McAfee vs Microsoft Defender:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, McAfee had more branded searches than Microsoft Defender among antivirus software in New Zealand. McAfee had about 3,710 branded searches, while Microsoft Defender had 320. McAfee made up 32.2% of all antivirus software searches we track, and Microsoft Defender accounted for 2.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about antivirus software, Microsoft Defender appeared in three of the four answers and McAfee in none.
Who do people search for more?
McAfee, about 12 searches for every 1 for Microsoft Defender
Who does AI mention more?
Microsoft Defender, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, McAfee in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Microsoft Defender, the only one of the two named
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Top antivirus software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Microsoft Defender was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. McAfee did not appear in any of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Bitdefender1st
ESET2nd
Norton3rd- Microsoft Defender4th
Avast5th- McAfee–
Malwarebytes–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Bitdefender4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- ESET4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Norton4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Microsoft Defender3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Avast1 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- McAfee0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Malwarebytes0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about antivirus software
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which antivirus product should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best antivirus products in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best antivirus product in New Zealand for device protection?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“antivirus software nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“antivirus for pc”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is McAfee or Microsoft Defender more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for McAfee and Microsoft Defender by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven antivirus software we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for McAfee, Microsoft Defender. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | McAfee | Malwarebytes | Bitdefender | Avast | ESET | Norton | Microsoft Defender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25.7% | 23.9% | 18.4% | 10.1% | 11.2% | 8.2% | 2.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.7% | 21.7% | 19% | 10.6% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 2.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 29.2% | 25.3% | 15.3% | 11% | 8.5% | 8.6% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 26.4% | 25% | 17.7% | 10.4% | 8.8% | 9.2% | 2.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.3% | 24.1% | 17.4% | 9.3% | 8.1% | 9.2% | 2.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 25.6% | 26.7% | 19.9% | 9% | 9.3% | 6.6% | 3% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.8% | 29.2% | 18.1% | 9.8% | 8.5% | 7.4% | 3.2% |
| May 2026 | 24.9% | 28.6% | 19.1% | 8.8% | 7.8% | 7.9% | 3% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.4% | 30.3% | 19.7% | 8.9% | 8% | 8.2% | 2.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 17.8% | 33.4% | 22.5% | 8.7% | 8% | 7.5% | 2.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.8% | 30.9% | 20.1% | 9.6% | 7.2% | 7.6% | 2.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.2% | 24.4% | 16.4% | 11% | 6.9% | 6.3% | 2.8% |
How has the McAfee and Microsoft Defender comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McAfee was ahead of Microsoft Defender in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McAfee’s share of searches among antivirus software in New Zealand moved from 25.7% to 32.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.3K to 3.7K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Microsoft Defender’s share of searches among antivirus software in New Zealand moved from 2.5% to 2.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 320.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand antivirus software in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, McAfee overtook Malwarebytes to become the leader among antivirus software in New Zealand, with 32.2% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using McAfee’s and Microsoft Defender’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.
McAfee
8 branded search terms
- jonathan mcafee
- mcafee
- mcafee av
- mcafee protection
- mcafee security
- mcafee security standard
- mcafee total protection
- mcafee web protection
Microsoft Defender
1 branded search term
- microsoft defender
Other head-to-heads among antivirus software
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