Malwarebytes Review Free A useful tool that can help detect and eliminate threats overlooked by your standard antivirus software
| Category | Malwarebytes Free | Score |
|---|---|---|
| TechRadar Verdict | Malwarebytes Free is a helpful tool for detecting and removing overlooked threats by your primary antivirus. | |
| Pros | – Easy to use – Decent malware detection rates – Compatible with other antivirus programs – Free to use | |
| Cons | – No real-time protection – Limited features – Rarely tested by antivirus labs – Lacks web protection |
Malwarebytes is a widely-used security application known for its claim as ‘#1 malware removal and protection software.’ With over fifteen years in the business of removing Windows malware and versions available for Mac, Android, and iOS, it has amassed a large user base and significant experience.
Malwarebytes Free is a streamlined version of the software, but it comes with a major limitation: it lacks real-time protection. As a result, it cannot serve as your primary antivirus solution since it doesn’t monitor threats as they execute, thus unable to prevent threats like ransomware. Instead, Malwarebytes Free functions more as a secondary scanner, ideal for running alongside another antivirus. If you suspect your main antivirus has missed a threat, you can use Malwarebytes Free to scan your system and attempt to clean it up.
In this review, we’ll explore the features of Malwarebytes Free and evaluate its effectiveness in detecting and removing threats.
Malwarebytes Free: Getting Started
Installing Malwarebytes Free on our test Windows system was straightforward, taking just a few minutes to complete. Upon installation, users are presented with an option to start a 7 to 14-day trial of Malwarebytes Premium. However, this trial is optional, and you can choose to skip it and continue using the basic app for free.
Malwarebytes Free for Windows presents several panels, buttons, and settings, though many are labeled as ‘Premium’ and are inaccessible to free users. Notably, there’s no real-time protection, VPN, Quick Scan, scheduled scans, or capability to block malicious websites (though alternatives are explored).
The lack of features simplifies the user experience significantly. You can initiate a system scan with a click, which typically completes in a swift six to seven minutes. Alternatively, right-clicking on a file in Explorer and selecting ‘Scan with Malwarebytes’ provides quick access to scanning.
Another advantage of Malwarebytes Free is its transparency about paid-only features. This clarity prevents frustration often experienced with other free apps where users encounter restricted features only after attempting to use them.
Malwarebytes Free: Testing Outcomes
When evaluating comprehensive antivirus applications, we typically rely on assessments from respected testing labs such as AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, MRG Effitas, and SE Labs. However, Malwarebytes, including its paid versions, hasn’t been included in recent reports from these labs.
In our own recent tests, Malwarebytes demonstrates solid performance in detecting malicious files. Out of 100 new malware samples tested, Malwarebytes successfully blocked 90%, surpassing Norton’s 87% but slightly trailing behind Avast and Bitdefender’s 94%.
Initial scan times are slightly better than average. Malwarebytes took approximately 29 minutes to scan 30GB of test files, a bit slower than Avira’s 26 minutes and 30 seconds but faster than Norton (32 minutes), Avast (36 minutes), and Bitdefender (37 minutes and 44 seconds).
However, there’s a catch. While Norton and Bitdefender are slower on the first scan, they subsequently only check new and modified files, reducing their second scan times to just four minutes for Norton and thirty seconds for Bitdefender. In contrast, Malwarebytes doesn’t optimize this process as efficiently, with its second scan still taking around 28 minutes.
Malwarebytes Free: Browser Guard
Malwarebytes Free does not provide anti-phishing or web protection features, but the company offers an alternative solution called Malwarebytes Browser Guard. This free extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers on desktops, designed to block ads, trackers, malicious websites, and various scams.
After installing Browser Guard, we tested its effectiveness by attempting to access 100 new phishing sites. On Chrome, the extension performed well, blocking 97% of the URLs. It displayed clear warnings in the browser window, allowing us the option to proceed if we deemed the site safe.
However, the experience on Edge was less satisfactory. Despite Browser Guard appearing to be installed and providing information about the current site, it only managed to block a small fraction of the links compared to its performance on Chrome.
Moreover, there have been reports from users about Browser Guard erroneously blocking legitimate sites, which raises concerns about its reliability and usability.
Malwarebytes Free: Upgrades and Alternatives
If you appreciate Malwarebytes Free but require additional features, upgrading to Malwarebytes Standard offers real-time protection, anti-ransomware capabilities, and robust phishing and malicious website blocking—outperforming the basic Browser Guard we discussed earlier.
Malwarebytes Standard is priced at $44.99 for a single device, $79.99 for five devices, or $129.99 for ten devices. While these rates are reasonable, there are more competitive deals available. For instance, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus offers a broader range of features and protects up to three Windows devices for the same $44.99 in the first year (with renewal at $60 annually), making it a potentially better value proposition.
For those seeking even more, Malwarebytes Premium Plus includes an unlimited Mullvad-powered VPN at $60 per year for one device, or $100 for five devices. It might be worth considering if you favor Malwarebytes and can benefit from the VPN, although there are plenty of alternatives to explore. Norton 360 Deluxe, for instance, provides a comprehensive security suite with a full VPN at a lower introductory price of $50 for five devices in the first year, rising to $120 annually upon renewal.
Alternatively, if you need enhanced features without spending any money, Avast One Free is a viable option. It serves as a complete antivirus replacement with real-time protection, a limited VPN (5GB data per week), and excellent detection rates.
Malwarebytes Free: Final Thoughts
If you prefer a hands-off antivirus experience that only alerts you when it detects threats, Malwarebytes Free may not meet your needs. Without automatic real-time protection, it remains inactive unless you initiate a scan.
However, for tech-savvy users accustomed to installing various free applications, Malwarebytes serves as a valuable additional layer of defense. It acts as a reliable tool to verify the safety of newly installed apps or to swiftly detect and remove potential threats that your primary antivirus might miss.