LuLu vs Malwarebytes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, LuLu grades higher than Malwarebytes: 2.6 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
LuLu grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Malwarebytes grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
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 LuLu if
- Fits if you want to see which Mac apps connect to the internet
- Works for people who want a free firewall for outgoing traffic
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want protection for incoming traffic, as it watches outgoing connections only
- Watch out: the maker says some traffic can't be blocked because it bypasses Network Extensions
- Tight if you dislike setup, as install needs several manual approvals in System Settings
- Watch out: macOS 15.3 or later is recommended because of network problems in early macOS 15
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
| 2.6GPALuLuGood | 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. | 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 cap and no locked features. | 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 | CBlocks and allows outgoing connections with rules, passive mode and block mode. It covers outgoing traffic only, and some traffic is out of its reach. | 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 | CNo rating on record. You approve several things in System Settings, then decide on each new connection. | 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 | DMac only, and the maker recommends macOS 15.3 or later. No other platforms or integrations. | 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 | seeing and blocking outgoing connections on a Mac | 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: LuLu and Malwarebytes. How we grade
Where they differ
- LuLu is open source, according to its own site.
- Malwarebytes also covers vPN and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| LuLu | Malwarebytes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $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 | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Objective-See | Malwarebytes Inc. |
| Price read from | objective-see.org | malwarebytes.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LuLu
- The maker says some traffic does not pass through Network Extensions, so LuLu cannot block it.
- It recommends macOS 15.3 or later because of networking problems in early macOS 15 releases.
- Installation needs several manual approvals in System Settings.
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
LuLu
- Outbound blocking
- Alerts on and blocks outgoing connections from apps that have no rule yet.
- Rules
- Create allow or block rules, with options to auto-allow Apple programs and installed apps.
- Passive mode
- Runs without alerts, applying existing rules and allowing or denying new connections automatically.
- Block mode
- Blocks all traffic routed through LuLu, except destinations on an allow list.
- Lists
- Allow and block lists in the settings window, alongside rule and update options.
- Network Extension
- Uses Apple's Network Extension framework, which needs manual approval in System Settings.
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
LuLu
LuLu$0
Free and open source; the source is linked from the product page.
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
LuLu
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, LuLu or Malwarebytes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, LuLu is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $5 a month when paid by the year for Malwarebytes. LuLu is free, and Malwarebytes starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
Which has a free plan, LuLu or Malwarebytes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both LuLu and Malwarebytes have a free plan.
Which platforms do LuLu and Malwarebytes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Malwarebytes lists Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a macOS 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.