Avast vs Malwarebytes 2024: Avast Edges Into the Lead

Looking at Avast vs. Malwarebytes, you’ll see some differences between these two well-known antivirus programs. Avast is good for people who want superior online shopping security with the usual security features like phishing and ransomware protection. It also offers one of the best free antivirus programs on the market.

Malwarebytes provides a free web security browser extension and works well with other antivirus programs, and it also starts at a cheaper price than Avast. For paid plans, Malwarebytes ranges from Free–$119.99/yr as compared to Avast’s pricing of Free-$119.88/yr (first year only).

We’ll dig into the differences and similarities between these two antivirus programs in our Avast vs. Malwarebytes review.

Overview

One of the differences you’ll notice between these two popular antivirus products is the price. Malwarebytes’ plans start and top off at a lower price. But the features you get with Avast may make the potentially higher price more worth your while.

Avast includes a firewall for PC users and offers a Stay Safe Virus Guarantee if you use the auto-renew subscription option. This guarantee refunds your money if you get a virus that Avast can’t remove. Avast also covers up to 30 devices with the Avast One Platinum plan for $119.88/yr (first year only).

Of course, the best antivirus software meets your security needs at a price you can afford, so Malwarebytes’ more simplistic and lower-cost approach could be a better fit.

• Avast: Best for a variety of security features for numerous devices
• Malwarebytes: Best for a lower cost antivirus solution

Avast vs Malwarebytes Compared

Avast has a definite edge over Malwarebytes when it comes to device coverage. Not many antivirus products will protect up to 30 devices, which may appeal to you if you own a lot of internet-connected devices or want to protect your entire family’s electronics.

But while Malwarebytes only protects up to five devices, it comes at a more affordable price. Avast’s subscription that covers up to 30 devices costs $119.88/yr (first year only). Of course, Avast includes a firewall with that extra cost, but only if you use a PC. (You won’t get this option for macOS.)

Otherwise, these antivirus programs offer similar features and both are compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

	Avast Our Pick	Malwarebytes
Starting price	Starts at $35.88/first yr	Starts at $24.99/yr
Max number of protected devices	30	10
Compatibility	Android, Windows, macOS, iOS	Android, Windows, macOS, iOS
Free version
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection		Yes — Windows only
Real-time protection
Firewall	Yes — Windows only
Ad blocker		Yes — Browser Guard
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Pricing

Malwarebytes may offer a more budget-friendly option, but you only have two plans to choose from: Malwarebytes Standard (1 Year) and Malwarebytes Ultimate (1 Year). If you want to grab the Malwarebytes Privacy VPN, you can choose between coverage for three or five devices, but the Premium plan with no VPN covers up to 10 devices, and the price increases as you add more coverage.

Since Malwarebytes only offers two plans, we went with the Malwarebytes Standard (1 Year) plan that starts at $24.99/yr. This gives you the option to choose the exact number of devices you want coverage for — up to 10. The only thing this plan is missing is a VPN, and while we recommend using a virtual private network to secure your Wi-Fi, we’ve found other options that may cost less for more features, such as NordVPN, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access.

Avast plans could cost you more, but we like that it offers a few different plans so it’s easier to find one that fits your budget. Aside from Avast One Silver Family, which bundles antivirus, privacy, and identity protection features, you can opt for the lower-cost Avast Premium plan.

We chose the Avast One Silver Family Individual plan since it’s a good middle-of-the-road option and costs less than half of what the Avast One Platinum plan runs. For $59.88/first yr, you’ll get antivirus security for up to five devices, which is much cheaper than what Malwarebytes costs for the same number of devices ($79.99/first yr).

The one area where Malwarebytes has a bit of an edge over Avast is the money-back guarantee. You’ll get 60 days to see how you like the software and can then get a refund if you choose not to keep it.

Avast comes with a money-back guarantee as well, but only for 30 days. Still, this gives you a whole month to try it out and get your money back if you don’t like it.

You should note that if you purchase Avast through Google Play or the Apple App Store, there are some restrictions based on the vendors and their refund policies. If you want the full 30- or 60-day period to try the software, we recommend buying it directly from Avast or Malwarebytes to avoid possible refund headaches.

	Avast Best Price	Malwarebytes
Price range	Free-$119.88/yr (first year only)	Free–$119.99/yr
Best value plan	Avast One Silver Family for $59.88/first yr	Malwarebytes Standard (1 Year) starting at $24.99/yr
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 60 days
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Features

In comparing Avast vs. Malwarebytes, the features are quite different. For instance, Malwarebytes won’t give you a firewall with the antivirus software, but its Premium + Privacy VPN bundle comes with a VPN, which costs you $99.99 per year. (We’ll caution you that Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is best for lightweight streaming and logs some of your data, so it may not be the best option.)

The Malwarebytes Privacy VPN.

Malwarebytes also includes an ad blocker via the Browser Guard feature. The extension provides a safer, more private internet experience by blocking ads and suspicious websites that could compromise your online security.

In contrast, Avast antivirus doesn’t come with an ad blocker. However, it comes stocked with a firewall for Windows users and the Avast SecureLine VPN is included with all Avast One plans.

