Avast vs Malwarebytes
We give Avast a 3.0 GPA and Malwarebytes a 2.2, out of 4.0. Avast grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Avast
Free antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate
Malwarebytes
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAvastVery good | 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices on record: avast.com turned our reader away, so there's no two-year figure for a household, and C is the grade for no stated price. Note that Premium Security leaves out the VPN and Cleanup Premium, which cost extra unless you buy Ultimate. | DFive devices means Standard Family, $119.99 a year for up to 10, with no first-year deal on record. So two years cost $239.98, about $10 a month, in the dearest tenth of antivirus. With three devices or fewer, Standard at $59.99 a year halves that. |
| Free plan and trial | AAvast Free Antivirus gives real-time file, behavior and web shields, ransomware protection, a firewall and network scans, and there are free apps for Mac, Android and iPhone too. Most people won't hit a wall. | CMalwarebytes Free scans Windows PCs and Macs and removes what it finds, for nothing. But it has no real-time, ransomware or phishing protection, so it cleans up after an infection rather than stopping one. |
| Features | BReal-time shields, ransomware protection and a firewall even when free, then Bank Mode, Email Guard, Deepfake Guard, a sandbox and webcam blocking on Premium. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core protection. | CReal-time protection on Windows, Mac and Android, Browser Guard against scam sites, Scam Guard for messages, and a VPN from Plus up. The gap is in the listing itself: exploit protection, firewall control and webcam monitoring are Windows-only. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and the shields start working, and everything sits in the one Avast One app. | BNo store rating on record. It's a program you install and run, and the free scanner needs nothing set up before the first scan. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Android, iPhone and a browser extension, with Multi-Device covering up to 10. No web app or API on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and Browser Guard for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. No web app, integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | real-time antivirus without paying | cleaning up a computer that's already infected |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Avast and Malwarebytes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Avast | Malwarebytes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) |
| Free plan | Avast Free Antivirus: real-time file, behavior and web shields, ransomware protection, network scans, a firewall and Smart Scan. Free apps exist for Mac, Android and iOS. | Malwarebytes Free scans Windows PCs and Macs on demand and removes infections already there. It has no real-time, ransomware or phishing protection. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Gen Digital Inc. | Malwarebytes Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | malwarebytes.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Avast
- Windows users who want real-time antivirus without paying
- Households protecting up to 10 devices on mixed platforms
- People who want antivirus, VPN and PC cleanup from one vendor
Malwarebytes
- Cleaning up a computer that is already infected, for free
- Households that want one antivirus across Windows, Mac and phones
- Buyers who want a VPN in the same subscription as their antivirus
Worth knowing
Avast
- Avast's website refused automated reads on 2026-10-17, so its plan prices are not listed here; check avast.com before buying.
- Premium Security does not include the VPN or Cleanup Premium; each needs its own subscription unless you buy Avast Ultimate.
- Premium Security is sold for one device or as Multi-Device for up to 10 across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
- Paid subscriptions renew automatically, and some trials ask for a payment method before they start.
Malwarebytes
- Malwarebytes Free has no real-time protection: it only finds and removes infections when you run a scan.
- Ultimate's $139.99 covers the first year only; it then renews at $279.99 a year, and subscriptions bought online renew automatically.
- Several protections, such as exploit protection, firewall control and webcam monitoring, are Windows-only.
- Home plans are for personal use; small businesses are sold Malwarebytes for Teams separately.
Key features
Avast
- Core Shields
- File, Behavior and Web shields scan files, watch running programs and block harmful sites in real time, on the free version as well as the paid one.
- Ransomware Shield and firewall
- The free antivirus includes a Ransomware Shield, a firewall, Network Inspector for home network checks, and Hack Alerts when your logins leak online.
- Bank Mode and Real Site
- Premium Security opens banking and payment sites in an isolated virtual desktop and guards against DNS hijacking that swaps a real site for a fake one.
- Email Guard and Deepfake Guard
- Premium Security scans web-based email for phishing and uses AI to flag synthetic voices and videos used in scams.
- Sandbox and webcam protection
- Premium Security can run suspicious programs in a sandbox, blocks apps from using the webcam, and shreds files beyond recovery.
- Avast Ultimate bundle
- Ultimate unlocks Premium Security together with Avast VPN, Cleanup Premium and AntiTrack. Bought alone, the VPN and Cleanup need their own subscriptions.
Malwarebytes
- Real-time malware protection
- Premium Security blocks malware, ransomware and potentially unwanted programs as they arrive on Windows, Mac and Android. The free version only cleans up afterwards.
- Browser Guard
- A free extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari that blocks ads, third-party trackers and sites known to spread malware or scams.
- Scam Guard and text and call filtering
- Scam Guard checks suspicious messages and links and suggests what to do. Phones get scam text filtering, and the iPhone app also blocks spam calls.
- Privacy VPN
- Plus, Plus Family and Ultimate include a WireGuard-based VPN with no metering of data, on desktop and mobile.
- Windows-only extras
- On Windows, Premium Security adds exploit and brute force protection, firewall control, webcam monitoring, a file shredder and system tweaks.
- Identity protection
- Ultimate adds dark web and account alerts, three-bureau credit monitoring, recovery specialists, $2 million identity insurance and a personal data remover.
Plans
Avast
Pricing could not be confirmed. See avast.com.
Malwarebytes
Free$0
On-demand scanner that finds and removes malware already on the device. Free apps for Android and iOS too.
Standard$59.99
per year for up to 3 devices
Premium Security antivirus with Browser Guard's scam, ad and tracker blocking and data breach alerts. Also sold for a single device.
Plus$79.99
per year for up to 3 devices
Everything in Standard plus Privacy VPN, a WireGuard VPN with no data cap.
Standard Family$119.99
per year for up to 10 devices
Standard's antivirus and Browser Guard for up to 10 devices.
Plus Family$149.99
per year for up to 10 devices
Antivirus, Browser Guard and Privacy VPN for up to 10 devices.
Ultimate$279.99
per year for 3 devices at renewal, after a first year for $139.99
Adds identity protection with $2M insurance and a data remover for 1 adult. First year $139.99. Family: $199.99, then $399.99.
Ways to pay less
Avast
No public discounts listed.
Malwarebytes
- Other savings
Ultimate at $139.99 for the first year
The pricing page shows Ultimate at 50% off, $139.99 instead of $279.99, and Ultimate Family at $199.99 instead of $399.99. The discount is for the first year only.
