GridinSoft Anti-Malware vs Spybot Search & Destroy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GridinSoft Anti-Malware and Spybot Search & Destroy share a 2.0 GPA, and only Spybot Search & Destroy has a free plan.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
GridinSoft Anti-Malware grades higher on ease of use. Spybot Search & Destroy grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
Windows malware remover that runs beside Microsoft Defender
Spybot Search & Destroy
Anti-spyware for Windows with paid antivirus editions
Which one is for you
Pick GridinSoft Anti-Malware if
- Fits if you want a cleaner that runs beside Microsoft Defender
- Works for 2 home PCs on one licence
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or a phone, as only Windows is covered
- Not for you if you want a free plan, since you get 6 days and then pay
- Watch out: no renewal price is stated, only a 15% renewal discount link
- Tight if you run a business with several PCs, as Standard counts 1 business PC
Pick Spybot Search & Destroy if
- Fits if you want a free anti-spyware scan on a Windows PC
- Works for technicians who want Professional or Technician's editions
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want full malware protection free, as the vendor recommends the paid editions
- Skip it if you use a Mac or a phone, as only Windows is covered
- Watch out: prices are in euros and two editions show tax included, two excluded
- Watch out: the home page carried a notice about payment provider outages
- Tight if you want a renewal price, as none is stated and subscriptions renew every 12 months
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAGridinSoft Anti-MalwareFair | 2.0GPASpybot Search & DestroyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$39.95 a year, shown as $3.33 a month, for 1 business PC or 2 home PCs. That is the middle of this category and the renewal price is not stated. | BThe free edition costs nothing and Home is EUR 18.99 a year, around $1.7 a month. The free one covers anti-spyware only. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 6-day full trial with no credit card. There is no free plan. | CA free anti-spyware edition. The vendor recommends the paid antivirus editions for full malware cover, so you will want to pay. |
| Features | CReal-time protection and cleanup, positioned to work beside Microsoft Defender rather than replace it. | CAnti-spyware in the free edition and an antivirus option in paid ones. The listing could not show which features each edition has. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a Windows program you install and run. | CNo store rating on record. Several editions and a copy-count selector mean you choose before you start. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only: the page lists Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and 7. | DWindows only: no Mac or phone version is listed. |
| Best for | a Windows cleanup tool that runs beside Defender | an anti-spyware scan on a Windows PC |
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: GridinSoft Anti-Malware and Spybot Search & Destroy. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| GridinSoft Anti-Malware | Spybot Search & Destroy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $39.95 per 12 months for 2 home PCs (shown as $3.33 a month; renewal price not stated) | EUR 18.99 per 12 months, incl. tax (Home edition) |
| Free plan | None | The Free edition provides Spybot's anti-spyware at no charge; the vendor recommends its paid +Antivirus editions for protection against all kinds of malware. |
| Free trial | 6-day full trial with all features, no credit card required. | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Gridinsoft | Safer-Networking Ltd. |
| Price read from | anti-malware.gridinsoft.com | safer-networking.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
- Windows only: the page lists Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and 7.
- The vendor positions the product as working alongside Microsoft Defender.
- Prices are shown as a monthly figure with a 12-month total, and the pricing cards load by script; no renewal price is stated, only a 15% renewal discount link.
- The Standard license counts 1 business PC or 2 home PCs.
Spybot Search & Destroy
- Prices are in euros and the page shows two as including tax and two as excluding tax.
- The home page carried a notice that the payment provider 2Checkout had outages and that buyers should use the contact form.
- Subscriptions renew every 12 months; the vendor says it will remind you before renewal, and no renewal price is stated.
- Which features each edition includes is shown by tick marks the text version of the page does not carry.
Key features
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
- Malware scanning and removal
- Quick, Standard and Advanced Removal options; detected items show threat level and a recommended action, and can be quarantined or restored.
- Real-time protection
- The vendor describes three protection layers that can be switched on, with PUP detection as a toggle.
- Browser Reset
- Restores default browser settings and removes unwanted extensions after a hijack.
- Webcam Protection
- Blocks unauthorized camera access by unknown apps.
- Scheduled scans
- Scans can run daily, weekly or every two weeks.
Spybot Search & Destroy
- Anti-spyware
- Searches for spyware, adware and other unwanted programs; the vendor offers this part free.
- Live Protection
- Scans and monitors newly created and running processes and blocks malicious ones before they start.
- Anti-Beacon
- A separate Spybot product that the vendor says stops Windows and third-party software from sending telemetry.
- Startup and system tools
- The comparison table lists startup tools, rootkit scan, system registry repair and a protected repair environment across editions.
- Edition ladder
- Home, Professional, Free, Corporate and Technician's editions, with the antivirus engine and extra tools varying by edition.
Plans
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
Standard$39.95
per 12 months for 1 business PC or 2 home PCs; no renewal price
Real-time protection and cleanup. The page shows $3.33 a month and a $19.95 saving; a 6-month term toggle also exists.
Family$49.95
per 12 months for up to 3 home PCs; renewal price not stated
Standard features for 3 home PCs, shown as $4.16 a month with a $25.05 saving.
Extended$59.95
per 12 months for up to 5 home PCs; renewal price not stated
Standard features for 5 home PCs, shown as $5.00 a month with a $29.95 saving.
Spybot Search & Destroy
Free$0
Anti-spyware scanning. The edition comparison table marks which of the features it includes; the vendor accepts donations.
Home€18.99
per 12 months, incl. tax; subscription, with a reminder before renewal
Personal edition with the antivirus option; priced in euros, with a copy-count selector on the page.
Professional€29.99
per 12 months, incl. tax; subscription, with a reminder before renewal
Personal edition described as the choice for experienced users, with more tools for control over the computer.
Corporate€39.99
per 12 months, excl. tax; subscription, with a reminder before renewal
Business edition.
Technician's€59
per 12 months, excl. tax; subscription, with a reminder before renewal
Business edition.
Ways to pay less
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
- Other savings
15% off license renewal
The pricing page links to a renewal route for existing customers with a 15% discount.
Spybot Search & Destroy
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GridinSoft Anti-Malware or Spybot Search & Destroy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GridinSoft Anti-Malware starts at $39.95 per 12 months for 2 home PCs (shown as $3.33 a month; renewal price not stated), and Spybot Search & Destroy starts at EUR 18.99 per 12 months, incl. tax (Home edition).
Which has a free plan, GridinSoft Anti-Malware or Spybot Search & Destroy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Spybot Search & Destroy has a free plan. GridinSoft Anti-Malware does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
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- GridinSoft Anti-Malware vs SUPERAntiSpyware
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware vs Zemana AntiMalware
- Spybot Search & Destroy vs Malwarebytes
- Spybot Search & Destroy vs Emsisoft Anti-Malware
- Spybot Search & Destroy vs SUPERAntiSpyware
- Spybot Search & Destroy vs Zemana AntiMalware
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.