Head to head

Malwarebytes vs Bitdefender

Malwarebytes is famous as a cleanup scanner; Bitdefender as a full suite. In 2026 the lab data separates them clearly.

Compared by the AVSO Editorial Desk
Prices and lab results verified 12 Nov 2026How we score Editorial policy

#8 overall

Malwarebytes Standard

7.4/10

A trusted cleanup tool with a false-positive problem.

$59.99first year

Renewal price not stated by vendor

Wins 0 of 8 criteria

View Malwarebytes pricing

60-day money-back guarantee

Our pick · #1 overall

Bitdefender Total Security

9.0/10

The most consistent lab record of 2026.

$59.99first year

Renewal price not stated by vendor

Wins 5 of 8 criteria

View Bitdefender pricing

30-day money-back guarantee

Criterion by criterion

Bitdefender takes 5 of 8 criteria to 0, with 3 tied or not comparable. Every row uses published lab results or the vendor's own price page.

Malwarebytes and Bitdefender compared criterion by criterion. A tick marks the better figure.
Criterion	Malwarebytes	Bitdefender
Our score	7.4rank #8	9.0rank #1
Real-World protection	98.8%³STANDARD	99.5%³ADVANCED+
False positives (Real-World)	39³false positives	5³false positives
Malware protection (Sep 2026)	99.65%⁴TESTED	99.98%⁴ADVANCED+
AV-TEST Windows	6 / 6 / 6⁵18/18 · Aug 2026	6 / 6 / 6⁵18/18 · Aug 2026
Performance impact	19.1⁶ADVANCED	8.7⁶ADVANCED+
Price, first term	$59.99¹first year · 3 devices	$59.99²first year · 5 devices
Renewal per year	Not stated	Not stated
Money-back	60 days	30 days
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
VPN	Plus tier	200 MB/day
Password manager	Not included	Included
Cloud backup	Not included	Not included
Breach / dark-web monitoring	Ultimate tier	Not included
Parental controls	Not included	Not confirmed
Free version	Scanner only	Windows only

Lower is better for false positives, performance impact and prices. Features refer to the ranked plan: Malwarebytes Standard and Bitdefender Total Security.

Bottom line

Use Bitdefender (or another top-rated product) as your main antivirus. Keep the free Malwarebytes scanner as a second opinion if you like: it can run alongside without real-time protection.

Choose Malwarebytes if…

You need a free on-demand scanner for a second opinion
You want a 60-day money-back window
You prefer a minimal app with a scam blocker

View Malwarebytes pricing Full Malwarebytes review

Choose Bitdefender if…

Far fewer false positives (1 vs 32 in September's Malware test)
Higher awards in every AV-Comparatives test both entered
5 devices vs 3 for the same $59.99

View Bitdefender pricing Full Bitdefender review

Where the points come from

Our five sub-scores, out of 10, with their weight in the overall score. How each is calculated.

MalwarebytesBitdefender

Protection 40%: Malwarebytes: 7.6; Bitdefender: 9.8
Performance 15%: Malwarebytes: 7.8; Bitdefender: 9.1
Value 20%: Malwarebytes: 7.0; Bitdefender: 7.8
Features 15%: Malwarebytes: 6.6; Bitdefender: 8.6
Trust & transparency 10%: Malwarebytes: 8.0; Bitdefender: 9.0

Add a third

Every figure, against the field

Pre-set to Malwarebytes and Bitdefender. Add a third suite, or clear the selection to see all 8.