The Avast SecureLine VPN.

You’ll also get some device optimization tools that can be very handy, like the Network Inspector, which scans your network to check for vulnerabilities and security problems. The Wi-Fi security alerts warn you if an intruder is attempting to gain access.

Lastly, if you choose to auto-renew your subscription, you get the Stay Safe Virus Guarantee that refunds your money if your device gets malware that Avast cannot remove. If these weren’t enough to get you interested, Avast has a data breach alerts feature to give you a heads-up if your sensitive information gets leaked.

Feature	Avast Best Security Features	Malwarebytes
Manual and scheduled scans
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection		Yes — Windows only
Firewall	Yes — Windows only
VPN
Ad blocker
Device optimization tools
Parental controls
Password manager
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Test results

We take our antivirus reviews seriously, and we know you do too. Not only do we perform our own testing to check out these products, but we also rely on independent third-party tests to get a complete sense of how these products hold up to rigid scrutiny. For Avast vs. Malwarebytes, we checked AV-TEST scores for both antivirus products. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Avast vs. Malwarebytes AV-TEST scores

	Avast Best Protection Scores	Malwarebytes
Windows score	18/18	17/18
macOS score	18/18	n/a
Android score	18/18	n/a
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

The test table shows that Avast received perfect scores across the board for Windows, macOS, and Android, meaning its malware detection, performance, and usability was top-tier. Malwarebytes only received 17/18 for Windows and had no recent testing for macOS or Android. That doesn’t necessarily mean this software isn’t good though. Since antivirus companies pay for these tests, sometimes they may choose not to have a product examined.

What we can see from the test results for Windows is that Malwarebytes didn’t show any false detections of legitimate software or false warnings while installing software. It did, however, score lower than the industry average for protection against zero-day cyber threats.

In comparing Avast for the same category, the software scored higher than the industry average. It even received a score of 100% for both months for protection against zero-day malware attacks. Avast also had no false detections of legitimate software.

Compatibility and ease of use

Both antivirus programs featured user-friendly interfaces and were easy to use. With Avast, scanning was fast and easy for both the Smart and Deep Scan functions. Features like the Network Inspector and Ransomware Shield are on by default, so there’s nothing extra for you to do.

We also liked that Avast has a Personal Privacy section where you decide how you want to share data or if you want to share it at all.

When testing Malwarebytes we noticed that you can only use the Full Scan feature with Windows. If you use a Mac, you’ll have to be satisfied with just Quick Scan.

We do like the scanning reports that come with Malwarebytes Premium because you can check your scanning history for the last 30 days to see if any malicious files were discovered.

	Avast Our Pick	Malwarebytes
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Avast Secure Browser	Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
Learn more	Get Avast Read Avast Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Customer service

There aren’t many options if you need customer support from Malwarebytes. You can enter a support ticket and wait for an email response or check out the online product guide. But that’s it.

Avast, on the other hand, delivers multiple ways to get support. There’s no live chat option, but you have access to phone support and can call 24/7 to get help with non-Avast technical issues if you pay for the premium support plan. Avast does offer an automated chat function to give you some additional assistance, but it is limited since it’s not a live chat.

If you’d rather do some troubleshooting on your own, you can view Avast’s online knowledge base or use the support forums to get help from the community.

	Avast Our Pick	Malwarebytes
24/7 live chat
Phone
Email
Support forums
Online guides

Avast vs. Malwarebytes alternatives

If neither of these antivirus programs tickles your fancy, we understand. Sometimes you want more or less, depending on your needs and life situation. If so, here are some alternative options you might want to consider.

• TotalAV: This is a highly-rated antivirus that protects your device from multiple malware threats, has an intuitive interface, and includes a VPN and password manager. You can also grab its ad blocker, Total Adblock, to get rid of online ads and block trackers.

  Get TotalAV | Read Our TotalAV Review

• Norton: Norton has been a trusted name in antivirus software for years. It comes with a secure VPN, password manager, and parental control features. We also like that you can choose to bundle Norton with LifeLock identity theft protection to cover all aspects of your digital life. See how Norton compares in our Norton vs. Malwarebytes review. 
  
  Get Norton | Read Our Norton Review

• Bitdefender: Bitdefender gives you reliable antivirus security with a clean interface that offers premium features like parental controls and a firewall, along with almost perfect third-party test scores. We also like that it comes with mic and webcam protection. See how Bitdefender compares in our Bitdefender vs. Malwarebytes review.

  Get Bitdefender | Read Our Bitdefender Review

FAQs

Bottom line: Is Malwarebytes better than Avast?

When comparing Malwarebytes vs. Avast, our testing shows that Avast has more features and better protection scores. It's also one of the best free antivirus programs available. That doesn’t mean that we think Malwarebytes is bad, but we aren’t able to say it’s better.

Avast covers up to 30 devices with the Avast One plan compared to Malwarebytes’ coverage for up to 10. And Avast One comes with multiple bonus features like Network Inspector and Email Guardian that push it even further into the lead.

Still, both antivirus programs offer additional security features like a VPN and come with a well-regarded reputation for solid malware protection.