Both Avira and Malwarebytes are excellent antiviruses with really good malware detection rates. However, there are a few differences between them you should know about.
Firstly, Avira has one of the world’s best malware-scanning engines. It’s so good that other antiviruses like TotalAV pay for a license to use it in their products. Avira is also more feature-rich than Malwarebytes and includes neat extras like a password manager and VPN. However, Malwarebytes is great if you only want the essential protections. It’s quick, lightweight, and easy to use if you’re a beginner.
I’m going to take a close look at some other key differences between Avira and Malwarebytes so that you can choose the best antivirus for you in 2024.
Short on Time? Avira vs. Malwarebytes — Final Verdict:
- 1st place:
- 2nd place:
Avira has better malware protection, web protection, and customer support. Avira is a feature-rich antivirus that includes everything you need to stay protected from malware. If you want a comprehensive antivirus in 2024, go with Avira.
Malwarebytes is a lightweight antivirus containing good basic protections, and it’s easier to use. If you’re a beginner user or don’t need additional features, go with Malwarebytes.
Malware Protection
Avira
Avira’s malware scanner uses a massive malware database and heuristic analysis to protect you from all kinds of malware in 2024. The malware scanner offloads the resource-intensive scanning process to the cloud, which means you can still use your computer without any slowdown while you run the scan.
I was really impressed with the malware scanner. I downloaded 1,000s of malware samples onto both my Windows 11 PC and a removable storage device and hid them in various locations. The full system scan completed in about 40 minutes and found every single sample across both my system and my removable drive, which is very impressive.
The real-time protection is great, too. I switched it on and downloaded the same archive. Avira intercepted it before the download finished and immediately quarantined the file so it couldn’t damage my PC.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes uses a massive malware database and heuristic analysis to protect you from all kinds of malware. However, Malwarebytes doesn’t offload its scanning process to the cloud, so it uses more resources than Avira.
The malware scanner didn’t perform quite as well as Avira’s. I downloaded the same zipped archive containing 1,000s of malware samples that I used to test Avira. I once again hid the samples throughout my Windows 11 PC and a removable storage device before running Malwarebytes’s full system scan. The scan took 3 hours to complete — which is much slower than Avira — and it only found 95% of the malware samples.
Similarly, the real-time protection isn’t quite as good as Avira’s real-time protection. I switched it on and tried to download the same archive. Malwarebytes intercepted the download, but only detected 98% of the malware in the archive. Avira had a 100% detection rate.
Web Security
Avira
Avira includes a pretty decent web extension called Browser Safety. It protects you from dangerous websites that try to steal your data and from ads and trackers, so you can browse the internet privately. The extension is compatible with Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.
Avira blocked nearly every phishing website from the 100s I tried to access. This included websites that Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge let me access.
I then tested Avira’s ad blocker, and it performed well. With the ad blocker running, I couldn’t see any ads on test websites. Because the ads weren’t loading, I noticed certain websites loaded faster too.
However, Avira’s web protection isn’t the best at blocking exploit attacks. I ran several simulated exploit attacks against Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and many of them breached Avira’s defenses.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes’s web security extension protects you from dangerous websites. Like Avira, it also blocks ads and web trackers and is compatible with Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.
Unfortunately, Malwarebytes only blocked 90% of websites when I tried accessing the same ones I tested Avira with. While this is better than the default protections on Firefox, Edge, and Chrome, it’s not as good as Avira.
Malwarebytes’s ad blocker was also more disappointing than Avira’s. I visited the same ad-infested websites I used to test Avira, and Malwarebytes could only block 35% of the ads. As said, Avira blocked every ad.
Features
Avira
Avira Prime offers coverage for up to 25 devices and includes the following security features:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Device optimization tool.
- VPN (virtual private network).
- Browser security.
- Driver updater.
- Password manager.
- File shredder.
- And more…
I really like the majority of these features; however, Avira’s password manager really stands out. It uses 256-bit AES encryption to store and protect your logins, includes the standard password generator and auto-fill functionalities, and comes with some cool additional features that you usually only see in standalone password managers, including password vault auditing, data breach monitoring, and biometric login on mobile.
I also really like Avira’s device optimization tool. When I tested it, it only took a minute to scan my entire computer and found over 1 GB of junk.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes doesn’t offer as many features as Avira. Its top-tier package can cover 5 devices and includes:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Anti-phishing protection.
- VPN.
Honestly, I don’t have any complaints about these features, and I like how Malwarebytes only includes the essentials. It’s ideal for users who enjoy being minimalist.
The VPN stands out as my favorite feature, though. It disguises your IP address behind a virtual one so you can maintain privacy online. It uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is the same standard banks use, and comes with over 300 servers to choose from.
Malwarebytes focuses on essential antivirus features and does them well. However, it also offers impressive Identity Theft Protection, which comes as a separate service and at a higher cost. It’s worth considering if you’re after comprehensive identity security.
Ease of Use
Avira
Avira is one of the most intuitive antiviruses on the market in 2024. I installed Avira in under 10 minutes and loved how smoothly it ran. When I clicked on Avira’s icon in my taskbar, it would always open instantly. Also, because Avira’s scanner offloads to the cloud, I never had any slowdown when running it.
Avira has a clean, uncluttered design. Each feature is visible behind large, easy-to-see icons with short descriptions of the function underneath.
I also really like Avira’s mobile app. It’s only 34 MB in size and installed in under 5 minutes. Again, the UI is well laid out, and every feature is quick and easy to access. My only complaint is that you need to download several different Avira apps to access every feature. I’d like to see everything localized in one place.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes doesn’t include many features, and this makes it super easy to use. It even downloaded slightly quicker than Avira, only taking 5 minutes to install on my device.
Overall, Malwarebytes features a simple and clean interface that’s easy to navigate. Most features are accessible in just a few clicks, and I never found myself getting confused when looking for particular protections.
I also really like Malwarebytes’s mobile apps. Because they’re so minimalistic, they’re a lot smaller than Avira’s. For example, Malwarebytes on Android is only 28 MB and can be downloaded and installed in less time than it takes you to download and install Avira. I also found the mobile apps were well laid out and easy to navigate.
Customer Support
Avira
Avira offers good customer support options, which include an online knowledge base, phone support, and email support. There are a few unfortunate restrictions on the support options — for example, the phone support is only accessible to premium users — but overall, they’re pretty good.
I found it easy to connect with an agent at various times of the day. All agents I talked to were very friendly and helpful.
I also got on well with Avira’s email support team. However, they took 24 hours to respond to my email, which isn’t the fastest response time I’ve seen.
Finally, I was disappointed that Avira doesn’t have any form of live chat. Many competitors offer live chat, and I think this is one of the best ways to get customer support in 2024.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes doesn’t offer very good customer support options. There’s no phone support, the live chat agents weren’t very knowledgeable, and Malwarebytes’s email support team also took 24 hours to respond.
However, Malwarebytes does have an extensive knowledge base and includes a 24/7 chatbot that lets you search the knowledge base quickly. I loved this way of navigating and found the resources on the knowledge base were always detailed and helpful.
Also, when I did get a response from the Malwarebytes email support team, they were helpful and able to solve my problems quickly and efficiently.