9.0

Bitdefender#1 overall

First term

$59.99

first year

Real‑World protection: Highest99.5%ADVANCED+
False positives: Fewest5
AV-TEST (Aug 2026): 6 / 6 / 6
Performance impact: Lightest8.7
Devices: 5
Renewal / year: Not stated
VPN: 200 MB/day
iOS app

View Bitdefender pricing

30-day money-back guarantee

Read the Bitdefender review

7.4

Malwarebytes#8 overall

First term

$59.99

first year

Real‑World protection: 98.8%STANDARD
False positives: 39
AV-TEST (Aug 2026): 6 / 6 / 6
Performance impact: 19.1
Devices: 3
Renewal / year: Not stated
VPN: Plus tier
iOS app

View Malwarebytes pricing

60-day money-back guarantee

Read the Malwarebytes review

Antivirus comparison. Product columns, feature rows. Comparing Bitdefender, Malwarebytes.
Head to head2 suites	Bitdefender#1 overall	Malwarebytes#8 overall
Score & price
	Editorial score 9.0 out of 10	Editorial score 7.4 out of 10
	$59.99first year	$59.99first year
Renewal / year	Not stated	Not stated
Devices	5	3
Money-back	30 days	60 daysLongest
Independent lab results
³	99.5%ADVANCED+Highest	98.8%STANDARD
³	5Fewest	39
AV-TEST Windows⁵	6 / 6 / 6Aug 2026TOP PRODUCT	6 / 6 / 6Aug 2026TOP PRODUCT
⁶	8.7lower is betterLightest	19.1lower is better
In the ranked plan
VPN	200 MB/day	Plus tier
Password manager
Cloud backup
Breach monitoring		Ultimate tier
Parental controls	Not confirmed
Free version	Windows only	Scanner only
Platforms
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Verdict
Best for	overall protection	second-opinion scanner
Vendor pricingOpens the vendor's site. Some links are affiliate links.	View pricing for Bitdefender (opens Bitdefender site in a new tab)Review: Bitdefender	View pricing for Malwarebytes (opens Malwarebytes site in a new tab)Review: Malwarebytes

Prices are USD before tax for the plan each vendor leads with, read on its own pricing page on 12 Nov 2026. First-year prices are usually introductory; renewal is what you pay from year two, and “Not stated” means the vendor did not publish it. Black Friday prices are marked. McAfee: mcafee.com blocked our checks; prices from a secondary source updated 26 Aug 2026⁸. Surfshark Antivirus: Surfshark showed us local-currency prices; USD figure from a secondary source updated 4 Nov 2026⁹. Lab rows: AV-Comparatives Real-World (Feb–May 2026)³ and Performance (Sep 2026)⁶; AV-TEST Windows (Aug 2026⁵, Surfshark Jun 2026⁷). “Not tested” means the product was not in that test.

Malwarebytes vs Bitdefender: questions

Can I use Malwarebytes and Bitdefender together?

Yes, if you use the free Malwarebytes scanner, which has no real-time protection, for occasional scans. Running two real-time antivirus engines at once is not recommended.

Malwarebytes vs Bitdefender · Our pick

For most readers: Bitdefender. Prefer Malwarebytes? Both are one click away.

The most consistent lab record of 2026. Total Security: $59.99 first year · 30-day money-back guarantee.

View Bitdefender pricing View Malwarebytes pricing Read the review

We may earn a commission through affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

More head-to-heads

Back to the antivirus rankings or read the Malwarebytes review and Bitdefender review.

Sources

All accessed 12 Nov 2026

1.Malwarebytes pricing page. malwarebytes.com/pricing (opens in a new tab)
2.Bitdefender pricing page. bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/total-security (opens in a new tab)
3.AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test, February–May 2026. av-comparatives.org/tests/real-world-protection-test-february-may-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
4.AV-Comparatives Malware Protection Test, September 2026. av-comparatives.org/tests/malware-protection-test-september-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
5.AV-TEST Windows 11 home-user test, August 2026. av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-11/august-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
6.AV-Comparatives Performance Test, September 2026. av-comparatives.org/tests/performance-test-september-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
7.AV-TEST Windows 11 home-user test, June 2026. av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-11/june-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
8.McAfee price: mcafee.com blocked our checks; prices from a secondary source updated 26 Aug 2026. mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mcafee-total-protection.html (opens in a new tab) · unverified on vendor site
9.Surfshark Antivirus price: Surfshark showed us local-currency prices; USD figure from a secondary source updated 4 Nov 2026. surfshark.com/pricing (opens in a new tab) · unverified on vendor site