Malwarebytes Premium
A strong second-opinion scanner and remediation tool — less convincing as your only line of defense
Last updated September 22, 2026
Editor score
Pricing
$44.99 (1 device, annual)
Multi-device plans start around $59.99/year (Standard, 3 devices); Plus tier starts near $79.99/year.
Independent lab results
- AV-TEST protection
- Not consistently entered into AV-TEST's home-user comparison charts
- AV-Comparatives
- 100% threat-block rate, Feb–Mar 2026 round
- False positives
- 20 false positives in the same test round — one of the highest counts recorded among tested products
Independent testing, Feb–Mar 2026
Pros
- +100% block rate on tested threats in recent independent rounds
- +Excellent at removing malware that's already active on a machine — a common recommendation for cleanup, not just prevention
- +Free version remains a genuinely useful on-demand second-opinion scanner
- +Straightforward, uncluttered interface
Cons
- –20 recorded false positives in the same test cycle — meaningfully higher than most competitors, meaning legitimate files can get flagged
- –No built-in firewall at any tier
- –Free version is on-demand scanning only — real-time protection requires Premium
- –Less bundled beyond antivirus (no VPN, backup or identity monitoring built in)
Malwarebytes built its reputation as the tool people reach for after something’s already gone wrong — the scanner IT forums recommend for cleaning up a machine a “real” antivirus missed. That reputation is only partly deserved by 2026’s numbers: it posted a 100% block rate on tested threats in the most recent independent round, but also logged 20 false positives in that same cycle, noticeably more than most of the products on this page.
What it actually gets right
Malicious-file removal and remediation are still where Malwarebytes earns its name. If a machine is already compromised, it’s a reasonable first tool to reach for regardless of what else is installed. The free version remains genuinely useful as an on-demand second scanner even if you run a different suite as your primary protection — plenty of security-conscious users keep it installed for exactly that reason.
Where it falls short
A 100% detection rate paired with 20 false positives is a real tradeoff, not a footnote: an antivirus that flags legitimate software or files as threats can be as disruptive as one that misses real ones, especially for less technical users who don’t know when to trust an “ignore” prompt. There’s also no firewall included at any tier, and the free version only scans on demand — it won’t stop an active infection in real time without upgrading to Premium.
Who should choose it
Malwarebytes makes the most sense as a second layer — free, on-demand, running alongside your main antivirus — or as a cleanup tool after an infection. Using Premium as your only real-time protection is a harder case to make when Bitdefender and ESET post comparable or better detection with far fewer false positives.