McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Review 2023: 6 Cons and 5 Pros

by Petr Lippert
updated October 27, 2023 (Report a bug)

1. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free: Data Limit 0.3 GB per month, No Support for Video and Torrents

   • Does not support macOS, Linux or other platforms
   • Data limit is only 0.3 GB per month
   • Logs user activity
   • Slow connection to server
   • Does not support torrenting
   • Unable to unblock streaming platforms

   • Free for unlimited time
   • Can connect to 999 devices simultaneously
   • Average upload speed (111 Mb/s)
   • Excellent response speed (11 ms)
   • Wide range of 2,000 servers in 48 countries

   The McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is a free alternative to the paid service McAfee Safe Connect VPN. In our test, it earned an overall score of 7.0/10, which ranks it 37. among 91 reviewed VPNs.

   The provider of the service is the well-known antivirus company McAfee, LLC, which was founded in the US back in 1987. The downside of free VPNs are quite numerous restrictions, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free has a lot of them even for a free service.

   The first limitation is the distribution method, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free can only be obtained as part of McAfee Safe Connect. It cannot be downloaded and installed separately.

   VPNs can only be used on basic Windows, Android or iOS platforms. A significant limitation of the free version is the data transfer limit 0.3 GB per month. Such a low value is hardly enough for normal internet surfing. For video streaming, torrenting or downloading larger files, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is completely unsuitable.

   Security flaws in the service also have a negative impact on the overall grade when user activity is McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free logged. The operator’s US domicile means that it has to hand over all data it holds on users when called upon by authorised authorities.

   It also lost McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free points due to slow connection establishment with the server. However, the transfer speeds themselves are very good for a free service, and we measured the average download 79 Mb/s and upload 111 Mb/s. The response speed 11 ms is excellent even among paid VPNs.

   An advantage of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is the availability of 2,000 servers in 48 countries around the world. The service can be used for free on up to 999 devices simultaneously.

   The transmitted data is secured with 256-bit encryption in combination with the Catapult Hydra protocol.

   Overall, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free can be considered sufficient only for one-time use for a short period of time. It is not suitable for long-term use. In this case, we recommend to give preference to the paid variant McAfee Safe Connect VPN (rating 7.4/10, price from $1.67 per month), Alternatively, NordVPN (rating 9.4/10, from $4.07 per month) or Surfshark (rating 9.0/10, from $2.14 per month).

2. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price:  Free (999 devices)

   

   7

   ★★★☆

   The free VPN has decent data transfer speeds but severely limits users with a low data transfer limit. It also logs user activity.

   Free

   Download For Free

   McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is free for an unlimited time.

   You don’t need to enter your credit card number anywhere to get the VPN, just download the McAfee Safe Connect app. You can optionally set up a user account there, but this is not mandatory to use the VPN. When creating it, an email address is entered and a one-time verification code is sent to the email address to enter the account password.

   The other way to get McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is to install an Android or iOS app. Once you launch it, just skip the subscription option.

   Neither a trial version McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free nor a money-back guarantee is offered, given the zero cost of the service.

   Along with the free option, McAfee offers a paid McAfee Safe Connect VPN with no limit on the amount of data transferred. For a $1.67 per month, you can connect to 2,000 servers in 50 countries around the world. One subscription protects up to 5 devices simultaneously, and the order is covered by a money-back guarantee of 30 days.

3. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: Unlimited

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     No

     Android TV is supported by 37 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 19 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     No

     Fire TV is supported by 44 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     Yes

     Chromebook is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     No

     Linux is supported by 62 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     No

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     No

     NAS is supported by 25 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     No

     nVidia Shield is supported by 15 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     No

     Playstation is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     No

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     No

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     No

     Router is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     No

     xBox is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     No

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 44 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     No

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 44 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 20 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     No

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 34 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     No

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 44 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     No

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 44 % of reviewed VPNs.

   McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free can be used on any number of devices at the same time, this is not uncommon among free VPNs.

   The compatibility level McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is very low. The app is only available for Windows computers and for Android and iOS mobile devices. VPN can still be used on Chromebook devices. Users of macOS or Linux are out of luck.

   Given the low data transfer cap, it’s not surprising that 0.3 GB per month doesn’t support traffic on smart TVs, game consoles, or routers.

   The browser add-on McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free also does not offer it.

   Given the poor compatibility level of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free, we recommend that you prefer another service. Of the free VPNs available, we recommend Atlas VPN Free or Proton VPN Free, Of the fee-based ones, it is worth considering NordVPN or CyberGhost VPN.

4. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 51 % of reviewed VPNs

   VPNs can be obtained for free as part of McAfee Safe Connect.

   As it is a lightweight alternative to the paid version McAfee Safe Connect VPN, the environment is clear and user-friendly. Already during installation, the application itself showed us how to use it.

   The application interface is only available in a light theme, the dark variant is not available. The only language available is English.

   The opening screen McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free gives the user the option to quickly connect as soon as the app starts. In the same place, the volume of data transferred, the option to manage subscriptions and, if applicable, a button to create a user account are displayed.

   The McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free for Windows has the control panel located on the left side of the screen, on mobile devices it is located on the top right.

   To connect to a server, just click on the blue button, it will automatically select the best available server at that moment. To choose a different location, a list of all servers is provided, sorted alphabetically by country. After a successful connection, the button turns green, at the same time the name of the currently used wi-fi network is displayed all the time.

   The range of functions offered is very limited. One of the few available is whitelist, which allows you to select the wi-fi networks that the app will consider safe. Once connected to them, the VPN is automatically deactivated.

5. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: 0.3 GB per month

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 111 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 78 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 51 ms.

   The amount of data transferred is limited to McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free for 0.3 GB per month. Even among free VPNs, this is very low, making the service unusable for unblocking streaming video, downloading larger files, or any other activity requiring the transfer of bulky data.

   There is no limit to the transfer rate McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free, the speed of establishing a connection to the server was low. We achieved below average values even with automatic server selection, where better results can usually be expected.

   In repeated measurements, we achieved average download 79 Mb/s and upload 111 Mb/s speeds. Both values can be considered very good.

   The average server responsiveness can be considered excellent, only McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free was measured. Similar values are offered by the best available VPNs such as AdGuard VPN (7 ms) or Atlas VPN Pro (11 ms).

   For response speed, lower is better. Too high a response rate can result in annoying lag when watching videos or playing games.

6. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     2,000

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1681.
   • Number of countries:
     48

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 41.

   Europe	🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland
   North America	🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 USA 🇲🇽 Mexico
   South America	🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇵🇪 Peru
   Asia	🇸🇬 Singapore 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇹🇼 Taiwan
   Africa	🇿🇦 South Africa 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇳🇬 Nigeria
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   Users of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free have access to 2,000 servers in 48 countries around the world. Compared to other services, the number of sites and servers is good.

   Europe has the largest representation, with at least one server available on every continent. Some are located in less common locations, such as Chile, Colombia, Kenya, Nigeria or the Philippines. The McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free also has servers in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. From countries where state censorship occurs, it is possible to connect via the United Arab Emirates or Singapore.

   The McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free does not operate any servers optimized for certain types of traffic, such as gaming, torrenting, or streamed video. All offered features are available on all servers without exception.

7. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 92% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 86% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 20 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free has only basic security features integrated. One of them is DNS request protection, which worked fine during testing.

   The app integrates an important kill switch that disconnects the device from the Internet if the connection to the VPN server is lost. This prevents the user’s real IP address and location from being compromised.

   The transmitted data is protected by 256-bit AES encryption, which is itself very secure and is used in military or banking systems, among others. The only available protocol is Catapult Hydra, which is developed by AnchorFree, Inc., operator of the HotspotShield Premium and HotspotShield Free services.

   An advanced feature of the paid services is multi-hop connectivity, where all traffic is routed through two different VPN servers simultaneously. The advantage is a higher level of privacy, the disadvantage is usually a lower connection speed. However, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free does not support multi-hop.

   Support for Tor traffic is absent with McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free.

   In addition, all user activity on McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is logged, and as a result we rate the security of the service as insufficient. The VPN is only usable for a basic level of protection, for maximum anonymity we recommend choosing paid services NordVPN or Proton VPN Plus.

8. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     No

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     No

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 55 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     No

     HBO streaming is supported by 58 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     No

     Hulu streaming is supported by 51 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     No

     Netflix streaming is supported by 65 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 97 % of reviewed VPNs

   McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is completely inappropriate for the purpose of unblocking video from streaming platforms.

   During our tests, we were only able to unblock video from YouTube. For the Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Hulu platforms, we were unable to play foreign content. Nor does McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free operate servers specifically optimized for streaming video.

   Using the service to stream video is also prevented by the very low data transfer limit 0.3 GB per month. This volume would only be enough to play a quarter of an hour of standard definition video.

