Malwarebytes vs Spybot Search & Destroy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Malwarebytes grades higher than Spybot Search & Destroy: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Malwarebytes grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Spybot Search & Destroy grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and 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
Spybot Search & Destroy
Anti-spyware for Windows with paid antivirus editions
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 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
| 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | 2.0GPASpybot Search & DestroyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | 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 anti-spyware edition. The vendor recommends the paid antivirus editions for full malware cover, so you will want to pay. |
| 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. | 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. It's a program you install and run, and the free scanner needs nothing set up before the first scan. | CNo store rating on record. Several editions and a copy-count selector mean you choose before you start. |
| 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. | DWindows only: no Mac or phone version is listed. |
| Best for | cleaning up a computer that's already infected | 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: Malwarebytes and Spybot Search & Destroy. How we grade
Where they differ
- Malwarebytes also covers vPN and ad and tracker blocking.
- Spybot Search & Destroy also covers system monitor.
At a glance
| Malwarebytes | Spybot Search & Destroy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) | EUR 18.99 per 12 months, incl. tax (Home edition) |
| 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. | 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 | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Malwarebytes Inc. | Safer-Networking Ltd. |
| Price read from | malwarebytes.com | safer-networking.org |
| 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Spybot Search & Destroy
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Malwarebytes or Spybot Search & Destroy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Malwarebytes starts at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard), and Spybot Search & Destroy starts at EUR 18.99 per 12 months, incl. tax (Home edition).
Which has a free plan, Malwarebytes or Spybot Search & Destroy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Malwarebytes and Spybot Search & Destroy have a free plan.
Which platforms do Malwarebytes and Spybot Search & Destroy 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.
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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.