Norton vs. Malwarebytes 2024: Norton Comes Out on Top

While both products are reliable software, Norton wins this comparison. If you want a simple antivirus that includes a few bonus options without breaking the bank, Malwarebytes is a great choice. Others want an entire security suite offering additional cybersecurity features like identity theft protection, parental controls, and a VPN like you get with Norton.

When budget is a concern, Malwarebytes has a free version while Norton doesn’t. But both of these antivirus programs are highly rated for malware protection, so if it’s anti-malware software you’re after, you can’t go wrong with either. Let’s take a deeper dive into these antivirus programs to see how they hold up in a head-to-head comparison.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes review at a glance

When comparing Norton with Malwarebytes, you’ll notice that Malwarebytes has a free version that offers basic protection while Norton doesn't. Still, Norton starts at a more budget-friendly price point than Malwarebytes Premium. 

You can get the Norton AntiVirus Plus plan for $29.99/first yr if you only want to protect one device. If you upgrade from the Malwarebytes free plan, it’ll cost you $24.99/yr for one device. To cover five devices, you can opt for the Malwarebytes Ultimate (1 Year) plan at $119.99/yr.

One other difference to note is that Malwarebytes doesn’t come with a firewall, but Norton includes one with all its plans.

• Norton: Best for a complete antivirus suite
• Malwarebytes: Best for no-frills security

Norton vs. Malwarebytes compared

Star rating	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Starting price	Starts at $29.99/first yr	Free or $78.73/2 yrs
Max number of protected devices	Up to unlimited	1 included, additional devices are extra
Malware scans	Manual and scheduled	Free version: Manual scans only Premium version: Manual and scheduled scans
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
24/7 customer support
Compatibility	Android, Windows, iOS, macOS	Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, Chromebook
Learn more	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Norton 360 pros and cons

Norton 360 offers comprehensive coverage, ranging from real-time malware protection to cloud backup. It has a variety of plans to choose from, including bundling other Norton services.

One other thing that stands out right away is that you can protect more devices with Norton. This may be the deciding factor if you own lots of internet-connected devices — or if you have family members who have devices of their own that need protection. 

Malwarebytes pros and cons

Malwarebytes offers a straightforward solution for malware and at affordable prices, too. It has a reliable free plan that includes manual malware scans. You can add more devices with Malwarebytes, but it will cost you.

Which antivirus is the best value?

Both options offer great value, but Norton is hard to beat with its plan variety and superior features.

Price range	$29.99–$99.99/first yr	Free–$119.99/yr
Best value plan	Norton 360 Deluxe - 5 devices (1-year plan) for $49.99/first yr	Malwarebytes Security + VPN for $24.99/yr
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 60 days	Yes — 60 days
Learn more	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

We’ve mentioned that Norton offers a lower starting price than Malwarebytes, but both antivirus programs top off at $119.99/yr. That cost gets you coverage for 10 devices with Norton but coverage for only five devices with Malwarebytes. 

Norton’s top plan also comes with LifeLock identity theft protection, unlimited devices, a password manager, and the Norton Secure VPN. For around the same cost, you’ll get the Privacy VPN and Browser Guard with Malwarebytes.

It seems Norton offers a full spectrum of plans for those who want to tailor their antivirus experience. With Malwarebytes, you only have a few paid options, and the difference between the plans is minimal.

Norton’s best value is the Norton 360 Deluxe - 5 devices (1-year plan) option, which offers a good midway point with the amount of features you get for the price. This includes the Norton Secure VPN, dark web monitoring, and 50 GB of cloud backup storage.

Norton also has the Select + LifeLock bundle that covers 10 devices and gives you 250 GB of cloud storage, a password manager, LifeLock identity theft protection, a VPN, and parental controls for $99.99/first yr. Our Norton LifeLock review gives you more information on what protection LifeLock includes.

For Malwarebytes’ best value plan, we chose the Malwarebytes Plus (1 Year) option for $29.99/yr, which covers up to three devices. We felt the extra $35.00 compared to the Basic Security plan is worth the cost to protect four more devices.

Both antivirus programs offer a 60-day money-back guarantee. We like this because it gives you plenty of time to try the products before you decide to keep them.

Even if you don’t want to pay for one, you should use an antivirus to protect your device from malware. If you want to test out a free option, Malwarebytes has a free antivirus plan that scans your device and removes malware.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: features

Feature
Manual and scheduled scans		Yes, with paid plans Manual only with free plan
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Firewall
Real-time protection
Parental controls
Password manager
VPN
Ad blocker
Device optimization tools
Learn more	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

When it comes to features, Norton has almost anything you’d want in antivirus software. Really the only thing missing is an ad blocker. Alternatively, Malwarebytes comes up short in the features department. You won’t get a firewall, parental controls, or a password manager with this antivirus, but you will get Browser Guard, which is Malwarebytes’ ad blocker.

