Malwarebytes vs MalwareFox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MalwareFox grades higher than Malwarebytes: 2.6 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
MalwareFox grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
MalwareFox
Lightweight Windows antivirus with an Android app
Which one is for you
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
Pick MalwareFox if
- Fits if you want a low-priced Windows antivirus billed yearly
- Works for a household with a few Windows PCs and an Android phone
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or an iPhone, as neither is listed
- Not for you if you want real-time protection free, as it needs a paid plan
- Watch out: the page says new-customer prices go up on December 1
- Watch out: the Android app is a separate purchase at $1.25 a month
- Tight if you want one Windows device only, since the Single Device plan has no Android
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | 2.6GPAMalwareFoxGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | B$24 a year for 1 Windows device, which is $2 a month and inside the cheapest quarter of this category. The page says it does not do introductory pricing. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA free version you can keep after the trial, but real-time and ransomware protection are paid. |
| Features | 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. | CReal-time protection, ransomware shield and zero-day defence on Windows. The Android app is a separate purchase and the free version's scope is not spelled out. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo store rating on record, but it is an antivirus you install and run. |
| Platforms and 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. | BWindows and Android only, no Mac, no iPhone and no integrations. |
| Best for | cleaning up a computer that's already infected | a light Windows antivirus with an Android app |
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: Malwarebytes and MalwareFox. How we grade
Price against what you get
Malwarebytes starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MalwareFox starts at $2 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and MalwareFox starts $3 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 5 score higher than Malwarebytes for less, and 2 score higher than MalwareFox 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 and ad and tracker blocking.
- MalwareFox also covers disk cleanup.
At a glance
| Malwarebytes | MalwareFox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) | $2 per month for 1 Windows device, billed annually ($24 a year) |
| Free plan | Malwarebytes Free scans Windows PCs and Macs on demand and removes infections already there. It has no real-time, ransomware or phishing protection. | A free version can be kept after the trial; full real-time and ransomware protection needs a paid plan. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Malwarebytes Inc. | MalwareFox |
| Price read from | malwarebytes.com | malwarefox.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
MalwareFox
- No macOS or iOS app is listed; the Single Device plan is Windows only.
- The page says prices for new customers go up on December 1 and shows a countdown.
- The Android app is a separate purchase at $1.25 per month, per the pricing page.
- The free version's exact scope is not spelled out on the pages read.
Key features
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.
MalwareFox
- Real-time protection
- Stops malware as it appears, with ransomware lockdown that blocks unauthorized file encryption.
- Zero-day and fileless defense
- Behavior-based blocking aimed at unknown and fileless attacks, according to the vendor.
- Browser cleaner
- Removes hijackers, adware and unwanted toolbars from the browser.
- Privacy and cleanup tools
- Includes a privacy cleaner, secure file delete, backup and a firewall, as listed on the homepage.
- Android app
- Scans apps, blocks phishing pages and offers remote locate, lock and wipe if a phone is lost.
Plans
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.
MalwareFox
Single Device$2
per month for 1 device, billed annually ($24 a year)
Windows only: real-time protection, ransomware shield, zero-day defense, browser cleaner and privacy tools.
Three Devices$3
per month for 3 devices, billed annually ($36 a year)
Windows and Android; adds cloud management, Android app privacy audit and anti-theft.
Five Devices$4
per month for 5 devices, billed annually ($48 a year)
Same features as the three-device plan, for five devices.
Ways to pay less
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.
MalwareFox
- Other savings
60-day money-back guarantee
The pricing page promises a full refund if you email within 60 days of buying.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Malwarebytes or MalwareFox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MalwareFox is cheaper to start with: $2 a month, against $5 a month when paid by the year for Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard), and MalwareFox starts at $2 per month for 1 Windows device, billed annually ($24 a year).
Which has a free plan, Malwarebytes or MalwareFox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Malwarebytes and MalwareFox have a free plan.
Which platforms do Malwarebytes and MalwareFox run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Malwarebytes lists macOS and iOS apps and a browser extension. Both list Windows and Android 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.