Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes 2026: Price, Lab Scores, Features

Bitdefender is the better buy for most people in 2026: it matched or beat Malwarebytes in AV-TEST's July and August 2026 Windows test and costs less in year one, with Total Security covering 5 devices for the $59.99 Malwarebytes Standard charges for 3. Malwarebytes wins on flat, predictable pricing, a 60-day refund window and a $44.99 single-device plan.

Both products earned AV-TEST's top score of 6 out of 6 for protection, performance and usability, so neither is a weak antivirus. The gap is in the details: Bitdefender caught every real-world sample in both months, Malwarebytes missed a few in August, and Bitdefender's first-year discounts are steeper but come with a renewal it does not print.

Toolradar data: Toolradar, the software directory we run, tracks 867 security tools as of 19 October 2026, and Malwarebytes is one of the 10 picks in its security ranking while Bitdefender is not. That ranking weighs the whole security market, from password managers to identity tools, so it says more about Malwarebytes' reach than about which antivirus blocks more malware; the lab data below answers that.

Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes at a glance

US prices before tax, read on 19 October 2026 on Bitdefender's consumer pages and the Malwarebytes pricing page. Bitdefender's prices are first-year rates; Malwarebytes prints Standard and Plus as one yearly price with no first-year label.

Which one blocks more malware?

On AV-TEST's latest Windows 11 round, Bitdefender had the cleaner record. AV-TEST ran 15 home products through July and August 2026 on default settings, and published the results in its August 2026 Windows test.

The protection gap is small and limited to one month. Malwarebytes' 99.3% in August still rounded up to the maximum protection score, so the practical difference for a single PC is a handful of samples out of 297. For a security-minded buyer, a perfect two-month record is still the stronger evidence. Sources: the Bitdefender result page and the Malwarebytes result page.

Performance favors Bitdefender too, by a narrower margin than the score suggests. Both got 6 out of 6, but on a standard PC Malwarebytes slowed the launch of common apps by 18% against Bitdefender's 13%, both above the 11% average. Neither raised a single false alarm on legitimate software or websites, which matters more day to day than one percentage point of detection.

What each one costs in year one

Bitdefender is cheaper per device in every like-for-like pairing. The table below sets each Malwarebytes plan against the nearest Bitdefender plan, on year-one prices.

Our cost table: per-device figures divide each plan's printed year-one price by the devices it covers. The VPN pairing is the cleanest comparison: the same price buys 3 devices on Malwarebytes Plus and 5 on Bitdefender Premium Security, which also adds scam protection for email, chat and SMS.

The one-device pairing is the least settled. Bitdefender's entry is a first-year price on its cheapest product, while the Malwarebytes figure is the plan's printed yearly price, so the gap narrows once Bitdefender renews at a price it does not print.

What happens in year two?

Bitdefender's low prices are first-year prices, and its pages do not print the renewal. The terms on each product page say the subscription renews "at the applicable renewal price which may be higher", and that any discount shown is the difference between the first-term and renewal-term price. Bitdefender shows Total Security at $109.99 before its first-year discount, so that crossed-out figure is the closest published guide to year two.

Malwarebytes prints Standard and Plus without a struck price. Only Ultimate carries one: $139.99 against a $279.99 list, with a footnote that the discount is first year only. Budget Ultimate's second year at the list price.

The cleanest way around Bitdefender's renewal question is its two-year plan, which fixes the price up front:

The Malwarebytes column is the printed yearly price times two; the Bitdefender column is the two-year price its plan picker prints. Over two years, Malwarebytes Standard is the cheaper way to cover three devices with antivirus alone, while Bitdefender wins on the VPN suite (two more devices for one cent more) and on family coverage.

Features beyond the scanner

Malwarebytes keeps its tiers simple. Standard covers real-time protection against viruses, ransomware, phishing and exploits on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, plus Browser Guard for ads, trackers and scam sites, and data breach notifications. Plus adds a WireGuard-based Privacy VPN with unmetered data. Ultimate adds identity protection with $2 million in insurance, three-bureau credit monitoring and a personal data remover.

