Malwarebytes Vs. Avast - Antivirus Giants Compared

Protecting your device is a must, and finding an antivirus that works for you, is not always easy. In this article, we’ve compared two top rated-antivirus software providers to make it easier for you to make your choice. We’ve looked at the general pros and cons, the key features, performance, pricing plans, as well as their user-friendliness and customer support. After you’ve read through this article, you will be able to decide whether one of these providers is the right antivirus software option for your device. Here’s our in-depth comparison of Malwarebytes vs Avast.

Overall Comparison

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Both Malwarebytes and Avast offer excellent protection against threats. Both of these providers offer free and paid options that can match your specific software requirements. 

If you’re willing to spend money on a full feature antivirus solution, Avast Ultimate sets itself apart with features that Malwarebytes doesn’t offer. 

Even with the free version, Avast wins this comparison simply by providing real-time protection, which Malwarebytes’ free version lacks.

Key Features

Both of these solutions offer excellent features with their packages. Some of the features are available individually to those who don’t want to pay for every single feature included with the top-level paid subscriptions. 

In this table, we offer a quick look at some of the main features offered by Malwarebytes and Avast. 

Let's take a look at the key features between Malwarebytes VS Avast.

Key Features Compared

Avast offers more features than what Malwarebytes brings to the table. Not only that, but the free version from Avast has way more functionality than Malwarebytes’ free version, which only really offers virus scanning. 

If you want a free antivirus solution that offers a lot of functionality and options, Avast is a better choice. 

Malwarebytes does not provide a lot of features. It only offers the basic features that most antivirus solutions have. 

Malwarebytes Premium adds the anti-malware and anti-ransomware features, protecting your devices from malicious websites.

Avast provides lots of different scanning features like Smart Scan, Boot-time Scan, and Full Scan. It also offers Wi-Fi Inspector Tools that can help you to scan suspicious networks. 

When we take a look at features such as 

• Firewalls
• Parental Control
• Safe Banking
• Performance optimization

These are all features only available with Avast. When you compare all these features, it is clear that Avast has more to offer in terms of features and functionality. 

Personal preference will make a difference when it comes to choosing antivirus software, but from an objective point of view, Avast’s software opens more possibilities to its users. 

While these are both excellent options, there’s no question that Avast stands out as the winner in terms of the features they provide.

Malwarebytes vs Avast for antivirus features: Avast

Avast Features

Malwarebytes features

Malware Protection

Let’s take a look at malware protection. 

Malware protection is one of the most important features that an antivirus solution should have.

The paid versions of Avast and Malwarebyte provide good protection. It’s important to keep in mind, that Malwarebytes’ free version does not provide real-time malware protection.

If you need free real-time malware protection, then Avast is the way to go. 

However, if you are looking for a free antivirus software with malware protection Avast is the clear choice. 

According to the latest AV-Comparatives Malware Protection test, you can see that various antivirus programs are being tested often. 

The results will change as the programs are being upgraded.

The ability of detection that is being tested, includes online and offline detection rates. The latest test results from March 2021, show clearly that Avast wins in this regard.

System Performance

Let’s focus on system performance. Both Malwarebytes and Avast offer a very high level of performance, according to the third-party testing done by www.av-test.org. The versions they tested both scored top marks in all categories, placing them in that organization’s Top Product classification. 

What is the difference? 

They tested the premium version of Malwarebytes’ antivirus software while they opted to evaluate Avast’s free software version. 

Therefore, while they both tested very well, we would say Avast wins.

Avast’s Test Results

Malwarebytes’ Test Results

Pricing Plans

Both Malwarebytes and Avast offer a free version as well as a Premium version. Pricing is another important factor to consider when comparing Malwarebytes vs Avast.

Let's take a look at what Malwarebytes offers when it comes to pricing. 

With Malwarebytes, you will pay $3.33/month for single device protection, $6.67/month for five devices, and $8.33/month for the premium + package, all of which are billed annually.

Malwarebytes Pricing;

Avast Pricing;

Avast offers a free version, as well as Premium Security for a single device for $69.99/year or 10 devices for $89.99/year. Avast Ultimate $99.99/year for a single device or $119.99/year for 10 devices. At the time of writing this article, all the plans listed are offered at 50% off for the first year.

Malwarebytes’ price tag is lower, but if you compare the monthly cost per device for 10 devices, Avast comes out cheaper even without considering the current 50% discount. 

There isn’t a clear winner in this category; it depends on your needs in terms of both features and the number of devices. To make the right choice, you can start by evaluating your own needs, so you have a basis upon which to evaluate the options in front of you.

Malwarebytes vs Avast for price: Avast for those with 10 devices, Malwarebytes for those with either a single device or five devices

Ease Of Use and User Friendliness

Another important aspect when comparing antivirus software is user-friendliness. When it comes to ease of use and user-friendliness, it all depends on what you want. 

A program's looks will influence user-friendliness and ease of use. If the antivirus program is easy to use and the antivirus program looks well, it will be the obvious choice to purchase. 

Malwarebytes comes with a new and easy-to-use interface. In the main interface, there are 3 main sections including Detection History, Scanner, and Real-Time Protection. Click on a section will cause a fly out overlay to appear where you can change settings, view the quarantine, or perform a scan.

When it comes to Avast, you will find that it also has an easy-to-use interface. This program uses an intuitive control panel so that you can access all options. There is a sidebar on the left so that you can perform specific tasks.

There is also a large button on the right panel that makes it easy for those who are using the Avast antivirus program for the first time to find the scanning button. 

It’s hard to announce a winner when it comes to ease of use. It all depends on your personal preference.

Customer Support

Avast offers phone, email, and ticket support, while Malwarebytes offers only live chat support. While live chat may seem like an attractive option, our experience is that the service isn’t always as quick as we’d like, and the agents aren’t necessarily all that well-informed. 

While it’s slightly slower in terms of making the first contact with an agent, the fact that Avast has more options for contacting customer support makes it the clear winner in this category. 

Conclusion

Based on the features included in the free version, the options available in the paid plans, and various measures of performance, Avast is the clear winner in this comparison.

Whether you’re looking for free virus protection for a single device or full-feature protection for every device you own, Avast has a product that will suit your needs to a tee. 

We would say that while Avast is the winner in almost every category we explored, the margin by which it wins isn’t all that wide. 

Malwarebytes really does have excellent software; Avast just has more to offer in terms of features and functionality. It comes down to evaluating your wants and needs in order to come up with the option that’s right for you.

We only hope this article has helped you make a decision.

Which antivirus do you think is for you? Choose Now!

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