IObit Malware Fighter vs Malwarebytes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IObit Malware Fighter grades higher than Malwarebytes: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
IObit Malware Fighter grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Malwarebytes grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
IObit Malware Fighter
Windows anti-malware with a free edition and a paid Pro edition
Malwarebytes
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans
Which one is for you
Pick IObit Malware Fighter if
- Fits if you want a free Windows scanner you can upgrade later
- Works for one to three PCs on a low yearly price
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or a phone, as only Windows is covered
- Not for you if you want ransomware defence without paying, because it is a Pro feature
- Watch out: Pro prices are shown as 50% to 56% off with no end date, and no renewal price is stated
- Tight if you have more than 3 PCs: Pro is sold for 1, 2 or 3 only
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
| 2.4GPAIObit Malware FighterFair | 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $19.95 a year for 1 PC, about $1.66 a month, inside the cheapest quarter, and the free edition costs nothing. The sale price has no end date shown and no renewal price is given. | 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 | BA free edition with basic antivirus and basic real-time protection, with a smaller malware database than Pro. | 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 | CScanning and real-time protection, with ransomware defence and scam blocking in Pro only. The free edition is a basic one. | 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, but it is a Windows program you install and run with little setup. | 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 | DWindows only: the page lists Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 and no Mac or phone app. | 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 | Windows PCs that want a free scanner with a paid upgrade | 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: IObit Malware Fighter and Malwarebytes. How we grade
Price against what you get
IObit Malware Fighter starts at $1.66 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 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.
Malwarebytes scores higher, and starts $3.34 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 3 score higher than IObit Malware Fighter 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
- Malwarebytes also covers vPN.
At a glance
| IObit Malware Fighter | Malwarebytes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19.95 per year for 1 PC (sale price shown, $39.95 crossed out; renewal price not stated) | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) |
| Free plan | IObit Malware Fighter 14 Free: basic antivirus protection, quick threat detection, basic privacy protection and basic real-time protection. | 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 | IObit | Malwarebytes Inc. |
| Price read from | iobit.com | malwarebytes.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
IObit Malware Fighter
- Windows only: the product page lists Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 and no Mac version.
- The Pro prices on the page are shown as discounts of 50% to 56% with no end date, and no renewal price is stated.
- Pro licenses are sold for 1, 2 or 3 PCs only; no larger tier is shown.
- The vendor offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on Pro.
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
IObit Malware Fighter
- Malware scanning
- Smart Scan checks critical areas, Full Scan covers all disks, and Custom Scan checks a file or folder you pick.
- Ransomware defense
- On Pro, Ransomware Shield watches for unauthorized file encryption and SafeBox password-protects chosen documents.
- Web and download protection
- Surfing Protection blocks phishing and fake sites, and Download Protection scans downloaded files and email attachments.
- Privacy tools
- Anti-Tracking clears tracking cookies, Homepage Advisor flags changes to your homepage and search engine, and Browser Password Guard protects stored browser passwords.
- Bitdefender engine on Pro
- Pro adds the Bitdefender antivirus engine to IObit's own, and the page lists a larger malware database than the free edition.
- AI Script Guard
- New in version 14: the vendor says it predicts and stops suspicious script activity, including from AI agents.
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
IObit Malware Fighter
Free$0
Basic antivirus and basic real-time protection, with a smaller malware database than Pro.
Pro, 1 PC$19.95
per year for 1 PC, sale price shown, renewal price not stated
Pro with Bitdefender real-time protection, ransomware defense and scam blocking. Shown as 50% off a crossed-out $39.95 with no end date on the page.
Pro, 2 PCs$22.95
per year for 2 PCs, sale price shown, renewal price not stated
Same Pro features for 2 PCs, shown as 51% off a crossed-out $46.95; adds sharing with family members.
Pro, 3 PCs$23.99
per year for 3 PCs, sale price shown, renewal price not stated
Same Pro features for 3 PCs, shown as 56% off a crossed-out $54.95.
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
IObit Malware Fighter
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, IObit Malware Fighter or Malwarebytes?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IObit Malware Fighter is cheaper to start with: $1.66 a month when paid by the year, against $5 a month when paid by the year for Malwarebytes. IObit Malware Fighter starts at $19.95 per year for 1 PC (sale price shown, $39.95 crossed out; renewal price not stated), and Malwarebytes starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
Which has a free plan, IObit Malware Fighter or Malwarebytes?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both IObit Malware Fighter and Malwarebytes have a free plan.
Which platforms do IObit Malware Fighter and Malwarebytes run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Malwarebytes lists macOS, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a Windows app. 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.