McAfee Safe Connect VPN Review 2026: Now Secure VPN, $29.99 First Year, Renews at $89.99

McAfee Safe Connect is gone as a standalone app. We review McAfee Secure VPN: bundle-only pricing, renewal jumps, logging, kill switch gaps and who should buy it.

The Proof Desk9 min read

McAfee Secure VPN screen in the McAfee mobile app showing the VPN is on and the real location hidden

If you typed mcafee.com/safe-connect into your browser looking for McAfee's VPN, you probably landed on a dead end. The standalone McAfee Safe Connect VPN is no longer sold. The address now resolves to a "Page Not Found" page, the Safe Connect app is no longer listed on the US App Store, and McAfee's VPN page only sells the service as "McAfee Secure VPN" inside its antivirus bundles.

This review covers what replaced Safe Connect, what it costs in late 2026, what the VPN actually does, and where it falls short. The short version: the cheapest way in is $29.99 for the first year on one device, which renews at $89.99. It's a convenient add-on if you already want McAfee antivirus, but it's a weak pick if all you want is a VPN.

Prices below are in US dollars per year, as listed on McAfee's VPN page in late September 2026. McAfee changes its promotions often, so check the checkout page before you pay.

What happened to McAfee Safe Connect

McAfee Safe Connect used to be a separate VPN app with its own product page at mcafee.com/safe-connect. That page now returns McAfee's error message: "Page Not Found. We're sorry, the page you requested cannot be found. The page may have been moved, replaced, or made temporarily unavailable." An archived copy from May 16, 2026 already shows the error.

On the US App Store, McAfee LLC now lists "McAfee: Stay Secure & Private", True Key and a parental-controls app. None of them is Safe Connect. The VPN now lives inside the main McAfee security app on every platform.

McAfee hasn't published a retirement notice that we could find. The third-party site All About Cookies, in a review updated August 7, 2026, says the standalone app "will be retired in 2025" and that "the only way to use McAfee's VPN is via McAfee's antivirus apps." That matches what McAfee sells today.

McAfee App Store screenshot reading Online protection is just one click away, with two women looking at a phone — The VPN that replaced Safe Connect now sits inside the main McAfee security app. Source: McAfee on the App Store.

What this means if you still have Safe Connect

You can't buy the old standalone app anymore. To keep using a McAfee VPN, you need a McAfee Total Protection or McAfee+ plan that includes Secure VPN, and you need to install the main McAfee app.

McAfee Secure VPN pricing in 2026

There is no VPN-only plan. McAfee's VPN page lists Secure VPN as part of these bundles, with first-year and renewal prices taken from the page in late September 2026:

Basic - $29.99 for the first year, renews at $89.99. 1 device, 1 user. The plan card reads "VPN (1 license)".
Essential - $39.99 for the first year, renews at $119.99. 5 devices, 1 user. A 2-year Essential term costs $79.99, then renews at $119.99 per year.
McAfee+ Advanced Individual - $89.99 for the first year, renews at $199.99. All devices, 1 user.

All three plan cards list the same core features: "Scam Detector Award-winning Antivirus Secure VPN Identity monitoring & alerts Web protection Personal info & online account scans Social Privacy Manager Up to $1M identity theft coverage". The same page also shows other McAfee+ offers, including Premium Individual at $49.99 first year and $149.99 renewal, Ultimate Individual at $199.99 and $279.99, and Advanced Family at $119.99 and $269.99.

Watch the renewal price

Auto-renew is on by default. McAfee's terms say: "30 days before your first term is expired, your subscription will be automatically renewed on an annual basis and you will be charged the renewal subscription price in effect at the time of your renewal, until you cancel (Vermont residents must opt-in to auto-renewal.)" On Basic, that takes you from $29.99 to $89.99 a year.

Free trial and free tier

There's no free VPN tier anymore. The free "McAfee Security - Free" plan in the iOS app covers "Single device protection, Wi-Fi Scan, Identity Scan, System Scan" and doesn't include the VPN.

McAfee does offer a trial: "try McAfee Total Protection free for 30 days and enjoy 500MB of VPN data per month." The trial terms say you are charged $39.99 for the first term when the trial ends, then renewed at a price the same page gives as "currently $109.99/yr". The $39.99 Essential plan card on that page shows a $119.99 renewal, so expect to renew at $109.99 to $119.99 depending on how you signed up.

