pros and cons

Pros

• Strong real-time protection
• Multiple security layers
• Clean UI

Cons

• Identity protection not robust
• Expensive higher tier

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It never hurts to have a friend watch your back, whether in the real world or online. Arguably, it’s even more important online, where a single misplaced click can expose you to all manner of cyber threats. We’ve all encountered spam emails, sketchy websites, or suspicious hyperlinks. That’s why having a reliable antivirus program is important, and few do the job better than Malwarebytes.

Also: The best antivirus software for Windows 11: Expert tested and reviewed

For the entire month of May (and a bit of June), I used the Malwarebytes Ultimate plan as my primary security suite. It was remarkably quick to identify and block threats, often stepping in before I even realized something was wrong. Never before have I felt so confident browsing the internet. 

Prior to this, I relied on Windows Defender and the free version of Avast. Moving forward, I might have to purchase a subscription.

Simple yet robust

Malwarebytes is about as easy to set up as any software I’ve used. Download the installer, run it, sign in, and you’re ready to go within minutes. Once installed, you’re greeted by a clean, sleek user interface. The developers did a good job organizing the layout into clearly defined sections. It’s easy to find what you’re looking for.

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The software has tons of features, so I’ll focus primarily on key aspects that made the strongest impression.

One of the first things you’ll see is the Dashboard, the app’s central hub. Here, you have quick access to certain tools such as the system scanner, VPN, and Trusted Advisor. That last one provides a security score that reflects how well your PC is protected and offers recommendations for improving it. 

Initially, Trusted Advisor revealed that my system wasn’t very secure. As you can see in the image below, I was at a 49, which is considered Poor.

Clicking Boost Your Score took me to a page that highlighted specific settings I needed to adjust to improve my PC’s security. It recommended that I enable stricter User Account Control settings in Windows, so I’d receive notifications whenever an application attempted to make changes to my system. After making that adjustment, my security score jumped to a more secure 83.

Also: I tried to wipe my digital footprint without paying for a data removal service – 5 free ways

Along the left side of the interface are four additional sections: Privacy, Identity, Tools, and Scam Guard. The Privacy tab contains settings that govern how Malwarebytes operates online. Here, you can customize settings such as whether third-party content appears on the Windows 11 Start menu and whether promotional content is shown in notifications. 

The Tools tab provides quick access to system management controls where you configure which apps appear during startup and the strength of your firewall. Scam Guard is the suite’s AI-powered assistant. It provides detailed yet easy-to-understand responses regarding the service’s security. It can even analyze screenshots of suspicious emails to determine whether they’re scams.

To see how well it worked, I tested Scam Guard using a screenshot of an email that I already knew was fraudulent. The AI correctly identified it as an advance-fee fraud scam — also known as the Nigerian Prince scam. What impressed me was that the AI explained how it came to that conclusion and even outlined the steps I should take next.

The Identity tab was the most interesting to me. It houses the suite’s identity-monitoring tools. 

At the top of this page, you can enter an email address to see whether it appears in any known data breaches. If a breach instance is found, Malwarebytes will show when and where it occurred. Clicking the Manage Identity button opens a browser-based dashboard where you can access Identity Theft Protection. 

Here, you can enter additional information to improve monitoring and receive alerts if your data is involved in future breaches or if suspicious activity is uncovered.

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Personal Data Remover is the other half of the Identity tab. As the name suggests, it removes personal information from data broker websites. It’s very similar in form and function to PrivacyBee. During testing, Malwarebytes found dozens of instances in which my information appeared online and began automatically submitting removal requests. 

Progress is displayed through status indicators, so you can see which requests are still in progress and which are complete.

As much as I liked Personal Data Remover, the tool isn’t perfect. It occasionally made false positives, highlighting records belonging to someone with a similar name. You can inform the AI that this isn’t you by expanding a record and selecting Not You.

Also: Your car collects a lot of data about you – 5 expert tips to restore your driving privacy

In its initial scan, Malwarebytes identified 22 instances of my information appearing on data broker sites (the other seven were false positives). By comparison, PrivacyBee uncovered significantly more records during its first search, eventually reaching into the hundreds once extra personal information was added. Malwarebytes couldn’t break 30.

What makes this noteworthy is that the email address I used with Malwarebytes had appeared in 12 known data breaches, while the email I used with PrivacyBee had been exposed in only eight. Malwarebytes’ data removal isn’t as comprehensive as services that specialize in it.

Stopping threats

Now, how does Malwarebytes function as an antivirus? Quite well. It worked quietly in the background, using minimal CPU resources and blocking threats before they became problems. In several instances, malware slipped past the protections built into my browser and provided by my ISP, only to be stopped by the software. 

When I checked Malwarebytes’ history report, I found a long list of blocked threats, including riskware, Trojans, and phishing attempts I didn’t even know had occurred. It was like having a digital guardian angel.

If you’d like to hear another perspective on the efficacy of Malwarebytes, MRG Effitas, an independent organization that evaluates the effectiveness of security software, published a report testing eight leading antiviruses. Effitas wanted to see how good these programs are at stopping phishing attacks, detecting malware, and avoiding false positives. 

According to its March 2026 Consumer Assessment, Malwarebytes passed all major tests with flying colors, successfully blocking every malware sample without any false positives.

Few services achieved a comparable level of consistency. Malwarebytes would earn MRG Effitas’ Consumer Assessment Level 1 certification — a rating reserved for the best-performing antivirus products.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Prices for Malwarebytes Premium start at $60 annually for the Standard plan. The Plus plan is $80 per year, and the Ultimate plan is currently discounted to $140. Each tier is also available in Family and Small Business options.

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Malwarebytes positions itself as a powerful cybersecurity suite combining strong malware protection with a broad set of security tools that go beyond what you would expect from a typical antivirus. Normally, I would provide recommendations for alternatives, but honestly, I don’t think you can do better than Malwarebytes. 

Bitdefender is a solid alternative. It will provide coverage to five devices for a single price. That’s one area where it beats Malwarebytes. But if you don’t need that much protection, stick with Malwarebytes.