“Malwarebytes is quick and easy to set up, and is known to catch security problems that Microsoft Defender misses.”
- Good free antivirus scanner
- Low-cost real-time protection plans
- No big price increases on renewal
- Quick and friendly 24/7 support
- Easy setup
- VPN costs extra
- Threat detection is slower than competitors
In 2025, most people will need more than Microsoft’s built-in security to keep their data secure and maintain their privacy. Malwarebytes is among the most well-known and best antivirus solutions available for Windows to protect your PC from the latest malware threats.
I reviewed Malwarebytes’ latest personal plans and tested Premium Plus to find out how easy it is to use, how good customer support is, and whether it’s worth the subscription cost.
Specs
| Malwarebytes | |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Devices | 1+ (individual), 10+ (family) |
| Support | 24/7 live chat |
| Free version? | Yes |
Tiers and pricing
You can get started with Malwarebytes for free. If you think your computer might be infected with malware, you can download a virus scanner to find and remove anything Windows Defender has missed.
Malwarebytes offers one of the best free antivirus options you can find, but there are others to choose from. Most of us need a more robust solution that can prevent malware before it reaches our computers.
The good news is the free version includes a 14-day free trial of Malwarebytes Premium. That lets you test out the software and get a sense of the user interface. After the trial, the malware scanner remains functional, but you must subscribe to keep more advanced features.
A Malwarebytes Premium Standard account starts at $45 per year. That covers the essential antivirus, malware, phishing, and ransomware protection that everyone needs.
Your budget probably has room for another $15 annually to use Malwarebytes’ virtual private network (VPN) for a year. The $60 Plus subscription enables anonymous browsing from selected locations around the world.
Malwarebytes’ VPN isn’t meant to be a way to circumvent geo-blocking restrictions but as a privacy feature. If you want to stream international content, the best VPNs offer better speed and obfuscation features to let you browse like a local wherever you are.
For even more security and privacy, you can choose the Malwarebytes Ultimate plan. The regular price is $240 annually but is on sale for $120. It includes a bundle of advanced services: $2 million in identity theft insurance, social media monitoring, dark web monitoring, three credit bureau reports, and a personal data remover that cleans up exposed names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses that are found online.
Malwarebytes offers two family plans that support 10 devices starting at $120 annually. Ultimate Family Protection is equivalent to Malwarebytes Ultimate but supports 2 adults and up to 10 children. The regular price is $465 with sale pricing of $232.
I tested Malwarebytes Personal Plus, which includes the VPN and added protection for two other devices. It’s a competitively priced and affordable way to enjoy improved cybersecurity as phishing and hacking efforts increase. Besides my PC, I can protect my phone and tablet. Malwarebytes has apps for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS.
For most people, the Standard or $60 Plus plans will suffice, but Ultimate could be worth the added expense if you fear your personal data has already leaked. The identity theft insurance could prove to be essential. It’s worth checking out the latest antivirus deals that can sometimes add up to big savings. For example, Bitdefender Internet Security for Windows only costs $60 to cover three devices. Norton Deluxe provides cross-platform support for five devices for $50.
Design
Malwarebytes is quick and easy to install with helpful tips along the way. After an initial scan and minimal setup, I saw I needed to make changes to improve my cybersecurity. When the protection score meter is full, my data should be safe from malware.
I started at 90% and opened that panel to see more details. I was able to boost my protection score to 100%. Malwarebytes’ Trusted Advisor feature identifies critical issues like web security and ransomware weaknesses and recommends solutions to potential problems.
The free Malwarebytes Browser Guard extension protects you from websites that contain malware, scams, and trackers with a pop-up alert.
Features
Malwarebytes offers a good, reliable service that excels at clearing and preventing malware. The company has a real-time “remediation map” on the Malwarebytes website that reveals when and where its free malware scanner has uncovered threats that other security software missed.
Microsoft was quite high on the list when I checked, suggesting Windows’ built-in Defender antivirus could be doing more to earn its name. Since this map is hosted on the Malwarebytes website, there’s reason to be skeptical of the finer details. We don’t know how many competitor detections include out-of-date security software or disabled features.
For an unbiased measure of malware protection and prevention, third-party testing is required. I usually turn to AV-Test or AV-Comparatives, the top two cybersecurity labs that publish results for the best antivirus software for Windows and Mac computers.
Fortunately, independent security researchers at AVLab tested Malwarebytes Premium in November 2024. The results show 100% protection with 77% of threats blocked before launch. Good prevention and complete protection are important and Malwarebytes even caught malware that one of our top picks, Bitdefender, missed. However, it was much slower, taking nearly a minute longer on average.
I spot-checked Malwarebytes by running Wicar’s malware tests. Browser Guard blocked all 13 browser exploits and downloads as expected. If anything slips by the Malwarebytes Premium app should catch it before any harm is done.
Support
Malwarebytes offers support via live chat. An AI chatbot begins the conversation, but you can request an agent at any time. I found the bot to be fairly robust, answering a question about how phishing protection works.
I was able to stump the AI with an unusual request, which required a live agent. Switching to a human support representative was as easy as asking for an agent. Malwarebytes offers 24/7 help via live chat. There was only one other person in the queue ahead of me, and within a minute, support answered my question. Malwarebytes was just as fast as it was when I tested support last year.
My issue was related to using a review code to test Malwarebytes. The subscription worked but it wasn’t automatically connected to my email address. Since this isn’t the normal flow for Malwarebytes, this won’t be a concern for customers. Still, it was a good opportunity to check on customer support.
In my experience, support was quick, friendly, and helpful — everything you want when dealing with a security company.
Privacy and security
Malwarebytes is generally considered a safe and private service you can trust. While the company did experience a minor breach in 2021, Malwarebytes reported that “the attacker only gained access to a limited subset of internal company emails.”
The Malwarebytes privacy policy states your personal information will not be sold and is used only for the purposes of protection. Malwarebytes may comply with government requests for your information.
Compared to other top antivirus companies, Malwarebytes maintains a very good track record with customer data. Some competing solutions have had customer data breaches.
A solid choice for antivirus protection
There are plenty of antivirus choices, some better than others. The big names, including Malwarebytes, tend to offer reliable and complete solutions. If you only need a quick malware scan, Malwarebytes Free is a well-known and trusted solution among experts.
Unless you’re looking for something specific or need specialized security, one of Malwarebytes’ personal protection plans will cover everything you need. The Premium Plus subscription I tested is a solid choice. The new Family plans offer savings for families with multiple phones, tablets, and computers. It’s a good choice if you need protection for 10 or more devices.
For more options, check out our full guide to the best antivirus software for your Windows PC and Mac.
