Malwarebytes Privacy VPN Review 2025: A Great Beginner VPN

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN isn't the most impressive VPN we've tested, but it's a reliable and beginner-friendly option. Malwarebytes had minimal impact on our speeds, unblocked all the Netflix libraries we tested, and it prevented any data leaks. 

However, it has a small server network that could easily become congested. We'd also like to see Malwarebytes submit its no-logs policy for an independent audit to strengthen trust in its claims.

But Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is still among the better VPNs created by antivirus providers. We'll evaluate its cost, features, test results, and more in this review. 

At a glance

Price	$3.33–$14.99/mo
Free version	No, only a 7-day free trial
Max # of connected devices	20
# of servers	150+ servers in 34+ countries
VPN protocol	WireGuard
No-logs policy	No logs
Headquarters	United States
Netflix access	Yes
Learn more	Get Malwarebytes Privacy VPN

We last tested Malwarebytes Privacy VPN on August 28, 2025.

Our experience

Malwarebytes's virtual private network (VPN) is easy to install and use right away. We've previously tested the standalone app but this time we tested the Privacy VPN directly from the Malwarebytes antivirus dashboard. 

After selecting the Windows download, we just needed to log in. Malwarebytes even offers a simple yet effective tutorial to explain the key features. 

It's a little annoying that the dashboard is static in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, and there's no option to pin the app to our navigation bar. Essentially, we have to exit out of the dashboard to minimize it and can only open it again by clicking the desktop shortcut. 

Other providers offer more customization when resizing and moving the dashboard. But the Malwarebytes dash is more compact compared than VPNs. 

Connecting to a server is also easy. After selecting the country, a list of available servers by city populates. 

We were surprised there were no recommended or optimized servers, which could leave VPN beginners confused. There were also no optimized servers for streaming, torrenting, or other common server uses, but this is expected from more basic VPNs. 

Identifying and locating advanced security features like split tunneling and multi-hop isn't straightforward because Malwarebytes has its own labels for these VPN features. Malwarebytes calls split tunneling "connection rules" and multi-hop "connection mode." 

Confusing, right? We thought so too. 

We would probably use Malwarebytes Privacy VPN if we already had a Malwarebytes bundle. Otherwise, there are better services to choose from. 

Who is Malwarebytes VPN best for?

• Recommended for beginners who don't need advanced functionality or multiple devices

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is a good option for basic privacy and security, but there are limitations to consider. While this VPN offers both multi-hop and split tunneling functions, these features are limited to Windows.

And while the monthly investment is low, there’s only an annual subscription option. Not everyone needs 12 months' worth of VPN services. 

Luckily Malwarebytes says you can cancel at any time. If you fall within its 60-day money-back guarantee, you can submit a support ticket to customer service and receive a refund.

Also, the pre-set plans display a maximum of five device connections, which may be perfect or not enough for some.  There is an option during the checkout process to increase the number of devices to 20, but you'll be paying the equivalent of $15.00/mo for the trouble. 

If you have a large household, it's better to consider a VPN provider that offers unlimited simultaneous connections.

Overall, there are other VPNs that offer greater privacy, more flexibility, and better device coverage. But the average person is likely to find this sufficient for their everyday needs, and the ability to bundle the VPN with Malwarebytes antivirus protection is a bonus (if you're okay with paying extra). 

Prices and subscriptions

Malwarebytes VPN has a wide price range of $3.33–$14.99/mo. Your price depends on your subscription term length and how many devices you wish to cover. 

You can cover anywhere from one to 20 devices, just note that your price will increase with each device. 

Malwarebytes is on the higher end when it comes to other VPNs from antivirus providers. Here's how Malwarebytes Privacy VPN's starting price compares: 

• Malwarebytes Privacy VPN: Starts at $3.33/mo (billed annually)
• Bitdefender VPN: Starts at $2.92/mo (billed annually)
• Norton Secure VPN: Starts at $3.33/mo (billed annually)
• Total VPN: Starts at $1.59/mo (billed annually)

Ultimately, the best option for Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is to purchase a bundle that includes Malwarebytes antivirus. See how the two plans compare in the table below. 

Features	Malwarebytes Privacy VPN	Malwarebytes Plus
Starting price	$3.33/mo (billed annually)	$4.99/mo (billed annually)
Max # of device connections	20	20
VPN
Ad and tracker blocker
Antivirus
Learn more	View plan	View plan

Speaking of prices, we'd love to see Malwarebytes accept additional payment methods. Currently, it only accepts PayPal as well as credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

Other VPNs, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, accept multiple payment methods, including cryptocurrency and gift cards. And Mullvad VPN even accepts cash. The anonymity these types of payments provide is especially ideal for anyone using a VPN for personal security.

Features

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is a reliable and secure choice for streaming and meeting basic security needs. However, some users may have security concerns about the company or the VPN service.

