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McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention vs Symantec Data Loss Prevention comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

McAfee Total Protection for...
Ranking in Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
27th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Symantec Data Loss Prevention
Ranking in Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) category, the mindshare of McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is 1.0%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Data Loss Prevention is 5.8%, down from 9.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
 

Featured Reviews

VivekGupta7 - PeerSpot reviewer
Versatile with good patching and a straightforward setup
There is some fine-tuning needed, even once you define something. We need to do a lot of configuration. It would be easier if they made the configuration simpler, especially in the beginning. They need to give the user more choices and provide more guidance to help avoid problems later on. We'd like some more built-in predictive analytics so we can be prepared for what might happen in the future. We did have some bandwidth issues during setup. If your update fails, you may have stability issues. We find it difficult to reach higher levels of support when we face larger issues.
ARAVINDAN K - PeerSpot reviewer
Strengthened security operations with endpoint-level protection but database flexibility could improve
Symantec Data Loss Prevention has proprietary metadata and is well-suited for endpoint-level security. It stands out for supporting multiple protocols like email and SMTP without needing user profile login for endpoint agents. Once policies are downloaded to the local system, they function independently of a user's login. The solution helps enhance security operations when integrated with ServiceNow and offers robust incident response capabilities.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution is stable."
"It can scale."
"This solution has a rich set of policies."
"The initial setup process was easy."
"What I like about McAfee Total Protection is that it's working. I also like that it doesn't require any specific knowledge to set up."
"The most valuable feature is strong data leak prevention for data protection."
"The tool focuses on endpoints rather than networks. Endpoints cover everything. It wouldn't be possible to steal confidential information from endpoints."
"The most valuable feature right now is the user control."
"Users like the product because of its simplicity and the rate of detection."
"The most valuable feature is file-level DLP."
"I have found the most valuable feature to be partial enlisting."
"For detection, it has a great algorithm. It can recognize ID numbers and everything that you put in a policy for the end-users. That is really great for us as an institution where we have sensitive data. It recognizes all the sensitive data when someone tries to transfer it or put in other data."
"What I like about Symantec Data Loss Prevention is the technical support it provides. It's good."
"I have never experienced any stability issues during the eight years of using the solution."
"What we like about Symantec Data Loss Prevention is that it's a very good product. We never faced any problems with its performance. It has very good performance. There was this RAM issue, but it was an internal issue which we've sorted out. Apart from the RAM issue, there are no other issues with Symantec Data Loss Prevention."
"Symantec Data Loss Prevention is the number one product in its field. It does its job well and it has all the necessary features. It is definitely better than any other solution on the market."
 

Cons

"Integration with other vendors could be improved. For example, with Chrome or Firefox."
"There are a lot of vulnerabilities and viruses and malware can proliferate."
"In my experience, it's not really user-friendly for me, in terms of how I navigate with the ePolicy Orchestrator. They need to upgrade their management console."
"The interface can be improved, it's too cluttered."
"The licensing cost for McAfee Total Protection could be cheaper, but apart from that, I don't need anything else. The software has what I need."
"The support from McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is good. However, if they provided 24 hours a day seven days a week support that would be a helpful addition."
"When this solution is used it requires a lot of administration because the users can have difficulties using it and require assistance. The administrators are continuously modifying the policies for the users. Technical support will be used frequently."
"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention needs to improve the resources it uses for CPU and RAM."
"From a management perspective, it takes a lot of time to manage the infrastructure."
"They need to expand the channels they check."
"It is very difficult to log in to create a support ticket because no one is available to support our queries."
"This product is very powerful but it is very complex, so making it simpler to use would be an improvement."
"A main disadvantage of Symantec DLP is its reliance on Oracle, especially compared to other products like Forcepoint, which offer MSSQL database options that are more convenient."
"We are finding delayed response if the macOS is updated. They need to make sure their solution is compatible."
"Data Masking could be improved."
"We're not sure if there was an issue or a bug on the system recently because as of right now if someone sends out a compressed encrypted file, the DLP won't scan it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing seems expensive both for the license and the support."
"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is an expensive solution."
"There is an annual license to use this solution."
"The price is high for this type of product."
"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is expensive."
"The price of the solution could improve."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"I'm paying the license for McAfee Total Protection yearly. It could be cheaper, but it's fine."
"The platform is not very expensive. I rate its pricing an eight out of ten."
"The price of Symantec Data Loss Prevention could be reduced."
"If you are a small firm with less than 150 users, Symantec can be too pricey."
"DLP could be a bit cheaper."
"The solution should be less expensive to allow more people the opportunity to use it. Some of their competitors are less expensive. There is a license required to use the solution and we purchased an annual license."
"The price is a bit high."
"The price is competitive."
"The tool's licensing costs are yearly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Retailer
7%
Non Profit
6%
Financial Services Firm
20%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention?
The tool focuses on endpoints rather than networks. Endpoints cover everything. It wouldn't be possible to steal confidential information from endpoints.
What do you like most about Symantec Data Loss Prevention?
It can prevent copying and encoding of HTTP data to various sites like Google, and Webex.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Data Loss Prevention?
I do not have an idea about pricing, as it is handled by another team responsible for procurements.
What needs improvement with Symantec Data Loss Prevention?
A main disadvantage of Symantec DLP is its reliance on Oracle, especially compared to other products like Forcepoint, which offer MSSQL database options that are more convenient.
 

Also Known As

McAfee Total Protection for Data, McAfee Total Protection for DLP, Total Protection for Data, Intel Security Total Protection for Data
Symantec DLP
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Kleberg Bank
Hadassah University Hospital, Her Majestys Government (HMG), United Kingdom, Hitachi Consulting Software Services India Pvt Ltd., Hua Nan Bank, Hyundai Department Store Group,JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, Lake Health, McCann Erickson Israel, Molina Healthcare Inc., PGi, Quilvest Switzerland Limited, State of Nevada Public Employees Benefits Program, Symantec Corporation (Enterprise Security), The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust (DLP), The Saudi Industrial Property Authority, TSO cloud, Visa, Yunnan Power Grid Company
Find out what your peers are saying about McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention vs. Symantec Data Loss Prevention and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.