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Best for Superb Security Features
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Super reliable antivirus software with a non-intrusive free version
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
Best Free Antivirus
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Free version includes manual scans to identify and remove malware, ransomware, and other threats
Premium features include a VPN, ad blocker, identity theft services, and more
If you're seeking a new antivirus solution, we’ll help you decide between Bitdefender, a reliable security solution with premium features, or Malwarebytes, a tried and true antivirus that offers advanced cybersecurity with its premium plans. Bitdefender pulls ahead in this comparison — but barely.
Let’s explore these two popular antivirus programs and see which one should be your next option for superior data protection.
Both Bitdefender and Malwarebytes offer solid data protection and come with features we found to be excellent during our hands-on tests. Both antivirus programs allow coverage for multiple devices (though you have to pay more with Malwarebytes), and the compatibility is the same — you can use them on almost any platform or device.
Bitdefender was our choice as the best Windows antivirus program, thanks to its superb security scores. Although Bitdefender does offer protection for Apple devices, some features (like the device optimizer and the firewall) are only available on Windows.
Speaking of Malwarebytes, it runs alongside other antivirus programs without issues if you prefer to double up your protection. But even with the paid plans, you won’t get extras like a firewall or optimization tools.
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| Star rating | ||
| Starting price | Free or $29.99/yr (first year only) | Free or |
| Max number of protected devices | Up to 10 | Up to 20 |
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Chromebook, Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Get Malwarebytes Read Our Malwarebytes Review |
However, the price points show huge differences between these two options. Bitdefender starts at less per year than Malwarebytes. With the higher price, you’d think you could get 24/7 customer support, but Malwarebytes doesn’t include that.
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The best antivirus programs offer plenty of features without breaking the bank. For a cheaper price, Bitdefender has customer support around the clock, decent security features, and better device coverage.
We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics.
This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.
Bitdefender has a straightforward interface and did not really slow down our system when we tested. It is an excellent option for Windows users and can protect up to 10 devices. It has broad compatibility and boasts a variety of customer support options.
Malwarebytes' free plan can manually scan for malware, but you can schedule your scans if you upgrade. We were impressed with the malware scanning speeds during our testing.
All of the premium plans offer real-time monitoring, phishing protection, and an ad blocker.
Bitdefender has better value with its low pricing, especially during the first year.
Our Pick
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| Price range | Free–$49.99/first yr | Free–$99.99/yr |
| Free plan | ||
| Best value plan | Bitdefender Total Security for $69.99/yr (first year only) | Malwarebytes Security + VPN for $45/yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 60 days |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Get Malwarebytes Read Our Malwarebytes Review |
On the one hand, Malwarebytes offers a free version, but you don’t get the premium features without paying a premium price.
The Bitdefender Total Security plan is its best deal because, for a few dollars more, you get coverage on any device, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The Malwarebytes Security + VPN is its best value plan because it also gives you a virtual private network (VPN). (A VPN is an excellent way to protect your Wi-Fi from hackers.)
You can try either of these and get your money back if you don’t like the products. Malwarebytes gives you a 60-day money-back guarantee, which is more than enough time to decide. If you have Windows, you can also try Malwarebytes Premium with a 14-day trial.
Bitdefender has a shorter 30-day money-back guarantee, but that’s still sufficient to know if you like the software or not. You can also try it for free with the 30-day free trial.
Bitdfender has a better feature list, even if some of them are Windows-only.
Our Pick
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | Windows only | |
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | Windows only | |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Get Malwarebytes Read Our Malwarebytes Review |
Bitdefender offers a firewall and includes device optimization tools, but only if you have a Windows device. (This is a common practice among antivirus companies.) Windows users also get microphone and webcam protection features, while all users get parental controls and the Bitdefender VPN with 200 MB of daily data.
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Just as a heads-up, you don’t get a lot with the free version of Malwarebytes. The free version is good for manually scanning for viruses and that’s about all. And even if you pay for Malwarebytes Premium, you won’t get common features like a firewall, parental controls, or device optimization tools. But you do get a VPN and ad blocker.
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Those cybersecurity features may be important if you have children you need to protect or when you need to improve your computer’s performance since antivirus products can sometimes slow down your devices.
We looked to third-party sites for test results because these offer an objective view of how an antivirus program performs. We used AV-TEST scores to compare Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, as it’s an independent organization that rates antivirus software and other security products by putting them to the test in realistic scenarios.