   Of the free VPNs, we recommend trying Windscribe Free or Proton VPN Free to unblock foreign libraries, of the paid services, NordVPN and CyberGhost VPN perform well.

9. Features of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     No

     Ad blocking is offered by 42 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     No

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     No

     Trackers blocking is offered by 36 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free offers no extra features. Blocking ads, malware or trackers is not directly available, but other software from the same developer can be used.

   Static IP address, port forwarding or split tunneling is not available for free or for an additional fee. In the McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free app, it is at least possible to use Auto-connect, which activates VPN protection when the device is switched on or when connected to an insecure wi-fi network.

10. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    The load exerted by McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free on the test Windows laptop is comparable to other services. It was even slightly lower compared to the paid version McAfee Safe Connect VPN.

    The load can be further reduced by disabling the auto-connect feature, which keeps the app running whenever wi-fi is on. The installation package for the Windows application is around 40 MB.

11. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      No

      Torrenting support is offered by 88 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is unusable for torrenting. This is due to the data volume limit alone 0.3 GB per month.

    For the purpose of P2P file sharing, we recommend using only paid services that can simultaneously guarantee the maximum level of anonymity, unlimited data transfer volume and high download and upload speeds. The best VPNs for torrenting include CyberGhost VPN, Ivacy VPN and NordVPN.

12. What is the country of origin of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free?

    • VPN Provider: Advent International, L. P.
    • Country of origin: 🇺🇸 USA

    McAfee, LLC, an antivirus company based in San Jose, California, USA, is behind the creation of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free. Founded in 1987 under the name McAfee Associates, Inc, it has been developing security software since its inception. In February 2011, Intel Corporation acquired a majority stake in McAfee and held it until March 2022, when the company was acquired by investment group Advent International Corporation.

    Along with the free version of McAfee, LLC is developing a paid alternative McAfee Safe Connect VPN.

    The United States is a member of the Five Eyes Countries. The police and intelligence services of these countries can monitor Internet traffic to ensure national security and share the data with each other. VPN providers are required to release information about users of the service upon request.

    Some operators get out of this obligation by not storing any logs of VPN traffic. However, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free logs user activity, which we consider a major shortcoming in ensuring anonymity.

13. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      No

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    The provider McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free explicitly states that all user activity associated with the use of the service is logged. Thus, personal data (such as email address or payment method used), information about interactions with services, identifiers of devices used, or volumes of data transmitted may be collected.

    The information collected is used primarily for the promotion and further development of the service and may be shared with third parties according to the terms and conditions.

    The Company is based in the United States and is therefore subject to local laws and regulations. Thus, in the event of a legitimate request, it must hand over any required information it holds about users. The amount of information provided may be limited if the user uses McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free without an account.

    An independent audit focusing on data handling or application security would add to the credibility of the service. At the same time, there are no known data leaks related to the use of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free.

    Overall, we consider the level of security and privacy of McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free to be insufficient, which is a common vice of free VPNs. Of the free services available we can recommend Proton VPN Free, of the paid services Proton VPN Plus or NordVPN.

14. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free Support: Chat, e-mail…

    Technical support can be contacted via live chat on the McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free website, is available 24/7 and does not require a user account or subscription to use. Support can also be contacted by phone.

    The support center on the website McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free has tutorials on how to install, purchase or operate the application separately for each platform. Some tutorials are available in video form.

    In the same section there is a database of frequently asked questions and answers. The blog and social networks Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube can also be a source of information about the service.

15. McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free FAQ

    Is McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free free?

    Yes, McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is completely free.

    It is a free alternative to the paid service McAfee Safe Connect VPN, but has a number of limitations compared to it. Most notable are the data transfer limit 0.3 GB per month and the lack of support for unblocking streaming video and torrenting.

    Where can I get McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free?

    The McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free is available as part of McAfee Safe Connect. Once installed, simply skip the subscription option to activate the free version.

    The user can continue to register, which would facilitate an eventual upgrade to the paid version McAfee Safe Connect VPN. However, an active user account is not a requirement for using McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free.

    Is McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free secure?

    The only features to secure traffic McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free are DNS protection and kill switch. No other security features are offered by McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free. The application only supports the Catapult Hydra protocol, the data is protected by 256-bit AES encryption, which is considered secure.

    A major drawback is the collection of logs when using the application. For this reason, we do not consider McAfee Safe Connect VPN Free to be completely secure.