Bitdefender layers more into each step. Total Security adds a password manager to real-time protection on up to 5 devices, and the family version adds parental controls. Premium Security adds Scam Protection Pro across email, chat, SMS and the web, an unlimited VPN, an anti-tracker and email protection for 2 Gmail or Outlook addresses. Ultimate Security adds dark web monitoring and breach alerts, and Ultimate Security Plus adds $1 million in identity theft insurance and one-bureau credit monitoring.

For identity coverage specifically, Malwarebytes Ultimate gives more insurance and credit-bureau coverage for its price. A buyer who mainly wants that insurance should compare it directly with dedicated identity services before choosing either antivirus brand.

The free versions are not the same product

Bitdefender Antivirus Free gives real-time protection on one Windows PC at no cost, which makes it a real always-on antivirus for a single machine. It does not cover Mac, Android or iOS.

Malwarebytes Free is an on-demand scanner. Malwarebytes' own download page says the free version finds and removes infections already on a device, while real-time protection needs a paid plan. That makes it a second-opinion cleanup tool next to another antivirus, not a replacement for one. Our best free antivirus guide compares the other free options.

Which one to pick

Pick Bitdefender if you protect five devices or a family, want the VPN and scam filtering in one bill, or want the stronger August lab record. Take the two-year plan if you want to lock the price, because the one-year renewal is not printed. The Bitdefender pricing breakdown lists every tier, and the Bitdefender review covers the product.

Pick Malwarebytes if you protect one to three devices, want a yearly price that does not jump after a first-year discount, or value its 60-day refund window. The Malwarebytes pricing page covers its family and identity plans, and the Malwarebytes review covers the product.

Mac and Android buyers should check the best antivirus for Mac and best antivirus for Android rankings, since AV-TEST's results above are for Windows 11. Small businesses that need a console should read Bitdefender vs Norton and the best antivirus for business. For the VPN alone, see the cheapest VPN comparison. Product profiles sit on Bitdefender on Toolradar and Malwarebytes on Toolradar.

How we compared

We read Bitdefender's US consumer pages and plan pickers and the Malwarebytes pricing and download pages on 19 October 2026, and took lab results from AV-TEST's July and August 2026 Windows 11 home-user test. Per-device and two-year figures are our arithmetic on those printed prices; Bitdefender two-year figures are its own printed two-year prices. The Toolradar count comes from its live security ranking the same day. We did not run either product for this page.

Cite this: Cyberpresso, "Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes 2026: Price, Lab Scores, Features", November 2026.

FAQ

Is Bitdefender or Malwarebytes better in 2026?

Bitdefender is better for most buyers. In AV-TEST's July and August 2026 Windows 11 test it blocked 100% of real-world attacks in both months, against 99.3% in August for Malwarebytes, and it costs less per device in year one.

Is Malwarebytes good enough on its own?

Yes, with a paid plan. Malwarebytes Premium scored 6 out of 6 for protection, performance and usability in AV-TEST's August 2026 round. Malwarebytes Free is only an on-demand scanner, so it is not a full antivirus on its own.

Which is cheaper, Bitdefender or Malwarebytes?

Bitdefender is cheaper in year one: Total Security covers 5 devices for $59.99, the same price Malwarebytes Standard charges for 3. Over two years, Malwarebytes Standard costs $119.98 for 3 devices, less than Bitdefender's $139.99 two-year Antivirus Plus plan.

Does Bitdefender renew at a higher price?

Bitdefender says its first-year price renews at the applicable renewal price, which may be higher, and it does not print that price. Its terms describe any displayed discount as the gap between the first-year and renewal prices, so the crossed-out list price is the best guide.

Do Bitdefender and Malwarebytes cover Mac and phones?

Yes, on paid plans. Malwarebytes Standard covers Windows, Mac, Android and iOS on 3 devices, and Bitdefender Total Security covers up to 5 Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. Bitdefender's free antivirus runs on Windows only.

Which has the better refund policy?

Malwarebytes. Every Malwarebytes plan carries a 60-day money-back guarantee, while Bitdefender offers 30 days.

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