: Provides management capabilities across supported Trellix products, allowing security teams to administer policies and security controls from a centralized environment.

Also Read: Best Trellix Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

9. Fortinet

Fortinet provides a broad cybersecurity portfolio spanning endpoint protection, network security, firewalls, SASE, SD-WAN, cloud security, and security operations. FortiClient provides endpoint protection and endpoint detection capabilities, while FortiGate and the wider Fortinet Security Fabric extend security controls across networks, users, applications, and infrastructure.

Fortinet takes a broader approach than a conventional endpoint-security product. Its security products can share information across the environment, allowing endpoint events to be considered alongside network activity, firewall events, secure-access signals, and other security data. This can be useful for organizations that want security controls to work together rather than operating as isolated products.

Fortinet is a good replacement for McAfee when network security is an important part of the organization’s endpoint-security strategy. It can be particularly relevant for enterprises and distributed environments that want to combine endpoint protection with firewalls, SASE, SD-WAN, secure access, and broader network controls.

Key Features

• FortiClient: Provides endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, secure remote access, VPN, and other endpoint-security capabilities.
• FortiEDR: Provides endpoint detection and response capabilities for detecting suspicious behavior, investigating incidents, and responding to endpoint threats.
• FortiGate: Provides next-generation firewall capabilities including intrusion prevention, application control, VPN, web filtering, and network threat protection.
• FortiSASE: Provides cloud-delivered security and secure-access capabilities for distributed users, devices, applications, and locations.
• SD-WAN: Provides software-defined networking capabilities that can be integrated with Fortinet security controls for branch and distributed environments.
• Cloud Security: Provides technologies for protecting workloads, applications, and infrastructure across supported cloud environments.
• Security Fabric: Connects supported Fortinet products so they can exchange security information and coordinate protection across different parts of the environment.
• Security Operations: Fortinet’s security operations portfolio provides detection, analytics, automation, orchestration, and response capabilities.
• Network Security: Covers firewalls, intrusion prevention, segmentation, secure access, traffic inspection, and other network-protection requirements.
• Centralized Management: Provides centralized tools for managing supported Fortinet security products, policies, configurations, and security events.

Also Read: Best Fortinet Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

10. ESET PROTECT

ESET PROTECT provides centralized management for ESET’s endpoint-security portfolio, bringing together endpoint protection, EDR, vulnerability and patch management, encryption, and other security capabilities. The platform gives administrators a central environment for managing security policies, monitoring endpoints, and responding to security events.

ESET’s endpoint technology combines malware detection with behavioral analysis, exploit protection, ransomware protection, and other layers of endpoint security. ESET Inspect adds EDR capabilities for organizations that need deeper visibility into endpoint activity, threat investigation, and response.

ESET PROTECT is a practical McAfee alternative for organizations looking for centralized endpoint protection without necessarily adopting a much larger security-operations platform. It can work well for businesses that need endpoint security, device management, vulnerability visibility, and reporting across a distributed endpoint environment.

Key Features

• Endpoint Protection: Protects supported Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, and other environments against malware and other endpoint threats.
• ESET Inspect: Provides EDR capabilities for monitoring endpoint activity, detecting suspicious behavior, investigating incidents, and supporting response.
• Behavioral Detection: Uses behavioral and machine-learning technologies to identify suspicious activity that may not be detected through traditional signatures alone.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses multiple protection layers to detect and block ransomware and other malicious behavior.
• Exploit Blocker: Helps protect endpoints against attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in applications and operating-system components.
• Cloud-Based Management: ESET PROTECT provides centralized cloud management for security products, endpoints, policies, alerts, and security tasks.
• Vulnerability and Patch Management: Provides capabilities for identifying endpoint vulnerabilities and managing security-related remediation activities.
• Full Disk Encryption: Provides encryption capabilities for supported endpoint environments to help protect data if devices are lost or compromised.
• Mobile Security: Extends ESET protection and management capabilities to supported mobile devices.
• Security Reporting: Provides dashboards, reports, alerts, and security information to help administrators monitor the state of protected environments.

Also Read: Best ESET Alternatives and Competitors in 2026