Norton 360 vs Malwarebytes: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Norton 360
Consumer and small business cybersecurity suite with antivirus, VPN, dark web monitoring, and identity theft protection bundled together.
Malwarebytes
Lightweight malware remediation and endpoint protection that excels at cleaning infected systems and blocking threats with minimal configuration.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Norton 360 | Malwarebytes |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Non-technical users wanting all-in-one security and privacy | IT teams needing a reliable second-opinion malware scanner |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $3.33/mo | Free |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud, on premise |
| Platforms | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC, IOS, ANDROID | WEB, WINDOWS, MAC, LINUX, IOS, ANDROID |
| Rating | 7.6/10 | 7.9/10 |
Pros & Cons
Norton 360
Pros
- 99.7% malware detection rate in independent AV-TEST evaluations
- Bundles VPN, password manager, dark web monitoring, and cloud backup
- First-year pricing is genuinely affordable at $40-$55/year
- Simple interface that non-technical users can navigate easily
- Dark web monitoring alerts you when credentials appear in breaches
Cons
- Auto-renewal pricing nearly doubles to $90-$110/year after first year
- Heavier on system resources than Bitdefender or cloud-native alternatives
- Full system scans spike CPU usage to 40-60% on most machines
- VPN speeds drop noticeably when connecting to distant servers
- Upsells and pop-up notifications can feel aggressive
Malwarebytes
Pros
- Best-in-class malware remediation catches what other scanners miss
- Free version is genuinely useful for on-demand scanning and cleanup
- Lightweight agent at ~100MB RAM rarely conflicts with other security tools
- Simple deployment and management through Nebula cloud console
- Supports Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS
Cons
- EDR capabilities are basic compared to CrowdStrike, Sophos, or SentinelOne
- Threat hunting features are limited on all tiers
- Management console struggles at enterprise scale (5,000+ endpoints)
- No VPN, password manager, or identity protection bundled in
- Brand perception as a "free tool" can be a barrier in enterprise procurement
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Norton 360 | subscription | $3.33/mo |
| Malwarebytes | freemium | Free0 |
Our Verdict
Choose Norton 360 if...
Non-technical users wanting all-in-one security and privacy
Choose Malwarebytes if...
IT teams needing a reliable second-opinion malware scanner
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.