An ad blocker gets rid of all those pop-ups you might see while browsing websites. They can be annoying and, if clicked on, may contain malware that could harm your device. We aren’t sure why Norton doesn’t offer an ad blocker since it includes options like a firewall, VPN, and dark web monitoring in the antivirus package. All of these combined give you a safer online experience, even when you travel.

If you have a family, you may want parental controls to monitor what your child sees online and how much time they spend on the internet. Norton has this feature, but Malwarebytes is missing parental controls as of the time of writing.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: test results

When comparing antivirus products, it’s crucial to give a fair and accurate account of both programs. Third-party testing is invaluable because it offers an objective view into how an antivirus performs compared to other products.

The third-party test site we used for this comparison is AV-TEST. We put the latest protection scores for Norton and Malwarebytes under a microscope: [1,2,3,4]

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: AV-TEST scores

Windows score	18/18	17/18
macOS score	18/18	N/A
Android score	18/18	N/A
Learn more	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Norton scored higher than Malwarebytes on the Windows testing, and Malwarebytes didn’t have recent testing scores for macOS or Android, so we were unable to compare those. Antivirus companies must pay for testing, so it’s important to know that it doesn’t mean the software isn’t good when you cannot find scores. It does, however, make comparing Norton and Malwarebytes more difficult.

In testing, Malwarebytes showed no false positives. It 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 98.8% in August.

Norton also didn’t have any false detections of legitimate software. Plus, it racked perfect scores across the board in February 2024.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: compatibility and ease of use

Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Firefox, Edge	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

The Norton 360 interface is intuitive, and everything works well, even with numerous browser tabs open. There are multiple features to try, so it may take a little time to go through them all, but nothing is difficult to access or set up.

If you’re a Mac user, you should know that some features won’t work on your device — a common issue Apple users face with most antivirus software. You won’t get access to the stand-alone Power Eraser tool, but the other features more than make up for that. The phishing protection, parental controls, and firewall all work with macOS. You can also check the monitored information to see if anything shows up on the dark web with your data.

Malwarebytes doesn’t offer as many features as Norton, but the interface is easy to use. As with Norton, if you use a Mac, there are features you won’t have access to, like the full scan function.

However, you can set the time and date of scans to remove the hassle of having to remember when to check your system. The scanning reports are nice to have, which show you the last 30 days of scanning and what files, if any, were found. This feature also shows you when the last updates were made. As software gets updated, it offers more protection against new malware, so knowing whether your antivirus is outdated is key.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: customer service

24/7 live chat
Phone
Email
Support forums
Online guides

In comparing Malwarebytes vs. Norton, we immediately see a difference in customer service options. Norton offers everything except email and online guides. You get 24/7 live chat support and can also call Norton’s support line if you want to speak to someone directly. (Just note you’ll need to sign into your Norton account and fill out a form to contact an agent.) If that doesn’t work for you, Norton also offers assistance through Facebook and Twitter.

We found Malwarebytes lacking because it doesn't offer phone support. You can send a ticket and wait for an email, sort through the online guides to try troubleshooting your issue, or chat with a live agent or an AI chatbot. 

You may be turned off by the lack of a way to speak to someone or at least get help quickly. Malwarebytes does have a chat feature where you can use the chatbot to get automated answers, but it doesn’t take the place of a live agent.

FAQs

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: which is better?

When looking at Norton vs. Malwarebytes to see which one is better overall, we must give the honor to Norton. When you get this software, you’re buying an antivirus suite that comes with features like dark web monitoring, cloud storage, parental controls, and a secure VPN. Norton also backs its product with numerous customer support avenues to find help via your preferred method, even if that means using social media.

If you want an antivirus that offers anti-malware protection without all the frills, Malwarebytes is still a good option. It also has a free version for malware scanning if you truly can’t fit an antivirus subscription into your budget.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes alternatives

If our Malwarebytes vs. Norton comparison left you undecided, you can check out our guide to the best antivirus software for more recommendations, including these top-rated antivirus programs.

• Avast: If you’re a Mac lover, Avast is one of our recommended antivirus programs for Apple products. Along with deep scanning your device, Avast provides real-time protection by scanning any website you visit as well.
  
  Get Avast | Read Our Avast Review
• Bitdefender: Another full security suite option, Bitdefender includes a VPN, ransomware protection, a password manager, and parental controls. It also offers a free version if you’d like to try it out before you commit.
  
  Get Bitdefender | Read Our Bitdefender Review
• McAfee: One of the biggest names in antivirus, McAfee is a reliable cybersecurity option that comes with a wide range of features like parental controls and identity theft protection. We especially like that it earned top scores in third-party tests.
  
  Get McAfee | Read Our McAfee Review