Malwarebytes
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans
Malwarebytes report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for cleaning up a computer that's already infected
Malwarebytes made its name cleaning up infected computers, and that free scanner is still there for Windows and Mac. Paying gets you real-time protection on computers and phones, plus a VPN on Plus. But five devices means the 10-device family plan, $239.98 over two years, and some of the best protection is Windows-only.
Who Malwarebytes is for
- Great if a computer is already acting up and you want a free scan to clean it
- Handy when you want antivirus and a VPN on one subscription, on Plus
- Good for big households, since the family plans cover up to 10 devices
Who Malwarebytes is not for
- 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 only cleans up afterwards
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and want the firewall and exploit protection Windows gets
Why Malwarebytes gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyFive 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.
- CFree plan and trialMalwarebytes 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.
- CFeaturesReal-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.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. It's a program you install and run, and the free scanner needs nothing set up before the first scan.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Malwarebytes' own pages on 17 October 2026. Its pricing page showed no prices to our reader when we went back to check it. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/malwarebytes#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/malwarebytes.svg" alt="Malwarebytes: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Malwarebytes stands among antivirus apps
Malwarebytes's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 14 other antivirus apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 2 of 14) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $5 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 6 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 15 antivirus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Malwarebytes’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 14, level with 2
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 14, level with 7
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 14, level with 3
- BEase of useAbove 2 of 14, level with 10
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 14, level with 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 11 antivirus apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Malwarebytes, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Malwarebytes you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 11 of the 14 other antivirus apps grade higher. It costs $59.99 a year.
What you could make
- Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Malwarebytes’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Malwarebytes?
Malwarebytes started as a free scanner that cleans infections off a computer, and it still offers that for free. Premium Security adds real-time protection against malware, ransomware, phishing and scam sites on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. Higher plans bundle a VPN, and in the US identity theft protection and a personal data remover.
Malwarebytes has a free plan. Paid plans start at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard). See every plan
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Malwarebytes pricing
- Starts at
- $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard)
- 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.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | On-demand scanner that finds and removes malware already on the device. Free apps for Android and iOS too. |
| Standard | $59.99per 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 | $79.99per year for up to 3 devices | Everything in Standard plus Privacy VPN, a WireGuard VPN with no data cap. |
| Standard Family | $119.99per year for up to 10 devices | Standard's antivirus and Browser Guard for up to 10 devices. |
| Plus Family | $149.99per year for up to 10 devices | Antivirus, Browser Guard and Privacy VPN for up to 10 devices. |
| Ultimate | $279.99per 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. |
Read from malwarebytes.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Malwarebytes before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Other savingsUltimate 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.
Stated on malwarebytes.com
Malwarebytes alternatives
- Malwarebytes vs Bitdefender
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- Malwarebytes vs Avast
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- Malwarebytes vs ESET
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- Malwarebytes vs McAfee
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Common questions
Is Malwarebytes free?
Malwarebytes has a 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. Paid plans start at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
How much does Malwarebytes cost?
Malwarebytes lists 6 plans. Free: $0. Standard: $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices. Plus: $79.99 per year for up to 3 devices. Standard Family: $119.99 per year for up to 10 devices. Plus Family: $149.99 per year for up to 10 devices. Ultimate: $279.99 per year for 3 devices at renewal, after a first year for $139.99. Prices were read from malwarebytes.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does Malwarebytes work on?
Malwarebytes is available on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It also has a browser extension.
Does Malwarebytes offer any discounts?
Malwarebytes publicly lists the following: Ultimate at $139.99 for the first year.
Does Malwarebytes have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Malwarebytes is listed for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.
Is Malwarebytes open source?
Malwarebytes is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Who makes Malwarebytes?
Malwarebytes is made by Malwarebytes Inc.
What are the alternatives to Malwarebytes?
The closest alternatives to Malwarebytes in our directory are Bitdefender, Norton 360, Avast, ESET and McAfee. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Malwarebytes.
How does Malwarebytes compare with other antivirus apps?
Malwarebytes's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 14 other antivirus apps we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on ease of use (B, above 2 of 14) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Is Malwarebytes good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Malwarebytes D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $5 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.17 for the category: 6 of the 10 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Malwarebytes?
To replace Malwarebytes you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 11 of the 14 other antivirus apps grade higher. It costs $59.99 a year. What you could not make: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026.