Malwarebytes vs Norton 360
We give Malwarebytes a 2.2 GPA and Norton 360 a 2.8, out of 4.0. Norton 360 grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan 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
Norton 360
Antivirus suite with VPN, password manager and PC cloud backup
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | 2.8GPANorton 360Good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CDeluxe covers 5 devices for $39.99 the first year and $104.99 the next, so $144.98 over two years, about $6 a month. That's above the middle of antivirus apps but short of the dearest tenth. |
| 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 30-day trial on Norton's US order pages, and the listing doesn't say whether it wants a card. The iPhone app gives 7 days with an annual plan. There's no free version. |
| 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. | BReal-time protection on four platforms, a VPN for every device on the plan, a password manager, PC cloud backup and parental controls, plus a refund if its experts can't remove a virus. The gaps are on Mac, which gets no backup and no Norton Family. |
| 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. | A4.7 from about 183,000 App Store ratings. That's a huge crowd, and a happy one. |
| 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, Mac, Android and iPhone. Cloud backup is for Windows PCs only, and there's no API or integration list on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | cleaning up a computer that's already infected | antivirus, a VPN and PC backup in one |
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 Norton 360. 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. Norton 360 starts at $7.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3.
Norton 360 scores higher, and starts $2.08 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 4 score higher than Malwarebytes for less, and none scores higher than Norton 360 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 starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard). Norton 360 starts at $84.99 per year at renewal (Standard, 1 device), after a first year from $34.99.
- Malwarebytes has a free plan. Norton 360 does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- Norton 360 also covers password manager.
At a glance
| Malwarebytes | Norton 360 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) | $84.99 per year at renewal (Standard, 1 device), after a first year from $34.99 |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day trial on Norton's US order pages; the iPhone app offers 7 days with an annual plan |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Malwarebytes Inc. | Gen Digital Inc. |
| Price read from | malwarebytes.com | buy-static.norton.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Norton 360
- Households that want antivirus, a VPN and a password manager in one subscription
- Windows users who want their files backed up to the cloud by their security app
- US buyers who want identity theft cover alongside device protection
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.
Norton 360
- Prices come from one of Norton's US order pages, where first-year prices vary between sections; the main site refused automated reads on 2026-10-17.
- Norton's order pages say plans are priced for an introductory term and then renew automatically at a higher renewal price.
- Cloud backup is for Windows PCs, and Norton Family parental controls do not work on Mac.
- LifeLock identity features rely on US credit bureaus such as Equifax and need your identity verified first.
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.
Norton 360
- Real-time device protection
- Protects against ransomware, viruses, spyware and other malware on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, with Norton's Virus Protection Promise of a refund if its experts cannot remove a virus.
- Secure VPN and ad-tracker blocker
- Norton 360 plans include a VPN for as many devices as the plan covers, plus anonymous browsing and blocking of advertising trackers.
- PC cloud backup
- Plans include cloud storage for backing up files from a Windows PC, from 2 GB on the smallest plans up to 500 GB on Ultimate Plus.
- Password manager and parental controls
- A password manager is included, and Deluxe and higher plans add Norton Family parental controls, which are not supported on Mac.
- Scam protection on phones
- The mobile apps check web pages, text messages and email for scams, and the iPhone app blocks scam and junk calls. Norton Genie answers safety questions.
- LifeLock identity protection
- Norton 360 with LifeLock plans add SSN and credit alerts, credit monitoring from one or three bureaus, and stolen funds reimbursement of up to $25,000 to $1 million.
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.
Norton 360
Norton 360 Standard$84.99
per year for 1 device at renewal, after a first year
Antivirus, VPN and password manager for one device. Norton's US order page shows the first year from $34.99, then $84.99 a year.
Norton 360 Deluxe$104.99
per year for up to 5 devices at renewal, after a first year
The same protection on up to 5 devices, with cloud backup and parental controls. First year from $39.99 on Norton's US order page.
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.
Norton 360
- Other savings
Cheaper first year
Norton's US order page shows Norton 360 Standard from $34.99 and Deluxe from $39.99 for the first year, before renewing at $84.99 and $104.99.
