Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes | Who Provides More Reliable Protection?

A reliable anti-virus software suite can be a genuine lifesaver. The harsh reality being that if the world’s biggest and most iconic organizations can fall victim to cybercrimes, so can anyone. Precisely where the whole Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes comes into the equation.

Bitdefender and Malwarebytes are two of the most widely used anti-virus software suites available right now. Used by millions of businesses and everyday households worldwide, both Malwarebytes and Bitdefender can provide robust and reliable protection from a wide variety of malware threats / cybersecurity threats . 

Likewise, Bitdefender antivirus and anti malware software and Malwarebytes antivirus both have affordable options available to suit most requirements and budgets. They work on all platforms, in case you need an antivirus for Mac or another OS.

But which of the two wins the Malwarebytes vs Bitdefender battle? If looking to protect your home computer or your business with a reliable antivirus software suite, which of the two options is worthy of your money Malwarebytes or Bitdefender?

That’s what we’ll be taking a look at in this fully independent review.

Our Recommended Choice 

We care about the security of your tech devices, so you should know that there is an antivirus program that continues to evolve and is a standard in the cybersecurity market. That program is McAfee! The integrated anti-virus program optimizes for all-around security that a lot of antivirus programs are missing. It’s no wonder that government agencies and business enterprises rely on their programs! To check out the antivirus of one of the leading programs on the market, click below!

Setting Up the Standout: Bitdefender vs. Malwarebytes

In this independent review, we’ll be taking a look at the most important great features, functionalities and selling points of these two packages. We’ll also be considering Malwarebytes Free vs paid options, the effectiveness of the free Bitdefender antivirus malware option and the extent to which both platforms are user-friendly or otherwise.

Though it’s a pretty close-run race between the two, there is an outright winner and a recommended antivirus software suite that’s well worth investing in. Read on for all you need to know about the ins and outs of both Malwarebytes and Bitdefender.

Features

The extent to which you need an endless list of complex features and functionalities is entirely up to you. Nevertheless, most would (quite rightly) argue than when it comes to advanced anti-virus and anti-malware features, more is better.

Bitdefender

If you go for the most basic Bitdefender plans on offer, you’ll benefit from a wide variety of cool extra features including secure file shredder, ransomware protection and plenty of advanced scanning options. On the downside, you’ll need to upgrade to something a little more premium to benefit from a two way firewall and several other top-end security features.

The Total Security package is the top-shelf plan with Bitdefender, which brings a whole bunch of cool additional features and additional safeguards into the equation. The inclusion of a VPN is great, but the fact that it is limited to 200MB of daily usage (unlimited with the Premium Security Suite) means it’s a little on the restrictive side. Parental controls, file encryption, webcam protection and more are all included in this top-tier package.

Bitdefender’s lower-end packages aren’t lacking in features in general, but nonetheless exclude several essentials for robust protection.

Malwarebytes

By contrast, Malwarebytes is a little on the sparse side when it comes to the advanced features and added extras. At least when compared to Bitdefender…well, there’s technically no comparison between the two features-wise.

Malwarebytes offers an extensive range of useful features and functionalities, but doesn’t include things like a file shredder, parental controls or password manager. There’s also no webcam protection and no VPN (virtual private network) whatsoever, giving Bitdefender a slight edge.

Though again, it’s not to say that Malwarebytes doesn’t bring a long list of useful and important features to the table. It’s just that it lacks several of the additional security features and functions you gain access to with Bitdefender.

Round One Winner

A clear case of no contest in this instance – Bitdefender excels in terms of features and functionalities. Even if you opt for one of the lower-cost packages, you could still be looking at several useful features that aren’t available with Malwarebytes.

Bitdefender

Taking a look at Bitdefender first, these guys are renowned for offering huge initial discounts for new customers, valid for the first year. In addition, you stand to save quite a lot of money if you sign up for a three-year subscription straight away, rather than a shorter contract.

The least expensive plan available is Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, but (of course) also provides access to the shortest list of features. Stepping up to Bitdefender Internet Security at the next level is therefore recommended, which takes things a step further with a firewall and webcam protection.

Bitdefender Total Security is the next offering in the hierarchy, which delivers exceptionally robust and reliable protection for up to five devices. Right at the top of the table comes Bitdefender Premium Security, which along with providing comprehensive protection for up to 10 devices also includes unlimited VPN traffic, priority customer support and every feature Bitdefender has launched to date.

In any case, the cheapest package currently available at Bitdefender stands at $29.99 per year, while the Bitdefender Premium Security will set you back $89.99 per year. Given that the latter provides coverage for up to 10 devices, it represents exceptional value for money.
As a result of its near-perfect detection rates of malware and low false positives score, Bitdefender received the highest ADVANCED+ rating in several tests.

Round Two Winner

Though the two are almost identical in value for money stakes, Bitdefender takes the lead for one important reason. That being that when you sign up for the lower-end Bitdefender Internet Security package, it covers three devices – Malwarebytes covering just one device for the same price.

That said, stepping up to higher-end packages and covering more devices with a single subscription makes the whole thing too close to call. Both Malwarebytes and Bitdefender offer exceptional value for money across the board.

Bitdefender

On the plus side, everything else about the user experience is suitably streamlined and straightforward. The intuitive user interface itself is fantastic, featuring a whole bunch of one-touch buttons and shortcuts that can be customized in just about any way you like. 

More or less every feature you’ll be using on a regular basis is right there in front of you, along with all the alerts and information you’ll need to keep tabs on your system’s safety in real-time.

