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Best for Superb Security Features
Antivirus software offering reliable security
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
Premium features incur additional subscription fees
Best Free Antivirus
Free version with manual scans
Near-perfect protection scores for Premium plan
High starting price point for paid plans
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 more for Windows users. Let’s explore these two popular antivirus programs and see which one should be your next option for superior data protection.
We want to start by letting you know that 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 for up to five devices 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, there are features (like the device optimizer and the firewall) that you won’t get unless you’re using a Windows machine.
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.
 Bitdefender |
 Malwarebytes |
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| Starting price | $59.99/first yr | $59.99/yr |
| Free version | ||
| Max number of protected devices | 5 | 5 |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Chromebook, Android, iOS |
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Read Our Malwarebytes Review |
However, the price points show huge differences between these two options. Bitdefender starts at about $25 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.
The best antivirus programs offer plenty of features without breaking the bank. For a cheaper price, Bitdefender has customer support around the clock and decent security features.
Our Pick
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| Price range | $14.99–$59.99/first yr | $59.99–$99.99/yr |
| Free plan | ||
| Best value plan | Bitdefender Total Security for $39.99/first yr | Malwarebytes Plus+ Privacy VPN for $79.99/yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 60 days |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
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 highest cost is almost $100 per year, while Bitdefender’s highest cost is about $80 per year for the first year.
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 Premium + Privacy 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.
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 |
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.
Just as a heads-up, you won’t get a lot if you choose 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 a firewall, parental controls, or device optimization tools.
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 |
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.
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 a 98.8% in August.
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.
Our Pick
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (Anti-tracker) | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (Browser Guard) |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, email, phone, support forums, online guides | Email, support forums, online guides |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender
Read Our Bitdefender Review |
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 functions.
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.
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.
However, Malwarebytes leaves a little bit to be desired with its customer service options. You get a basic support page where you can select the category you need, such as billing, adding devices, or requesting a refund. There’s no support phone number, and although you can use the chatbot function, you won’t get the advantage of a live person.
In contrast, 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.
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. It’s important to note that 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.)
Malwarebytes doesn’t include data breach monitoring, so it won’t protect you against certain types of identity theft.
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.
Antivirus software offering reliable security
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
Premium features incur additional subscription fees
[1] Test Bitdefender Internet Security 27.0 for Windows 10
[2] Test Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac 9.3 for MacOS Ventura
