Norton vs. Malwarebytes 2025: Which Offers Better Malware Protection?

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, such as 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

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

Norton vs. Malwarebytes compared

	Our Pick
Star rating	5.0 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.	4.6 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	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Learn more	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Norton 360 pros and cons

Norton 360 provides comprehensive coverage, encompassing real-time malware protection and cloud backup. It offers a variety of plans to choose from, including the option to bundle other Norton services.

Another feature that stands out immediately is that Norton can protect more devices. This may be the deciding factor if you own numerous internet-connected devices — or if you have family members who own devices of their own that need protection. 

Malwarebytes pros and cons

Malwarebytes offers a straightforward solution for malware, and it's available 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 incur an additional cost.

Which antivirus is the best value?

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

	Our Pick
Price range	$29.99–$299.99/first yr	$44.99–$232.49/yr
Best value plan	Norton 360 Deluxe - 5 devices (1-year plan) for $49.99/first yr	Malwarebytes Security + VPN for $44.99/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

Norton 360 plans

We’ve mentioned that Norton offers a lower starting price than Malwarebytes. Norton offers a full spectrum of plans to tailor your antivirus experience. 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,  Norton Secure VPN, and parental controls for $99.99/first yr. Our Norton LifeLock review provides more information on the protection LifeLock offers.

Malwarebytes plans

With Malwarebytes, you have only a few paid options, and the differences between the plans are minimal. For Malwarebytes’ best value plan, we chose the Malwarebytes Plus (1 Year) option for $59.99/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. For around the same cost as Norton, you’ll get the Privacy VPN and Browser Guard with Malwarebytes.

If you want to test out a free option, Malwarebytes has a free antivirus plan that scans your device and removes malware.

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 virus protection.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: features

Feature	Our Pick
Manual and scheduled scans		Yes, with paid plans Manual only with free plan
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Firewall
Device optimization tools
Real-time protection
Parental controls
Password manager
VPN
Ad blocker
Extras	Dark web monitoring, cloud backup, software updater, and more	Identity theft protection
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. 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. 

Norton offers a firewall, VPN, and dark web monitoring as part of its 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 Family is a top choice for parental control software, whereas Malwarebytes does not offer parental controls.

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 provides an objective assessment of 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.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: AV-TEST scores

	Our Pick
Windows score	18/18	17/18
macOS score	18/18	N/A
Android score	17/18	14/18
Learn more	Get Norton 360 Read Norton 360 Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

Norton scored higher than Malwarebytes on the Windows and Android tests. Malwarebytes didn’t have recent testing scores for macOS, so we were unable to compare performance on that operating system. 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 Norton stand out for submitting to testing across systems.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: compatibility and customer support

	Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Live chat, phone, online guides, forums, social media	Live chat, email, forums
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Antivirus Review	Get Malwarebytes Read Malwarebytes Review

The Norton 360 interface is intuitive, and everything functions smoothly, even with multiple browser tabs open. There are multiple features to explore, so it may take a little time to go through them all, but none are 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 any of your data appears on the dark web.

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 eliminate the hassle of remembering when to check your system. The scanning reports are beneficial, as they display the last 30 days of scanning and indicate which files, if any, were identified. 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.

When comparing Malwarebytes and Norton, we immediately notice a difference in customer service options. Norton offers everything except email and online guides. You receive 24/7 live chat support and can also call Norton’s support line to speak with 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 receive automated answers, but it doesn’t replace the need for a live agent.

Norton vs. Malwarebytes alternatives

We think Norton is the best antivirus suite available, although we've tested plenty of top alternatives. Here's how Norton 360 compares to other tried-and-true antivirus programs: 

FAQs

Norton vs. Malwarebytes: which is better?

When comparing Norton and Malwarebytes to determine which one is better overall, the honor goes to Norton. When you purchase this software, you’re buying an antivirus suite that comes with features such as 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.