Scheduling scans, customizing alerts, executing disc cleanups and file shredder – all as easy as it gets. Even with no prior experience with this kind of software, you’ll be working your way around Bitdefender like a pro in a matter of minutes.

Malwarebytes

In addition, there’s no option to pin the settings you use most often to the dashboard, which is a bit of a shame.

On the plus side, most users will be in their element with the Malwarebytes user interface, which provides you with an astonishing level of control over its operation. Most scans are super-fast (if a little resource hungry) and the overall flexibility of the Malwarebytes ecosystem is impressive to say the least.

Round Three Winner

The verdict in this instance would depend entirely on whether you are an experienced power user or something of a newcomer.

If you’ve plenty of experience with advanced antivirus software and know what you’re doing, you could be in your element with Malwarebytes. If you’re more about a streamlined and straightforward user experience with no unnecessary complications, Bitdefender is the way to go.

Bitdefender

Having consistently scored top-marks in most industry standard tests, Bitdefender has earned a reputation as one of the most robust and reliable antivirus suites money can buy. The only downside being that it does have a tendency to slow low-specs machines down when carrying out more intensive functions.

AV-Test put Bitdefender through its paces recently, during which it scored 100 percent protection against zero-day cyber attacks or cyber threats and was subsequently awarded an overall score of 6 out of 6. The industry average for zero-day malware attack and exploit protection being 99.3 percent, for reference. Bitdefender also successfully detected 100 percent of widespread and prevalent malware when tested by the same team.

In terms of system's performance (or computer speed), Bitdefender was found by AV-Test to slow website launch times by an average of 19 percent while in use. This was slightly above the industry average of 14 percent, though wasn’t considered a cause for concern.

Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes didn’t lag far behind when put through the same tests – AV-Test awarding the software an impressive overall score of 5.5 out of 6 for complete protection.  The same 100 percent detection of widespread and prevalent malware was also achieved by Malwarebytes.

Regarding system resources performance, Malwarebytes came out slightly ahead by slowing the launch of websites just 10 percent on average while in use. Though a 22 percent reduction in software launch speeds was also detected, falling well below the industry average.

Round Four Winner

It’s almost impossible to draw any real distinction between the two from a personal-use perspective. Hence, you have to go with the official verdict from those who carried out the comparison.

Given that AV-Test awarded Bitdefender a flawless score of 6 compared to the 5.5 score awarded to Malwarebytes, the former came out ahead by a microscopic margin.

Bitdefender

Over the years, Bitdefender has enhanced and improved its customer support beyond recognition. Today, getting in touch with the team is an absolute breeze on a 24/7 basis, with various channels to choose from including email, telephone / technical support and live chat. There’s also a whole bunch of articles, informational resources and how-to videos available as an added bonus.

Put to the test, the Bitdefender customer support team never disappoints. There are also 16 dedicated phone lines available for various countries in a wide variety of languages.

Malwarebytes

The biggest difference with Malwarebytes being that not only is there currently no telephone support available (at least I couldn’t find a telephone number), but the live chat facility is only available during limited hours - from 1 a.m.  to 5 p.m. PST. Email support is also available and there’s a useful forum, but response times in both instances aren’t as good as the live chat service.

Like its counterpart, Malwarebytes offers users a wide variety of helpful articles and tutorials to help get the most from the software. You’ll also rarely encounter a representative that isn’t knowledgeable, friendly and extremely keen to help you out.

Round Five Winner

While Malwarebytes offers nothing but excellent customer support, actually getting in touch with a member of the team isn’t always easy. For this reason alone, Bitdefender takes the lead by offering 24/7 support via a variety of channels and in multiple languages.

It would probably be a tie if Malwarebytes offered telephone support and switched to 24/7 operational hours, which is something I’d like to see in the future.

Bitdefender Pros and Cons

Bitdefender is a comprehensively impressive anti-virus suite, which delivers market-leading performance for a surprisingly low price. Here are the main pros and cons I came up with for anyone considering Bitdefender:

Bitdefender scores top marks in terms of value for the money and for having an impressive list of features and functionalities for such a low price. The primary pros and cons of this popular software suite being as follows:

Malwarebytes Pro and Cons

Over with Malwarebytes, it is a similar story of predominantly pros and just a couple of cons. The most important of which being as follows:

It’s hard not to be impressed with the way Malwarebytes gets the job. Nevertheless, there are pros and cons to the package that are important to take into consideration:

FAQs:

1. Is Bitdefender better than Malwarebytes?

Malware protection Bitdefender is the clear winner, as its security products include more online security-related features and additional utilities than Malwarebytes. Independent tests demonstrate that Bitdefender outperforms Malwarebytes in terms of malware protection and negative performance impact.

2. Can I use Malwarebytes with Bitdefender?

Yes, you can use both at the same time; Bit Defender is an excellent general-purpose antivirus, while other antivirus program, such as Malwarebytes, are more focused on specific types of malware.

3. Is Bitdefender good against malware?

Bitdefender is a good anti-malware. It has absolute strength in the most effective anti-malware solution currently available. Bitdefender protects users from all types of online threats, including viruses, worms, and Trojans, as well as ransomware attacks, zero-day attacks, rootkits, and spyware. Your sensitive information and online privacy are stay protected.

4. Is Malwarebytes dangerous?

Malwarebytes is considered to be a safe program to use and can be extremely beneficial in the event of malware detection. However, numerous counterfeit versions of the software are available on the Internet, which can easily compromise the user's computer.

5. Do I need another antivirus with Malwarebytes?

Malwarebytes is a great antivirus software, and it's likely that you don't need another one. However, if you're looking for extra protection, or if your computer isn't running Malwarebytes properly, then you may want to try another antivirus software.