Server count and countries

• 150+ servers in 34+ countries

Having servers in different locations allows you to access specific content, improve your connection speed, and enhance privacy and security by connecting through different countries.

Currently, Malwarebytes Privacy VPN has over 150+ servers spread across 34+ countries. However, it does offer server countries across all seven continents including Africa, South America, and Asia. 

While Malwarebytes Privacy VPN has fewer servers than competitors, which are typically in the thousands, it still provides wide coverage across various continents. Just note that the smaller server count could lead to congestion if there are too many users on the same servers.

No-logs policy and headquarters

• Malwarebytes Privacy VPN logs policy: Malwarebytes VPN logs minimal data, including license data, software version, and public key.
• Malwarebytes Privacy VPN headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN claims to have a "no-logs policy," but its privacy policy suggests some data collection. It notes collecting your license data to activate your license, your software version to provide updates, and your public key so that your VPN app can establish a connection.

Being based in California, United States, raises concerns due to surveillance alliances like the Five Eyes alliance. A VPN provider in such jurisdictions may have to share user data with the government. 

If you’re concerned about privacy, you may prefer VPNs based in countries outside of these alliances to minimize the risk of government surveillance and data sharing, such as NordVPN (Panama), ExpressVPN (British Virgin Islands), or CyberGhost (Romania).

While not a true no-logs policy, this stance isn't unusual in the VPN world. It's worth noting that Malwarebytes Privacy VPN doesn’t log network data, which includes personal information like email addresses and IP addresses.

Kill switch

A kill switch is a feature that prevents your device from automatically switching back to its regular, unencrypted internet connection if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects. This is especially important if you’re using public Wi-Fi and want to prevent hackers from gaining access to your device. 

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN has an automatic kill switch feature for both macOS and Windows.

Multi-hop (double VPN)

Multi-hop, also known as double VPN, allows you to establish a connection through two different VPN servers, Malwarebytes calls this feature “connection mode.”

By using multi-hop, your data gets encrypted and passes through multiple VPN servers, making it harder for anyone to trace your online activities back to your device. This extra layer of protection is particularly useful in countering potential surveillance from entities like the Eyes alliances, especially given that Malwarebytes is based in the U.S.

The multi-hop feature is currently exclusive to Windows users, so mobile and macOS users are left out.

Split tunneling

Split tunneling is an advanced security feature that allows you to redirect select traffic through the VPN service. This can be helpful if you want to keep your VPN active but need to access certain websites that may have restrictions against VPNs (e.g., a banking website). 

Malwarebytes VPN offers this function, but it's a little confusing to find because it's labeled as "connection rules" in the Settings. 

Encryption

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN uses 256-bit ChaCha20 encryption. Although AES-256 encryption is the gold standard, considering it's used in fields like government services and financial institutions, ChaCha20 is simpler and faster than AES-256.

VPN protocol

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN uses the WireGuard tunneling protocol, a free and open-source option designed to be faster than other VPN protocols like OpenVPN, IPsec, and IKEv2. 

WireGuard also runs better on mobile devices and offers faster speeds and more reliable connections.

Test results

Testing VPNs helps us understand how fast and reliable they are at protecting your privacy and security. We tested the performance of Malwarebytes Privacy VPN by measuring the download, upload, and latency speeds while connected to its servers around the world. 

We also tested how formidable it was against Netflix geo-blocks and ensured there were no data leaks.

Speed tests

• Speed test results: Malwarebytes Privacy VPN dropped our download speeds by an average of 4%.

One of the most important aspects of a VPN is how it impacts your speed. That's why run speed tests on all the VPNs we review. 

We start by setting a baseline speed, which is our speed prior to connecting to a VPN. Then, we connect to servers in various countries to determine how our speed is impacted as we connect to servers across the world. 

	No VPN	US to US	US to CA	US to EU	US to AU
Download speed	428.98 Mbps	424.60 Mbps	395.91 Mbps	506.81 Mbps	324.95 Mbps
Upload speed	374.02 Mbps	328.07 Mbps	254.49 Mbps	36.55 Mbps	139.09 Mbps
Latency (ping)	20 ms	16 ms	44 ms	120 ms	206 ms
Download speed % difference	N/A	-1.02%	-7.71%	+18.14%	-24.25%
Upload speed % difference	N/A	-12.29%	-31.96%	-90.23%	-62.81%
Latency % difference	N/A	-20.00%	+120.00%	+500.00%	+930.00%

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN doesn't recommend an optimal server, so we searched for the closest location to us. After selecting the server in Dallas, it showed stellar results. Our download speed only increased by about 1%, which is negligible. Plus, this server improved our ping rate. 