AV-TEST uses a six-point system for three different categories, which include protection, performance, and usability. The highest combined possible score is 18.[1,2,3,4]
Our Pick
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| Windows score | 18/18 | 17/18 |
| macOS score | 18/18 | Not tested |
| Android score | 18/18 | Not tested |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Get Malwarebytes Read Our Malwarebytes Review |
You may notice that Bitdefender received the highest possible score for protection, performance, and usability across Windows, macOS, and Android. Still, although considered a perfect score, Bitdefender's Windows program did flag legitimate software, producing at least one false positive during malware detection tests.
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Malwarebytes scored 5.5 out of 6 on protection against threats and infections. The industry average for zero-day malware attacks is 99.3%, and Malwarebytes received a score of 97.9% in July and 98.8% in August.
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Also, you can see that the Malwarebytes security suite wasn’t tested on macOS or Android, so we can’t show you those results. But that may not be a primary concern, as antivirus companies are required to pay for testing and most choose to focus on Windows.
Bitdefender simply has better customer support options.
Our Pick
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (Anti-tracker), Opera, Safari | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (Browser Guard), Safari |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Phone, live chat, email, phone, support forums, online guides | Live chat, AI chatbot, email, support forums, online guides |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Get Malwarebytes Read Our Malwarebytes Review |
Bitdefender’s interface was easy to use, although some features, like the rescue environment and firewall, are exclusive to Windows users. Therefore, we weren’t able to test those on our Mac to see the full extent of the interface's functions.
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Malwarebytes is also easy to use and navigate. The scans are fast, but much like Bitdefender, some options won't work for Windows users. For example, you won’t get the full scan options unless you use Windows — if you’re on a Mac you can use only the quick scan. That can be a definite downfall for macOS users who want antivirus software to fully scan their entire device.
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We also liked Malwarebytes’ Detection History, which gives you a more in-depth view of any threats that may have been found in the past. It’s easy to use to get a quick historical report.
Bitdefender offers 24/7 live chat with phone and email support. You also get support forums where you can reach out to other users for guidance. If you need online guides, you’ll get those, too. Malwarebytes now offers the same coverage (including live chat and an AI chatbot) with the exception of the option to phone chat.
You get a basic support page where you can select the category you need, such as billing, adding devices, or requesting a refund. But the lack of Malwarebytes phone support can be a dealbreaker.
AVG is better than Malwarebytes if you want platinum-level anti-malware software that you can customize with numerous scans and protect your Wi-Fi network.
McAfee is better than Bitdefender if you want a more well-rounded antivirus for macOS that includes a firewall, VPN, and monitoring for identity theft and credit breaches.
Bitdefender guards against all types of malware, including phishing and ransomware. However, no antivirus is flawless, so there’s always a chance that a new threat could develop that the software doesn’t detect. (This is why it’s important to keep your antivirus program updated.)
Most Malwarebytes plans, including Free, Basic Security, and Security + VPN, don’t include data breach monitoring, so it won’t protect you against certain types of identity theft. But Malwarebytes Complete Protection includes identity theft services that provide "breach IQ," or alerts if your information is part of a known data breach.
From our perspective, both Bitdefender and Malwarebytes offer good overall data protection. But we think Bitdefender is the better overall antivirus program.
Bitdefender is best for a clean interface and affordable pricing that won’t break your budget. It also offers premium features and dedicated customer support. Since Bitdefender also received a perfect score by AV-TEST, you’ll know you’re getting premium antivirus software that gives you plenty of value.
Malwarebytes offers a free plan that allows you to manually scan for and remove malware. It scored well in third-party malware protection tests but is more expensive if you opt for a paid subscription.
If you're looking for comprehensive antivirus protection but neither Bitdefender nor Malwarebytes fits the bill, here are top antivirus solutions we've tested and recommend.
| Antivirus | 
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| Best for | Best overall antivirus software | All-in-one software | Comprehensive security | Best value |
| Starting price | $29.00/yr (first year only) | $35.99/first yr | $29.99/yr (first year only) | $3.19/mo (billed annually) |
| Features | Zero-day scans, anti-phishing, ransomware protection, password manager, ad blocker | Antivirus protection, VPN, password manager, security for multiple devices | Antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection, Cloud backup, password manager | Antivirus protection, VPN, private search engine, data leak alerts |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get Aura | Get Norton360 Antivirus | Get Surfshark Antivirus |
Super reliable antivirus software with a non-intrusive free version
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
[1] Test Bitdefender Internet Security 27.0 for Windows 10
[2] Test Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac 9.3 for MacOS Ventura
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