Cyber attacks are not new. The world has witnessed some of the horrifying cyber attacks over the years, such as the Robert Morris Internet Worm, the Melissa Virus, the Code Red, Sasser, and much more. Although, these cyber attacks happened some time ago, there’s still a lot to be learned from them. Now, we have data networks in place that would allow us to transmit information from virtually any location on earth in a timely manner. But what did this advancement in technology bring us? People’s basic needs have changed now. In fact, our very own society’s infrastructure relies heavily on computers now. Unfortunately, this means that a threat to our personal computers and our networks is a threat to our society.

So what can we do to make our computers and networks secure? This brings us to the fact that we need to keep doing the same thing organizations and businesses have been doing for many years in the realm on internet security. There’s an entire industry dedicated to protecting computers and their users from virus infection. Yes, we are talking about the antivirus industry. However, antivirus software today is also a consumer product bought and sold in the global marketplace. McAfee and Malwarebytes are the two well-known internet security companies you can trust. We put together a head-to-head comparison between the two across pricing, system impact, and features.

What is McAfee?

McAfee is one of the well-recognized internet security companies in the cyber security realm. McAfee was founded by John McAfee in the mid-1980s when computer viruses started to become an ever-present threat to most users. McAfee, while working for the giant Lockheed Corporation, suddenly stumbled upon a virus of different kind which infected his computer. The virus was named the Brain virus which was capable enough to erase files from hard drive. This inspired McAfee to pursue his idea; he left Lockheed in 1987 and set up his own business, assisting individuals and businesses address their computer security problems. McAfee wrote the world’s first antivirus computer software named VirusScan which when loaded into a computer could identify and eliminate known viruses. He is credited with creating not just the world’s first antivirus program, but the company itself, which now stands as a dominant provider of antivirus software and security applications.

What is Malwarebytes?

Malwarebytes is one of the dominant providers of antivirus software that develops antimalware software for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS. ‎Marcin Kleczynski was one of the youngest Silicon Valley entrepreneurs when he founded ‎ Malwarebytes in 2008. Marcin, out of curiosity, when he accidentally infected his personal computer at the age of 14, started looking for solutions to the common malware problems. He began collaborating with other curious minds online and continued its research and his urge grew over time as he finally started coding. What began as a hobby snowballed over time to be a full-fledge product and company. Malwarebytes is now one of the world’s prominent anti-malware software that identifies and combats both existing and emerging malware.

Difference between McAfee and Malwarebytes

1. General 

– McAfee is one of the well-recognized internet security companies in the cyber security industry with headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Malwarebytes is one of the dominant providers of antivirus software based out of Santa Clara, California that develops antimalware software for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS. McAfee’s popular antivirus products include McAfee LiveSafe, McAfee Total Protection, McAfee Mobile Security, etc. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Malwarebytes Endpoint Security, Malwarebytes Incident Response are some of the popular security solutions provided by Malwarebytes.

2. Pricing of McAfee and Malwarebytes

 – While both Malwarebytes and McAfee offer freemium model to start with before you commit to any subscription plan, Malwarebytes only offers a 14-day trial period for free against McAfee which offers a full-month free trial period. McAfee Total Protection costs $54.99 for the first year for one device, $84.99 for 5 devices, and $44.99 for 10 devices. Malwarebytes offers four enterprise and SMB plans on a subscription basis, starting from $57.99 with a license purchase limit up to a maximum of 99. Malwarebytes Personal is catered towards personal users and costs $39.99 with a maximum license purchase limit of 10. Malwarebytes scores better in terms of flexibility of plans.

3. System Impact 

– Since Malwarebytes is specifically targeted towards malware protection, while combating heavier threats, the antivirus program extracts a heavy toll from the system by affecting system’s functionality as a whole. This level of performance requires an acceptable impact on the system. McAfee’s antivirus products and utilities are lightweight and optimized for increased performance and reduced system impact. McAfee VirusScan Enterprise is specially designed to identify and block threats with little or no effect on system’s performance. McAfee is the clear winner in terms of system impact and effective memory management.

McAfee vs. Malwarebytes: Comparison Chart

Summary of McAfee vs. Malwarebytes

Both McAfee and Malwarebytes are the two well-known internet security companies you can trust. While both provide comprehensive security solutions and software utilities for personal users and businesses alike, McAfee’s antivirus products are optimized for increased performance and reduced system impact. Malwarebytes security products, on the other hand, are a little heavy on the system affecting system’s functionality as a whole. The firewall module of McAfee Total Protection provides complete protection when you connect to public networks. Malwarebytes offers top-notch malware and spyware removal tools to combat malware, even if you’re using the free version.

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