ClamAV vs Malwarebytes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ClamAV grades higher than Malwarebytes: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ClamAV grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Malwarebytes grades higher on features, 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
Which one is for you
Pick ClamAV if
- Fits if you run Linux or a mail server and want a free scanner
- Works for a sysadmin who's comfortable on the command line
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a desktop antivirus with a window, because there's no graphical app
- Skip it if you want real-time protection on Windows or Mac, as on-access scanning is documented for Linux only
- Too light for your only protection, since the docs say it isn't a traditional antivirus or endpoint suite
- Watch out: it wants about 3 GiB of RAM and 5 GiB of free disk with the standard database
Pick Malwarebytes if
- Fits if a computer is already acting up and you want a free scan to clean it
- Works for households of up to 10 devices on one family plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you have four or five devices, since that means the $119.99 family plan
- Skip it if you want the free version to stop threats, as it has no real-time, ransomware or phishing protection
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and want the firewall control, exploit protection and webcam monitoring Windows gets
- Watch out: Ultimate is $139.99 the first year, then $279.99, and plans bought online renew by themselves
- Too light for small businesses, as home plans are for personal use and Teams is sold separately
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAClamAVFair | 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the GPL v2, with signature updates from Cisco. Anyone can download and run it. | 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 | AFree outright, with no plan limits on record. The docs suggest 3 GiB of RAM and 5 GiB of disk for the standard database. | 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 | DCommand-line and daemon scanning, archive support, signed databases and mail gateway focus. The docs point to Cisco Secure Endpoint for a full antivirus. | 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 | DNo store rating on record, and you work through a command line and config files. | 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 | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but computers only: no phone app and no graphical interface. | 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 command-line malware scanning | 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: ClamAV and Malwarebytes. How we grade
Price against what you get
ClamAV has no paid plan and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Malwarebytes starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Malwarebytes scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, none scores higher than ClamAV for less, and 5 score higher than Malwarebytes for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ClamAV is open source, according to its own site.
- Malwarebytes also covers vPN and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| ClamAV | Malwarebytes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GNU General Public License v2, with signature updates published by Cisco. | 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 | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Cisco | Malwarebytes Inc. |
| Price read from | docs.clamav.net | malwarebytes.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ClamAV
- ClamAV's own docs say it is not a traditional antivirus or endpoint security suite and point to Cisco Secure Endpoint for that.
- Real-time on-access scanning is documented for Linux only.
- The downloads page offers installers and source packages; it does not offer a desktop app with a graphical interface or a mobile app.
- The docs recommend at least 3 GiB of RAM and 5 GiB of free disk space for the scanner with the standard signature database.
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
ClamAV
- Command-line and daemon scanning
- Includes a command-line scanner for on-demand file scans and a multi-threaded scanner daemon, with an automatic signature updater.
- Mail gateway focus
- The docs describe it as designed especially for e-mail scanning on mail gateways, and the About page lists a milter interface for sendmail.
- Archive and file format support
- Scans inside archives such as Zip, RAR, 7Zip, Tar and ISO, and reads PE, ELF and Mach-O executables, Office files, PDF and HTML.
- On-access scanning on Linux
- The ClamOnAcc client for the ClamD daemon scans files as they are accessed on modern Linux, and can block access until a file has been scanned.
- Signed signature databases
- Signature databases are signed, so the scanner only executes trusted definitions, and the databases are updated several times a day.
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
ClamAV
ClamAV$0
Open-source engine, scanner daemon and updater. You install and run it yourself, with no paid edition.
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
ClamAV
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ClamAV or Malwarebytes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ClamAV is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $5 a month when paid by the year for Malwarebytes. ClamAV is free, and Malwarebytes starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
Which has a free plan, ClamAV or Malwarebytes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both ClamAV and Malwarebytes have a free plan.
Which platforms do ClamAV and Malwarebytes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ClamAV lists a Linux app and only Malwarebytes lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.