Malwarebytes vs TotalAV
We give Malwarebytes a 2.2 GPA and TotalAV a 2.0, out of 4.0. Malwarebytes grades higher on the free plan. TotalAV grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
TotalAV
Antivirus with tune-up tools, plus VPN and ad blocking on higher plans
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | 2.0GPATotalAVFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DFive devices means Internet Security, $129 a year for up to 6, so two years cost $258, about $10.75 a month. That's in the dearest tenth of antivirus. Plus covers 4 for $99 a year, and identity protection is a $99 add-on on top. |
| 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. | FNo free plan, and the pricing page lists no free trial. A refund within 30 days on a yearly plan doesn't count as one. |
| 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 antivirus, phishing and ransomware protection and cleanup tools on every plan, then Total VPN and Total Adblock, and a password manager on Total Security. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core protection. |
| 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. | B4.58 from about 72,000 App Store ratings, well liked but under the 4.7 an A needs. |
| 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, iPhone and a password vault extension for Chrome and Firefox. No web app, API or integration list on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | cleaning up a computer that's already infected | antivirus with a VPN and ad blocker on one bill |
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 TotalAV. 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. TotalAV starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
TotalAV scores higher, and starts $3.25 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 1 scores higher than TotalAV 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). TotalAV starts at $99 per year for up to 4 devices (Plus).
- Malwarebytes has a free plan. TotalAV does not.
- TotalAV also covers password manager and disk cleanup.
At a glance
| Malwarebytes | TotalAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) | $99 per year for up to 4 devices (Plus) |
| 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 | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Malwarebytes Inc. | Total Security Limited |
| Price read from | malwarebytes.com | totalav.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
TotalAV
- Households that want antivirus, VPN and ad blocker in one bill
- PC owners who also want junk file cleanup and tune-up tools
- Covering a few devices across Windows, Mac and phones
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.
TotalAV
- There is no free plan, and the pricing page lists no free trial.
- TotalAV says introductory prices may be offered to new customers elsewhere; plans renew automatically at the regular rates shown here.
- Refunds need a request within 30 days on annual plans and 14 days on monthly or quarterly plans, after you end the subscription.
- Add-ons are billed yearly on top: identity theft protection $99, an extra device $40 and Advanced Cloud Scanning $45.
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.
TotalAV
- Real-time antivirus
- Scans downloads, installs and programs as they are opened, with zero-day cloud scanning and blocking of potentially unwanted apps.
- Phishing and ransomware protection
- Every plan blocks phishing scam sites and guards files against ransomware.
- Tune-up and cleanup tools
- Finds and deletes junk files, uninstalls unused apps and clears browser history, cookies and cache.
- Total VPN
- Internet Security and Total Security include a VPN with AES-256 encryption, DNS and IP leak protection and a kill switch.
- Total Adblock
- Internet Security and Total Security include an ad blocker that removes ads and pop-ups while browsing.
- Total Password
- Total Security adds a password manager that generates, stores and autofills logins, with a vault extension for Chrome and Firefox.
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.
TotalAV
Plus$99
per year for up to 4 devices
Real-time antivirus, phishing and ransomware protection, disk cleaner and tune-up tools. Renews at $11 a month or $59 every 6 months on those terms.
Internet Security$129
per year for up to 6 devices
Everything in Plus, with Total VPN and Total Adblock.
Total Security$149
per year for up to 8 devices
Everything in Internet Security, with the Total Password manager.
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.
TotalAV
No public discounts listed.
