Did you ever encounter a virus attack on your computer system?
Do you know how to tackle computer threats other than a virus?
Unpopular opinion; there are worse things than a computer virus that can affect your device.
Yes, malware is the common term used for a variety of dangerous elements that can damage your data. It includes ransomware, worms, adware, spyware, trojan, to name a few. Antivirus can not protect you from all these threats.
Solution? A robust anti-malware program.
Malwarebytes is such an anti-malware application. It has shown considerable growth in the previous years. Moreover, its user base is increasing day by day. Still, people question their authority and effectiveness. Besides that, some major security solutions have been using shady tactics to boom their business. Thus, it becomes hard to trust a new product without proper research.
Therefore, we have explored the internet to find out what people have to say about Malwarebytes.
So, without much raving, let’s get started.
What is Malwarebytes?
Malwarebytes is an anti-malware software that detects and eliminates malicious programs from your computer. These programs can damage your data. Moreover, they can also use your system resources to generate revenue by various means.
Mainstream antivirus products can not eliminate every threat. The reason being, the malware uses complex codes that are rather new in the domain. Besides, they are capable of showing no suspicious behavior for a long time. A robust antivirus program can eliminate only widespread viruses. However, anti-malware applications like Malwarebytes can detect any notorious behavior and can remove the threat immediately.
It was launched in 2008. Initially, it was known as “Anti-malware” or “MBAM.” Later until 2014, it was distributed with a lifetime license. That means a user can buy the product once and use it as long as he desires. However, now you can get the Malwarebytes Premium in a yearly subscription model. Besides, it also serves a free version with limited options.
The free version of Malwarebytes allows you to perform manual scans only. Meaning, it won’t warn you about an infection in the system unless you decide to look for yourself. Besides, it can delete some common viruses but won’t protect you from more dangerous threats like phishing attacks or ransomware.
However, if you opt for the Malwarebytes Premium, then you get real-time protection. Additionally, it allows you to schedule scans, provide a deeper level of security, and save you from cyberattacks as well.
Moreover, developers have added multiple quirky features in the product in previous years. Meanwhile, it has also established support for various platforms like Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. However, it still doesn’t answer the question “is Malwarebytes safe and effective.” So, let’s see how does it perform in antivirus tests.
Performance on AV-Test.org
AV-Test.org is a popular antivirus testing program. It examines the product under three categories: Namely Protection, Performance, and Usability.
Protection: This is the measurement of the successful detection and elimination of malware samples used in the test.
Performance: It measures the impact of the security product on system performance. Lower scores mean the product decreases the system performance noticeably.
Usability: This score suggests the number of false alarms and unreliable warnings.
All the tests use a scale from 1 to 6 to rate the product in each category. Thus, a product can achieve a maximum of 18 points. A higher score suggests a better overall performance of the product.
Some top-class security products use custom programming to make their product look good in the test. Since the test can not simulate real-world attacks, it is easy to focus on the development in favor of passing the test. However, sources from Malwarebytes firmly decline any shady practice. Still, we can never know for sure.
AV-Test first includes Malwarebytes in their tests in October 2018. Further, a total of eight tests has been conducted for this product until February 2018. The performance is continually changing in all the inspections, and the latest one scores Malwarebytes on 14.5/18.
Some popular security products like Norton, Avast, Windows Defender, Kaspersky were all part of the inspection. Malwarebytes was the last in the test, which means it had the worst performance among all. You can see the results from all the tests on AV-Test.org.
In short, when compared to other programs, it falls short in many aspects. However, as we said earlier, a single test can’t tell enough about the product.
Malwarebytes User Reviews
Malwarebytes has a vast user base. Therefore, we can look for genuine reviews on every corner of the internet. We dug out some of these reviews from various forums. Given that many people use this program. It would be wise to look at what people have to say. Let’s see how well users like the product.
Reddit Reviews: Is Malwarebytes Safe to Use?
We found that Malwarebytes has mixed reviews on reddit.com. Some users are happy with the product, while others find it troubling to continue. Also, many users have suggested that Bitdefender is a better choice.
People like the product for its capability to remove threats in real-time. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about infection damaging your files. Besides, it does not use shady tactics showing false results to lean customers towards itself.
However, many users suggested that they found better products to use. One such anti-malware application is MalwareFox.
Quora Reviews: Is Malwarebytes Safe to Use?
Quora is one of the most popular platforms for solving your queries. When we looked for the question, “Is Malwarebytes safe to use?” We found that majority of users are satisfied with its performance.
As we can see in the Quora reviews, one user suggested that the program is efficient and reliable. On the other hand, another user proposed the indications of fake programs under the same name. Using a duplicate program can damage your system or function as malware.
Is Malwarebytes Safe and Effective?
We enquired about Malwarebytes to a few tech experts. The broader answer is yes.
Yes, it is entirely secure to use. Yet, many users have reported fake products under the name of Malwarebytes. Therefore, you should buy the product from its official site.
However, sometimes people see performance issue with the program. Some malware is capable of stopping the program from starting. In response, it shows you an alert that it won’t start. You can get rid of the problem quickly by reinstalling the program or opening Malwarebytes Chameleon.
Moreover, experts have also suggested that using this product alone is not sufficient. You should always use a robust antivirus as your primary line of defense. The reason being, many malware programs work slightly different from an antivirus. For instance, Malwarebytes look for suspicious behavior to trigger itself. That means it won’t trace the malware unless it starts its infecting process. Opposite to that, a robust antivirus reads and kills the file if it shows dangerous codes.
Using this product as a single line of defense can be disappointing. A sophisticated virus can crash your system from the core before it can detect the threat. Therefore always use double layered protection in your computer system.
Is Their a Better Solution?
We looked at some similar products and found that MalwareFox can be useful.
MalwareFox is an anti-malware application that uses a heuristic approach. Unlike Malwarebytes, it sends a suspicious file to the cloud and scans for the virus in real-time. This approach benefits the product because developers can store a large number of malware samples on the cloud. Therefore it doesn’t leave a chance for viruses to stick in the computer. However, if a new malware enters the system, then it can trace the behavior in real-time and eliminate the threat.
Besides, you get a 14-day free trial of the product so that you can check it before buying it. Also, the premium version costs half the price of Malwarebytes. It supports Windows PC and Android devices. Follow the link to understand Why to choose MalwareFox.
Final Verdict
No doubt, Malwarebytes is a competent product to protect your computer against various threats. It is dependable to use and shows a compelling performance. However, you should beware of fake products under the same name. Try to buy the product always from its official site.
However, a better alternative is MalwareFox. It provides better protection at less price. Besides, you can protect three devices at the same cost for one Malwarebytes license.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use the Free version of this product for manually scanning for malware. It can detect and eliminate widespread viruses. However, it won’t provide you real-time protection, and that can be dangerous to your system. If you want total security, then it is better the get Malwarebytes Premium.
Yes, it is safe to use on a Mac. However, the malware attack probability on a Mac is only 0.00001%. Therefore it is better to invest in a secure antivirus program instead of spending money in Malwarebytes. Besides, Mac doesn’t need malware protection. Still, if you are concerned about losing your data, then you should use it on your Mac.
Yes, you wouldn’t be disappointed after buying Malwarebytes. It actively protects your system from a variety of malware. Moreover, many users are happy with the product and suggest others to use it as well. However, some users might expect fewer performance issues at the cost.
MalwareFox is one of the best anti-malware programs out there. It uses the heuristic approach to detect and eliminate malicious programs. Moreover, it performs exceptionally well, considering the price range. Besides, you get some elite protection layers like rootkits removal, damage repair, protection from browser hijackers, ransomware protection, and many more.