The Malwarebytes Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Malwarebytes in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Malwarebytes
The Insider’s Guide
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among antivirus apps, read from Malwarebytes’s own pages.
Made by Malwarebytes Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Malwarebytes’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Malwarebytes’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 2 of the 14 other antivirus apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Malwarebytes, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Paying gets you real-time protection on computers and phones, plus a VPN on Plus.
- 1
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.
- 2
Paid plans start at $5 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
- 3
There is 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.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with a browser extension too.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 2 of 14
That is against the other antivirus apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Malwarebytes at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Malwarebytes Inc.
- Category
- Antivirus & Malware Protection
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Five 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Malwarebytes 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. |
| Features | C | Real-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. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. It's a program you install and run, and the free scanner needs nothing set up before the first scan. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Windows, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$5
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Malwarebytes has a free plan. Paid plans start at $59.99 per year for up to 3 devices (Standard).
Malwarebytes Free scans Windows PCs and Macs and removes what it finds, for nothing.
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.
The 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.
Read from malwarebytes.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on malwarebytes.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Malware scanner and real-time protection, with VPN and ID plans. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: vPN, ad and tracker blocking, malware protection.
Real-time protection on Windows, Mac and Android, Browser Guard against scam sites, Scam Guard for messages, and a VPN from Plus up.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Malwarebytes is made by Malwarebytes Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/14
Other antivirus apps it is graded above
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
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 14
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 14
- BEase of useAbove 2 of 14
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 14
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 11 antivirus apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Malwarebytes is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Bitdefender, Norton 360, Avast, ESET and McAfee
The 5 tools Malwarebytes is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Bitdefender
Free plan · from $49.99/yr
Antivirus suites for computers and phones, with a free Windows tier.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
- Bitdefender also covers password manager.
- 2.8GPA
Norton 360
Free trial · from $84.99/yr
Antivirus suite with VPN, password manager and PC cloud backup.
- Malwarebytes has a free plan. Norton 360 does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- Norton 360 also covers password manager.
- 3.0GPA
Avast
Free plan
Free antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate.
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
- 2.6GPA
ESET
Free trial · from $12.99/yr
Antivirus and home security plans priced by device count.
- Malwarebytes has a free plan. ESET does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Malwarebytes lists an iOS app.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
McAfee
Free plan
Antivirus, VPN and identity monitoring for PCs, Macs and phones.
- Only Malwarebytes lists a browser extension.
- Malwarebytes also covers ad and tracker blocking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Malwarebytes free?
Malwarebytes has a free plan. Malwarebytes Free scans Windows PCs and Macs on demand and removes infections already there.
How much does Malwarebytes cost?
Malwarebytes lists 6 plans. Free: $0.
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.
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.
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.
Could I make my own version of Malwarebytes?
To replace Malwarebytes you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Malwarebytes’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Malwarebytes Inc. Prices change, so check malwarebytes.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Malwarebytes, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/malwarebytes
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Malwarebytes: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/malwarebytes
Know someone choosing between antivirus apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/malwarebytes/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded antivirus apps after Malwarebytes, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Antivirus & Malware Protection Insider's GuideEvery one of the 15 antivirus apps we grade, compared
- Avast Insider's GuideFree antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate3.0 GPA
- AVG Insider's GuideFree antivirus for Windows, with paid Internet Security and Ultimate2.8 GPA
- Bitdefender Insider's GuideAntivirus suites for computers and phones, with a free Windows tier2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Malwarebytes’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Malwarebytes is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Malwarebytes Inc. Prices and plans change: check malwarebytes.com before you buy.