AVG vs Malwarebytes
We give AVG a 2.8 GPA and Malwarebytes a 2.2, out of 4.0. AVG 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.
Malwarebytes
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAAVGGood | 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices on record: avg.com turned our reader away, so there's no two-year figure for a household, and C is the grade for no stated price. Watch the add-ons: Secure VPN and TuneUp show up inside Internet Security but need their own subscriptions. | 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 | BAVG AntiVirus Free gives a Windows PC real-time file, behavior, web and email shields, ransomware protection, a firewall and Hack Alerts. One Windows user could live on it, but the free version is Windows only. | 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 and a firewall even when free, then webcam and remote access protection, Fake Website Shield and Browser Defense on Internet Security. 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. It installs and starts protecting, with nothing to configure first. | 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, up to 10 devices on Multi-Device. A single-device licence moves only within the same platform, and there's no API on record. | 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 | free real-time antivirus on a Windows PC | 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: AVG and Malwarebytes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| AVG | Malwarebytes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) |
| Free plan | AVG AntiVirus Free: real-time file, behavior, web and email shields, ransomware protection, network scans, a firewall and Hack Alerts on a Windows PC. | 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
AVG
- Windows users who want real-time antivirus without paying
- Households mixing Windows, Mac and phones under one 10-device plan
- Buyers who want antivirus, VPN and PC tune-up in one bundle
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
AVG
- AVG's website refused automated reads on 2026-10-17, so its plan prices are not listed here; check avg.com before buying.
- AVG Secure VPN and TuneUp show inside Internet Security but need their own subscriptions unless you buy AVG Ultimate.
- The free antivirus is for Windows, and single-device Internet Security can move only to a device on the same platform.
- AVG Mobile Ultimate covers Android only and limits the VPN to 5 Android devices at once.
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
AVG
- Real-time Core Shields
- File, Behavior, Web and Email shields check files, running programs, downloads and email attachments as they arrive, in the free version too.
- Ransomware protection and firewall
- The free antivirus guards chosen folders against ransomware and includes Enhanced Firewall, Network Inspector and Hack Alerts for leaked logins.
- Webcam and remote access protection
- Internet Security blocks untrusted apps from the webcam and lets you choose which IP addresses may connect to your PC remotely.
- Fake Website Shield and Browser Defense
- Internet Security guards against DNS hijacking and protects passwords and cookies stored in your browsers from theft by other apps.
- Multi-device coverage
- Internet Security (Multi-Device) adds AVG's Mac, Android and iOS apps and covers up to 10 devices at once.
- AVG Ultimate bundle
- Ultimate combines Internet Security, AVG Secure VPN, TuneUp and AntiTrack on up to 10 devices on the platforms you choose.
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
AVG
Pricing could not be confirmed. See avg.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
AVG
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.
