Malwarebytes Alternatives 2026: 5 Free Options
Malwarebytes alternatives: Microsoft Defender Antivirus, ClamAV, Bitdefender Antivirus Free and 2 more. Prices and licenses checked October 23, 2026.
•3 min read•Security Software & Testing
Verdict:Leave Malwarebytes if you are paying only for real-time protection. The free Windows app is a cleanup scanner: Quick and Custom scans are free, while real-time, web, ransomware and exploit protection need Premium, so check the current Premium price before you renew. On Windows, Microsoft Defender already runs real-time protection for free, and Bitdefender Antivirus Free adds basic ransomware protection with a Central account. Avast and Avira give free cover on more platforms, including Mac and Android, with upsell prompts to match. ClamAV is a scanner for servers and technical users, not a drop-in replacement. A common setup is Defender running all the time with Malwarebytes Free as an occasional second opinion, which costs nothing. The trade-off is that the free suites push paid plans and extras, while Malwarebytes is narrower and less noisy. If you have an active infection, keep Malwarebytes for the cleanup scan and use another free tool for protection afterwards. If nothing has gone wrong, Defender plus careful downloads is enough for most Windows users.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Free (built into Windows) | Windows | Baseline Windows protection at no cost | Docs only |
| ClamAV | Free | Linux, Windows, macOS | Command-line or server scanning | Docs only |
| Bitdefender Antivirus Free | Free (Free for Windows with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection; VPN capped at 200 MB per device per day) | Windows | A free Windows antivirus with real-time scanning | Docs only |
| Avast Free Antivirus | Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Free cover across desktop and Android | Docs only |
| Avira Free Security | Free (Free antivirus, password manager and VPN capped at 500 MB per month) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | A free suite across all platforms | Docs only |
| Bitdefender Total Security | Paid from $59.99 per year, first-year price (Individual, 5 devices; $79.99 Family, 25 devices) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Antivirus | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You want free always-on protection on Windows (Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the pick)
- You want stronger free protection than Defender alone (Bitdefender Antivirus Free is the pick)
- You protect Mac or Android as well (Avast Free Antivirus is the pick)
- You scan files on a Linux server (ClamAV is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on Malwarebytes features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
Malwarebytes today: Free (Free malware scanner; per a TechRadar review the free edition has no real-time protection) (Malwarebytes pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for Malwarebytes alternatives
Malwarebytes Free is a clean-up tool, not full protection. Its own download page says Free runs on-demand scans and removes existing infections but has no real-time protection, summing it up as Free cleans up and Premium keeps threats out. Real-time antivirus, ransomware protection, phishing and malicious-site blocking, exploit protection and uninstall protection all need Premium Security, which carries a 60-day money-back guarantee. Its pricing page splits Individual, Family and Small business plans. People wanting always-on protection without paying often switch to a free antivirus.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Compared with Malwarebytes: Built into Windows, so real-time protection costs nothing, whereas Malwarebytes locks real-time and web protection behind a paid plan. It is Windows only and has no separate on-demand cleanup tool.
Price: Free (built into Windows) (Microsoft Defender Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: Baseline Windows protection at no cost.
Worth knowing: Windows only; central management needs a paid Microsoft product.
ClamAV
Compared with Malwarebytes: Open-source scanner you run yourself on Linux, Windows or macOS. It gives free on-demand scanning like Malwarebytes Free but has no polished interface, and it does no real-time scanning by default.
Price: Free (ClamAV pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Linux, Windows, macOS. GPL-2.0 (open source).
Project activity: 7.5k GitHub stars · latest release clamav-1.5.4 (Aug 7, 2026) · last commit Oct 22, 2026
Best for: Command-line or server scanning.
Worth knowing: Scanner and signature updates only; no central console or behavioural EDR.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free
Compared with Malwarebytes: Free for Windows with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection, which Malwarebytes Free lacks. It requires a Bitdefender Central account and is Windows only; Mac and mobile need paid plans.
Price: Free (Free for Windows with real-time protection and basic ransomware protection; VPN capped at 200 MB per device per day) (Bitdefender Antivirus Free pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: A free Windows antivirus with real-time scanning.
Avast Free Antivirus
Compared with Malwarebytes: A free Windows, Mac and Android antivirus, so real-time protection is not paywalled as at Malwarebytes. The vendor page was blocked for us, and the app may ask you to reactivate the free plan after a year.
Price: Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) (Avast Free Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Free cover across desktop and Android.
Avira Free Security
Compared with Malwarebytes: Free antivirus bundled with a password manager and a VPN capped at 500 MB a month, on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. The extras are thin, and its paid Prime plan is the upsell.
Price: Free (Free antivirus, password manager and VPN capped at 500 MB per month) (Avira Free Security pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: A free suite across all platforms.
Other popular options (paid)
Bitdefender Total Security
Compared with Malwarebytes: A full antivirus suite listed at $59.99 for the first year (5 devices), with $79.99 for the Family plan, and a 30-day trial without a card. The price applies to the first subscription year only.
Price: Paid from $59.99 per year, first-year price (Individual, 5 devices; $79.99 Family, 25 devices) (Bitdefender Total Security pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Which one to pick
- You want free always-on protection on Windows: Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- You want stronger free protection than Defender alone: Bitdefender Antivirus Free
- You protect Mac or Android as well: Avast Free Antivirus
- You scan files on a Linux server: ClamAV
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Microsoft Defender Antivirus, ClamAV, Bitdefender Antivirus Free, Avast Free Antivirus, Avira Free Security: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from Malwarebytes. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
More in Security Software & Testing
- McAfee alternatives
- Kaspersky alternatives
- Norton 360 Deluxe alternatives
- Bitdefender Total Security alternatives
Sources
Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: Malwarebytes, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, ClamAV, Bitdefender Antivirus Free, Avast Free Antivirus, Avira Free Security, Bitdefender Total Security. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.