ESET vs Malwarebytes
We give ESET a 2.6 GPA and Malwarebytes a 2.2, out of 4.0. ESET grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ESET
Antivirus and home security plans priced by device count
Malwarebytes
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAESETGood | 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CHOME Security Essential is $69.99 a year for 5 devices, with no first-year deal on record, so two years cost $139.98, about $5.83 a month. That's above the dearer quarter of antivirus but short of the dearest tenth. A 2-year term takes 15% off. | 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 | CNo free version, but a 30-day free trial with no credit card. When it ends, you pay or you're unprotected. | 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 protection, a secured browser for banking, a firewall, and checks on your router and smart devices. Premium adds a VPN and file and USB encryption, and Ultimate US identity protection. Only the VPN is stingy: 3 devices on Premium. | 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's software you install and leave running, with nothing to set up 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 and Android, and the VPN runs on a home router too. There's no iPhone app on record and no API, so B is the ceiling. | 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 | plain antivirus priced by the number of devices | 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: ESET and Malwarebytes. How we grade
Price against what you get
ESET starts at $1.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 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.
ESET scores higher and starts $3.92 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, none scores higher than ESET for less, and 4 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
- ESET starts at $12.99 per year for 1 device (Mobile Security for Android). Malwarebytes starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
- Malwarebytes has a free plan. ESET does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Malwarebytes lists an iOS app.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| ESET | Malwarebytes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12.99 per year for 1 device (Mobile Security for Android) | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) |
| Free plan | None | 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 | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | ESET | Malwarebytes Inc. |
| Price read from | eset.com | malwarebytes.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
ESET
- Buyers who want a light antivirus for one Windows PC or Mac
- Households covering up to 10 devices on a single plan
- Paying once for 2 or 3 years at a lower yearly rate
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
ESET
- There is no free antivirus plan; the 30-day trial is the only way to try it without paying.
- The VPN starts at the Premium tier and covers only 3 devices there; Ultimate raises that to 10.
- Ultimate is sold for 5 or 10 devices only, and its identity protection is run by a US-based team.
- Small offices get a separate plan, Small Business Security, at $179.99 a year for 5 devices.
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
ESET
- Real-time malware protection
- Blocks viruses, ransomware, spyware and phishing as they arrive, with AI-based detection aimed at new threats.
- Safe banking and browsing
- A secured browser mode for banking and shopping that helps keep payment details away from phishing pages and snooping software.
- Firewall and network checks
- A firewall and network shield, plus tests of your home router and smart devices for weak points.
- ESET VPN
- Premium and Ultimate include a no-logs VPN with unlimited traffic, split tunneling on desktop and Android, and a version that runs on a home router.
- File encryption
- Premium and Ultimate encrypt sensitive files and USB drives and let only trusted apps change protected folders.
- Identity protection
- Ultimate adds dark web scanning, 1-bureau credit monitoring, SSN tracking and identity recovery with $1M insurance from a US team.
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
ESET
Mobile Security for Android$12.99
per year for 1 device
Protection for Android phones and tablets, with safe banking, network checks and anti-theft. $22.99 for 3 devices, $32.99 for 5.
NOD32 Antivirus$39.99
per year for 1 device
Real-time antivirus for Windows and macOS only. $49.99 for 3 devices, $59.99 for 5.
HOME Security Essential$49.99
per year for 1 device
Antivirus, safe banking and browsing, firewall and Wi-Fi protection across devices. $69.99 for 5 devices, $94.99 for 10.
HOME Security Premium$79.99
per year for 1 device
Adds ESET VPN with unlimited traffic on up to 3 devices, file and USB encryption and folder protection. $99.99 for 5 devices, $124.99 for 10.
HOME Security Ultimate$179.99
per year for up to 5 devices
Adds VPN for 10 devices and routers, ransomware remediation and US identity protection with $1M insurance. $204.99 for 10 devices.
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
ESET
- Other savings
Save 15% on 2 years and 20% on 3 years
HOME Security Essential and Premium cost less per year on longer terms: Essential for 1 device is $84.98 for 2 years or $119.98 for 3, instead of $49.99 a year.
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.