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN had the largest impact on our speeds when connected to Australia. Our download and upload speeds suffered, and our latency spiked. It's normal to see at least some drop in download and upload speeds when connecting to a VPN, especially when connecting to servers on the other side of the world.

While connected to the Manchester server, we saw an unusual result; our download speed increased by over 18%. However, our upload speed dropped significantly. But this kind of fluctuation isn't uncommon with VPNs, so you may need to switch servers to help stabilize performance. 

Netflix tests

• Netflix test results: Malwarebytes Privacy VPN unblocked all four Netflix libraries we tested. 

Something we’re seriously impressed with is Malwarebytes Privacy VPN’s access to Netflix. All the VPN servers we tested with unblocked Netflix’s worldwide libraries. If you're new to streaming with a VPN, we recommend you learn how to watch Netflix on a VPN.

	US to US	US to CA	US to UK	US to AU
Did it work with Netflix?

Malwarebytes only struggled while connected to the Toronto server. We refreshed several times but would only see top shows on Netflix U.S. Once we switched to a server in Calgary, the Netflix Canada library loaded without issue.

It's important to note that streaming platforms are always trying to detect and block VPNs. On the other hand, VPNs are always trying to find ways around detection, so you may find different VPN servers, a whole different VPN, or even trying Netflix on another day may work if you run into trouble.

DNS and WebRTC leak tests

• DNS leak test results: Malwarebytes Privacy VPN passed its DNS leak test.
• WebRTC leak test results: Malwarebytes Privacy VPN passed its WebRTC leak test. 

A DNS leak test checks if your device accidentally shares your browsing activity outside of the private VPN tunnel, potentially exposing it to your internet service provider (ISP) or others. A WebRTC leak test verifies if your actual IP address is revealed when using WebRTC, which could also jeopardize your privacy.

We used BrowserLeaks to detect leaks, and none of the servers tested had any IP, WebRTC, or DNS leaks. This means that when you use the Malwarebytes VPN service, your browsing information stays protected inside the VPN tunnel, and your real IP address remains hidden when using WebRTC applications.

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results: Malwarebytes Privacy VPN passed its kill switch test.

A kill switch is an essential security feature of any VPN worth its salt. If your internet cuts out or your VPN connection drops for any reason, a kill switch can ensure that your IP address isn't exposed. 

One way to test whether this feature actually works is by switching between servers during an IP test. We enabled the kill switch while connected to a server in Australia. We switched to a server in the Netherlands, but our true location was never exposed. 

Compatibility

Whether you're using a Windows computer, a Mac, an Android device, or an Apple device, Malwarebytes Privacy VPN has got you covered. This VPN is compatible with desktop and mobile apps for:

• Windows 7 SP1 and up
• macOS Catalina 10.15.4 and up
• Android 9 and up
• iOS 14 and up

Customer support

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN has a large knowledge base with helpful guides, FAQs, forums, and a blog. But if you need an immediate answer, you'll have to rely on the AI chatbot. 

AI chatbot 

Although Malwarebytes offers an (ostensibly) 24/7 AI chatbot, the bot is populated with pre-set prompts, so you need to navigate through them to get your question answered. 

Chat with a live agent

The ability to chat with a live agent is restricted to subscription holders. Plus, it's a runaround to try and connect with a live agent. 

Basically, you need to access the AI chatbot first. The bot will decide whether your assistance requires connecting with a human or submitting a support ticket. For the latter, you need to submit a ticket and wait to hear back via email. 

When we clicked to talk to a live agent, we were redirected to the AI chatbot prompt.

Help Center

Although Malwarebytes offers a Help Center, it isn’t immediately evident from the account page. You need to click on a short list of (most likely) common topics to be directed to the Help Center. 

There are a lot of user guides, but the info is short and sweet. So if we wanted to find more information on whether Malwarebytes VPN offers torrenting support, for example, we needed to turn to a Google search instead. From there, we're directed to numerous forum threads. 

So, the info is out there, but you may have to comb through guides, blog articles, and even forums to get the answers you're looking for. And for those who are wondering, no, Malwarebytes doesn't support torrenting. 

Top alternatives

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN impressed us with its ability to unblock Netflix but we also found its feature set lacking. Luckily, there are plenty of VPN providers on the market. 

Based on our extensive testing and research, we can recommend the following as solid alternatives:

Malwarebytes Privacy FAQs

Bottom line: Is Malwarebytes Privacy VPN good?

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is a good choice if you want basic security and streaming capabilities. It offers a user-friendly interface, strong encryption, and a kill switch that cuts off internet access if the VPN connection drops. It can also be bundled with Malwarebytes antivirus for multi-layer device protection.

However, the server network is limited, which could cause lag due to overcrowding. We'd also like to see Malwarebytes submit its no-logs policy to be audited. 

If you require stronger security, additional features, monthly subscription plans, or broader device coverage, other premium VPN providers may be worth considering.