Malwarebytes vs Webroot
We give Malwarebytes a 2.2 GPA and Webroot a 2.6, out of 4.0. Webroot grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
Webroot
Lightweight cloud antivirus, with identity and VPN bundles
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMalwarebytesFair | 2.6GPAWebrootGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CEssentials for 5 devices is $44.99 the first year, shown against $89.99, and Webroot doesn't state the renewal price. If year two is that $89.99, two years cost $134.98, about $5.62 a month, above the dearer quarter of antivirus. |
| 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. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no credit card needed. Two weeks is enough to see whether it slows your PC. |
| 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. | BCloud antivirus, a firewall, web threat blocking and a password manager on every plan, then a VPN and identity monitoring from Smart Protection, and cloud backup on Total. Parental controls and the cleaners are Windows only. |
| 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. It's built to install quickly and scan fast, and Webroot says it takes up little space. |
| 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. Text scam detection is phones only and parental controls Windows only, and there's no API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | cleaning up a computer that's already infected | light antivirus for older, slower PCs |
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 Webroot. 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. Webroot starts at $2.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
Webroot scores higher and starts $2.08 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 4 score higher than Malwarebytes for less, and none scores higher than Webroot 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). Webroot starts at $34.99 per year for 1 device (Essentials), first term; renewal price not stated.
- Malwarebytes has a free plan. Webroot does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
- Webroot also covers password manager.
At a glance
| Malwarebytes | Webroot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard) | $34.99 per year for 1 device (Essentials), first term; renewal price not stated |
| 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 | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Malwarebytes Inc. | Open Text Corporation |
| Price read from | malwarebytes.com | webroot.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
Webroot
- Older or slower PCs that need light antivirus
- Households covering Chromebooks along with PCs, Macs and phones
- US buyers who want identity theft cover with their antivirus
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.
Webroot
- Every price is a first-year price, shown against a higher regular price; Webroot's pages do not state what plans renew at.
- The VPN starts at Smart Protection and covers only 3 or 5 devices depending on the plan.
- Parental controls and the activity and clutter cleaners work on Windows PCs only.
- Text scam detection and breach alerts work on iOS and Android only.
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.
Webroot
- Cloud-based antivirus
- A cloud-based, machine-learning antivirus aimed at zero-day threats; Webroot says its scans are quick and the app takes little space.
- Firewall and Web Threat Shield
- Every plan includes a firewall and network monitor, plus blocking of risky websites, phishing and ransomware.
- Scam protection
- Text scam detection and breach alerts on phones; Smart Protection and Total add Scam Check, ID Check before payments and a 24/7 scam hotline.
- Password manager
- A password manager comes with every plan, alongside protection for personal details typed into AI chats.
- Identity protection
- Higher plans monitor the dark web and financial accounts, add credit bureau monitoring and give US-based restoration help with up to $1M in reimbursement.
- Cloud backup and parental controls
- Total Protection adds unlimited cloud storage for one PC or Mac and parental controls, which run on Windows only.
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.
Webroot
Essentials$34.99
per year for 1 device, first term; renewal price not stated
Antivirus, firewall, scam and breach alerts, password manager. Shown against $49.99. 3 devices $41.99 ($69.99), 5 devices $44.99 ($89.99).
Smart Protection$53.99
per year for 3 devices, first term; renewal price not stated
Adds VPN, identity and dark web monitoring for 1 person, and up to $25k scam reimbursement. Shown against $89.99; 5 devices $69.99 ($99.99).
Premium$64.99
per year for 5 devices, first term; renewal price not stated
Essentials plus credit bureau monitoring and up to $1M fraud expense reimbursement for 1 person. Shown against $129.99; 10 people $124.99.
Total Protection$89.99
per year for 5 devices, first term; renewal price not stated
Premium plus VPN for 5 devices, parental controls and unlimited cloud backup for 1 PC or Mac. Shown against $179.99; 10 devices $149.99.
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.
Webroot
- Other savings
30% to 50% off the first year
Essentials $34.99 (from $49.99), Smart Protection $53.99 ($89.99), Premium $64.99 ($129.99) and Total Protection $89.99 ($179.99) for the first year.