Two women lying down together, one with a tablet and one with a phone, from McAfee's free trial promotion

Setup and auto-connect

Because the VPN is part of the McAfee app, there's nothing separate to install. McAfee's own steps for Windows are:

Open the McAfee app from the shield icon, or search for "McAfee".
Click the Secure VPN tile on the right side of the screen.
Switch the Virtual Private Network panel to On.
Click Settings next to Connection Settings for more options.

The headline feature is auto-connect. In McAfee's words: "Connect in confidence, knowing that we'll automatically turn on VPN if you're on an unprotected network. You can also choose to keep your VPN on all the time." For people who mainly want protection on hotel and cafe Wi-Fi, this is the most useful part of the product.

McAfee Secure VPN auto-connect setting with the option Always (Recommended) shown over a photo of a woman using her phone — The auto-connect setting can turn the VPN on for unsafe networks or keep it on all the time. Source: McAfee VPN page.

McAfee lists apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and ChromeOS. There is no Linux app and no router support.

Features, protocols and kill switch

McAfee says little about how the VPN works. Its page states one technical detail: "McAfee Secure VPN uses AES 256-bit encryption to keep your browsing information private". AES-256 is the industry standard, so that part is fine.

For the rest, we rely on third-party testing. Top10VPN, in a review updated April 27, 2026, reports that McAfee "moved away from using the Hydra protocol, and now includes WireGuard on all platforms", with the exception of "its macOS app, which uses OpenVPN". Top10VPN lists no IKEv2/IPSec and no port forwarding.

McAfee mobile app screen showing Secure VPN with a green VPN is on toggle and a Fastest location card — The VPN screen inside the McAfee mobile app, with the connection on and the fastest server picked. Source: McAfee on the App Store.

Kill switch: Top10VPN says "it only has a kill switch on Windows and Android". If you're on a Mac or iPhone, your real IP can leak if the tunnel drops. All About Cookies calls the feature "Safe Reconnect".
Split tunneling: All About Cookies says it "can only be used with a couple of streaming services", so you can't pick arbitrary apps to bypass the VPN.
Data limits: no data cap is stated for paid plans, but the license agreement says "you must comply with our fair use policy" and "If you breach this fair use policy, we may suspend your use of the VPN function".
Unlimited devices: plans marked All devices "cover only household devices that you own for personal, non-commercial use, and are subject to our fair use policy."

This is a basic feature set. There's no multi-hop, no dedicated IP and no ad or tracker blocking inside the VPN itself. McAfee's separate web protection feature in the bundle covers some of that ground.

Server locations, streaming and torrenting

McAfee advertises "almost 50 server locations worldwide" and says you "can connect to almost 50 different countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, ... United Kingdom, and United States." Third-party counts are close: Top10VPN found "IP addresses from 48 countries" and All About Cookies counted 47. You choose a country, not a city or a specific server.

Man at a train station holding a phone, with a McAfee overlay reading Secure VPN On — McAfee says Secure VPN connects to almost 50 countries. Source: McAfee VPN page.

Streaming results conflict. Top10VPN marked every service it tested as not working, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, Hulu and BBC iPlayer. All About Cookies reports that it unblocked Netflix US and Australia in its tests. If streaming abroad matters to you, test it during the 30-day refund window rather than counting on it.

On torrenting, McAfee's terms don't ban P2P traffic, and Top10VPN lists "Permits P2P Traffic: Yes". McAfee's page adds the usual warning that "anything that's illegal without a VPN remains illegal when using one (e.g. torrenting copyrighted material)." There's no port forwarding, which limits it for heavy torrent users.

Privacy, logging and audits

McAfee's marketing claim is simple: "We don't log or track what you do online, so your online activity remains private." The Privacy Notice, last updated January 2026, is more specific: "Our VPN Service may collect certain telemetry, but does not collect your originating IP address, DNS queries, or information about the applications, services, or websites you use while connected to the VPN."

That's a reasonable policy on paper, but McAfee doesn't say what the telemetry includes or how long it keeps it.

Man using a laptop in a cafe with a McAfee overlay reading VPN is connecting you securely and privately — McAfee says its VPN doesn't collect your originating IP address, DNS queries or the sites you visit. Source: McAfee VPN page.

