Malwarebytes

A security suite with a VPN inside it

Malwarebytes sells antivirus software first, and its VPN, called Privacy VPN, is one part of a wider suite rather than a stand-alone product. The homepage presents "all-in-one cybersecurity" covering device security, online privacy and identity protection, and the VPN appears only in the Plus and Ultimate plans. For ad and tracker blocking, the suite carries two tools: an ad blocker inside the paid plans and Browser Guard, a browser extension listed among the free tools. On who can buy it: the homepage shows prices in US dollars per year, links to an app store download and offers a free download that starts a malware scan. The special offers page notes that "not all offers available in all countries", and its military and public sector discounts are marked "Available for United States, Canada and the United Kingdom." The site's footer links a Territory Notice and offers the site in English, Japanese, Brazilian and European Portuguese, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish and Russian. The site does not list accepted payment methods or say which countries the VPN itself is sold in.

What the provider says about logging, and who runs it

The site does not name an independent audit of its logging policy. What it offers is a short description: the special offers page calls the VPN "our no-log, ultra-fast VPN", and the homepage says Privacy VPN helps users "browse the web anonymously without leaving a trace." Those are the provider's claims, and the site does not spell them out. They do not say which data the VPN records or leaves out, such as connection times, originating IP addresses or bandwidth, and they do not link a VPN-specific privacy policy. The homepage's security figures are about the antivirus rather than the VPN: it says that in the past 30 days Malwarebytes protected people from 49 M+ pieces of malware and PUPs, 90 M+ malicious websites, 13,700 ransomware attacks and 2 M+ exploits. Those are the company's own counts.

On who runs it, the homepage says its founder and CEO, Marcin, "founded Malwarebytes in 2004 after accidentally downloading malware on his family computer." The footer gives two addresses under the heading "Address": Penrose One, Penrose Dock, Cork, Ireland, and Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, California, USA. The site does not say which of the two is the legal home, where the company is incorporated, or whether it has a parent company, and it names no sister brands.

The VPN, the ad blocker and Browser Guard

The site describes the VPN in general terms. The homepage says Privacy VPN "offers an extra layer of protection, helping you stay secure and private when using Wi-Fi or hotspots", and the small business plans list "Privacy from Wi-fi snoopers". The plan cards call it an "Ultra fast, ultra private VPN". The site does not name the protocols, the number of servers or countries, or features such as a kill switch or split tunneling, and it does not mention streaming services or torrenting. Readers who need those details will not find them on the site.

Ad and tracker blocking is covered in more detail. Every paid consumer plan lists "Safe web browsing with scam and ad blocker", the small business plans list a "Performance boost from adblocker", and the special offers page says the protection blocks "malicious threats, ads and 3rd party trackers on websites." Browser Guard is a separate free browser extension that, the homepage says, "blocks unwanted and unsafe content, providing a safer, cleaner, and faster browsing experience", and the site calls it "the world's first browser extension that can detect and stop tech support scams." That is the provider's own claim. Scam Guard, marked "Included in all plans", lets users submit suspicious links or screenshots for checking. The free tools list also includes AdwCleaner, a malware and virus remover, a scam number checker and a personal data scanner.

The rest of the suite is Premium Security antivirus, Identity Theft Protection (dark web scanning, credit monitoring and identity recovery, "backed by up to $2 million in identity theft insurance") and a Personal Data Remover. The small business plans say they protect PCs, Macs, Androids and iPhones.

Plans and prices

The homepage shows annual prices in three groups. For individuals:

• Standard: 59.99 dollars per year, 3 devices, antivirus plus the scam and ad blocker, no VPN.
• Plus: 79.99 dollars per year, 3 devices, adds the VPN.
• Ultimate: 139.99 dollars per year, shown against a list price of 279.99 dollars and marked 50% off, protecting 1 adult and 3 devices, with identity protection including 2M dollars of insurance and the personal data remover.

For families, Standard is 119.99 dollars per year and Plus 149.99 dollars per year, each for 10 devices, and Ultimate is 199.99 dollars per year against a list price of 399.99 dollars, covering 2 adults, 10 kids and 10 devices. The small business tier (Sole proprietor for 3 devices, Boutique business for 10, Small office for 20) shows no prices on the page. The site does not say what the discounted Ultimate plans renew at after the first year. The special offers page adds "up to 25% off the second year when you pay for 2 years", 50% off for education, and 40% off for military and public sector buyers, with those two limited to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom; its FAQ says those discounts carry over on future renewals.

Every annual plan comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and the free download includes a 14-day free trial of Malwarebytes Premium. The homepage says the company offers "24/7 human support", and it links a help center and community forums. The special offers page shows "22,822 reviews | 4.6 star avg rating" without naming where the reviews come from.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The VPN is the thinnest part of this listing. The site does not name its protocols, server network, country count or streaming and torrenting position, and the no-log claim comes without a published scope or a named audit. Renewal prices for the discounted Ultimate plans are not stated, the payment methods are not listed, and the site gives two addresses without saying which is the company's legal home.

What it does show clearly is annual dollar pricing by device count, a 60-day refund, a free Browser Guard extension for ad, tracker and scam blocking, and a founding date and founder. Malwarebytes suits someone who mainly wants antivirus and ad and scam blocking and would like a basic VPN for public Wi-Fi in the same bill. It suits less well a buyer choosing a VPN on its own merits, who will want the network, protocol and logging details this site does not give.