Malwarebytes vs ThreatDown (2026): which should you pick?

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 ThreatDown if

• Fits if you want bundled antivirus for a small business with a path up to managed response
• Works for teams that want ransomware rollback of files changed in the last 7 days

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you read the homepage's $10 a device a month, which is the vendor's own figure, not a quoted plan
• Skip it if you need servers or mobile devices covered, as those are paid add-ons
• Not for you if you want exact plan prices: they load from a store script and were not readable
• Watch out: the trial length is not stated on the pages read
• Tight if you want identity threat detection, which appears in the Ultimate bundle only

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.

ThreatDown

• The per-device prices load from a store script and could not be read, so no plan prices are listed here; the page shows a Devices and Years selector.
• The homepage puts the cost at about $10 per device per month, which is the vendor's own figure and not a quoted plan price.
• The pricing page offers a 20% saving for a 3-year purchase.
• Server Protection, Mobile Security, DNS Filtering and Email Security are paid add-ons, not part of the bundles.

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.

ThreatDown

Next-gen antivirus and ransomware rollback

Core covers AI-based malware prevention, device control and application blocking. Ransomware Rollback can restore files changed in an attack for up to 7 days.

Endpoint detection and response

The Advanced bundle adds EDR for investigating suspicious behavior, on top of vulnerability assessment and patch management.

Managed detection and response

Elite adds 24x7 human-led monitoring and response. Ultimate adds MDR Plus, with malware removal, root cause analysis and a published SLA.

Identity threat detection

ITDR watches for compromised credentials, privilege abuse and lateral movement, for human and non-human identities. It appears in the Ultimate bundle.

Add-ons

Premium Support, DNS Filtering, Email Security, Server Protection and Mobile Security for Chromebook, Android, iOS and iPadOS are sold separately.

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.

ThreatDown

Pricing could not be confirmed. See threatdown.com.

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.

ThreatDown

• Annual discount

  Save 20% on a 3-year term

  Each bundle on the pricing page shows a 20% saving for buying three years at once instead of one.