Malwarebytes
Free (on-demand) / Premium from ~$3.75 per mo
Norton 360
From ~$29.99 first year (then renews higher)
Malwarebytes is a lightweight tool focused on malware detection and removal, great as a fast cleanup and second layer. Norton 360 is a comprehensive suite bundling antivirus, VPN, backup, and identity tools. Malwarebytes wins on focused, lightweight malware removal; Norton wins on all-in-one features.
Pick Malwarebytes if you want focused, lightweight malware detection and removal, or a strong second layer.
Pick Norton 360 if you want an all-in-one suite with VPN, cloud backup, and identity protection.
Malwarebytes and Norton take different approaches to security. Malwarebytes is focused and lightweight, excelling at detecting and removing malware and unwanted programs, with a free on-demand scanner and an affordable real-time Premium tier — often used alongside another antivirus as a strong second layer. Norton 360 is a full security suite that bundles antivirus with a VPN, cloud backup, a password manager, and identity-theft protection (via LifeLock in the US).
On price, Malwarebytes is free for on-demand scanning with Premium from around $3.75 a month, while Norton 360 uses first-year intro pricing from around $29.99 that renews higher. The choice is mostly focused, lightweight malware removal (Malwarebytes) versus a comprehensive all-in-one suite (Norton).
We compare malware detection, suite features, performance, identity tools, and price.
| Quick facts | Malwarebytes | Norton 360 |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Yes (on-demand) | No (trial) |
| Price | Premium from ~$3.75/mo | From ~$29.99 first year |
| Malware removal focus | Best-in-class | Strong |
| All-in-one suite | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Best for | Lightweight removal | All-in-one protection |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | M Malwarebytes | N Norton 360 |
|---|---|---|
| Malware detection & removal | Best-in-class | Strong |
| Lightweight footprint | Best-in-class | Good |
| Free on-demand scanner | Yes | No |
| Built-in VPN | Add-on | Included |
| Cloud backup | No | Best-in-class |
| Identity protection | Limited | Best-in-class (LifeLock) |
| Works as a second layer | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Lower price | Yes | No |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-26.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Malwarebytes is excellent and lightweight for malware removal, but it lacks the full suite features (VPN, backup, identity) Norton bundles.
Norton 360 is comprehensive, but it is heavier and renews at higher prices after the first year.
For focused removal Malwarebytes wins; for an all-in-one suite Norton wins.
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