No independent audit of McAfee's own VPN

McAfee bought TunnelBear in 2018. On McAfee's VPN page, the words "independently reviewed and audited" link to TunnelBear's 2020 security audit, and All About Cookies says the VPN "uses TunnelBear's technology". McAfee itself doesn't say whose network runs Secure VPN, and we found no independent audit of McAfee Secure VPN itself. Top10VPN lists "Independent Audit: No".

McAfee LLC is a US company with its headquarters at 6220 America Center Drive, San Jose, California. If you're worried about US jurisdiction, that alone may rule it out.

Bottom line on privacy

The written policy excludes the data that matters most, such as your IP, DNS queries and browsing. But nobody has independently checked McAfee's VPN, McAfee doesn't say how long it keeps telemetry, and pointing to a 2020 audit of a different product isn't the same as an audit of this one.

App ratings

There's no separate VPN app to rate anymore, so these figures cover the whole McAfee security app, not just the VPN:

iOS, McAfee: Stay Secure & Private - 4.7 average from 238,878 ratings, version 10.9.1, updated September 29, 2026.
Google Play, McAfee Security - rated 4.7 out of 5 from 905K reviews, 50M+ downloads, updated September 25, 2026.

The app is well maintained and popular, but these ratings mostly reflect the antivirus and scanning features, not how well the VPN works.

Who should use McAfee Secure VPN

McAfee Secure VPN makes sense if you already want McAfee antivirus and identity monitoring and would like a VPN that turns itself on when you join public Wi-Fi. At $29.99 for the first year on one device, Basic is a cheap way to get all of that in one app.

It's a poor fit if the VPN is the main thing you're paying for. You can't buy it on its own, the price roughly triples at renewal, there's no kill switch on macOS or iOS, there's no Linux support, streaming is unreliable, and McAfee's own VPN has never been audited.

If you're comparing VPNs that come with security suites, we've also reviewed Norton VPN, Bitdefender VPN, Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection, AVG Secure VPN and Avast SecureLine VPN.

Frequently asked questions

Does McAfee Safe Connect still exist?

Not as a standalone app. mcafee.com/safe-connect now returns a Page Not Found error, and the app is no longer listed on the US App Store. McAfee's VPN is now called McAfee Secure VPN and is only available inside McAfee Total Protection and McAfee+ plans.

How much does McAfee Secure VPN cost?

The cheapest option is the Basic bundle at $29.99 for the first year, renewing at $89.99. Essential costs $39.99 for the first year and renews at $119.99, and McAfee+ Advanced Individual costs $89.99, then $199.99. These are the prices McAfee listed in late September 2026.

How many devices can I use it on?

It depends on the plan. Basic covers 1 device, Essential covers 5, and McAfee+ Advanced covers all your household devices for personal use, subject to McAfee's fair use policy.

Is there a free McAfee VPN?

No. The free McAfee Security plan doesn't include the VPN. The 30-day Total Protection trial includes 500MB of VPN data per month, and McAfee charges $39.99 when the trial ends unless you cancel first.

Can I get a refund?

Yes. McAfee gives a full refund if you contact Customer Support within 30 days of your first purchase, or within 60 days of an auto-renewal charge.

Does McAfee Secure VPN keep logs?

McAfee says it doesn't collect your originating IP address, DNS queries or the sites and apps you use while connected, but it may collect "certain telemetry". It doesn't say how long it keeps that telemetry, and the VPN hasn't had its own independent audit.

Does it have a kill switch on Mac and iPhone?

No, according to Top10VPN's testing. The kill switch is only available on Windows and Android.

Does McAfee Secure VPN work with Netflix?

Results vary. All About Cookies got Netflix US and Australia working, while Top10VPN couldn't unblock any streaming service it tested. Use the 30-day refund window to check the services you care about.

Key takeaways

McAfee Safe Connect is no longer sold as a standalone app. Its replacement, McAfee Secure VPN, only comes inside McAfee antivirus bundles.
The cheapest plan is Basic at $29.99 for the first year on 1 device, renewing at $89.99. Essential is $39.99, then $119.99, for 5 devices.
There's no free VPN tier. The 30-day trial includes 500MB of VPN data per month.
It uses AES-256, has auto-connect for unsafe Wi-Fi and covers almost 50 countries, but the kill switch only works on Windows and Android.
McAfee says it doesn't log your IP, DNS queries or browsing, but it hasn't audited its own VPN. It points to TunnelBear's 2020 audit instead.
Refunds are available within 30 days of purchase or 60 days of an auto-renewal.