Bitdefender vs McAfee:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, McAfee had more branded searches than Bitdefender among antivirus software worldwide. McAfee was estimated to have 611K branded searches compared to Bitdefender’s 90.5K, and held a 27.5% Share of Search versus Bitdefender’s 4.1%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Bitdefender or McAfee?
Compare the antivirus and internet security software people buy. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for McAfee, Bitdefender. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Norton | McAfee | Kaspersky | Bitdefender | ESET | Malwarebytes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 40.6% | 29.5% | 25.3% | 3.4% | 1% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 38.3% | 30.6% | 27% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.12% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.1% | 30.7% | 27% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.8% | 34% | 24.5% | 2.7% | 0.99% | 0.11% |
| Feb 2026 | 39.5% | 33% | 23.8% | 2.6% | 0.96% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 38.9% | 33.4% | 23.5% | 3.2% | 0.95% | 0.12% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.6% | 31% | 26.6% | 3.6% | 1.1% | 0.14% |
| May 2026 | 37.1% | 31.8% | 27.3% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.14% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.7% | 32.4% | 23.9% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.13% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.7% | 31% | 23.3% | 5.7% | 1.1% | 0.12% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.2% | 29.7% | 26.7% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.12% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.4% | 27.5% | 24.7% | 4.1% | 1.2% | 0.11% |
How has the Bitdefender and McAfee comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McAfee was ahead of Bitdefender in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bitdefender’s estimated Share of Search among antivirus software worldwide moved from 3.4% to 4.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 90.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McAfee’s estimated Share of Search among antivirus software worldwide moved from 29.5% to 27.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 783K to 611K.
How did search popularity change for antivirus software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Bitdefender gained estimated Share of Search among antivirus software worldwide, from 2.9% to 4.1%.
In September 2026, McAfee lost estimated Share of Search among antivirus software worldwide, from 29.7% to 27.5%.
Other head-to-heads among antivirus software
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bitdefender’s and McAfee’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Bitdefender
1 branded search term
- bitdefender antivirus
McAfee
2 branded search terms
- mcafee
- mcafee antivirus
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.