Hey Wiz... Malwarebytes Questions

[Richard Sinkler]

What is the difference in the free and paid versions of Malwarebytes?

I have been using the free version for a while now. Does the paid version work better?

[Pete Nicholls]

The paid version monitors in real time and checks all web addresses against a database of known malicious sites. The free version is only a scanner to detect/clean something already on your system. As the paid version is a lifetime license, I believe it is well worth it.

[Richard Sinkler]

Thanks Pete. I will consider it.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I both use and promote Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. I consider it to be a perfect companion to whatever anti-virus program I have on my various PCs.

From time to time I experiment, or companies toss me a free license to test their program. I always come back to my main two preferred programs, from Malwarebytes and Trend Micro.

FYI: My first anti-virus was Thunderbyte, then Norman (which bought out Thunderbyte), then McAfee, then Norton AntiVirus, then AVG, Avira, Spybot Search and Destroy, Spywareblaster, ZoneAlarm Internet Security, Super AntiSpyware, Microsoft Anti-Spyware (aka: Giant Anti-Spyware), Microsoft Security Essentials, GFI Viper, Bit Defender, Kaspersky, et al.

When a subscription ends and I am deciding what to put on the computer, I'll use MSE as a stop-gap measure. But, I always keep MBAM (licensed versions) on every computer, in realtime mode. It usually catches or blocks dangerous items before anything else, if they are browser based. The Trend Smart Protection Network uses the cloud to host definitions for fresh meat malware. It blocks all other dangerous content, including downloads and install files. It also defends against USB threats.

I have links in my signature to the info pages for these two programs, which I believe in and use.

As for the free vs paid version of MBAM, it is the same program, but unlocked when registered. If you don't mind manually checking for updates, then scanning every day, you're good to go. I personally no longer have time to remember that. The registered version allows me to set schedules to check for updates every hour and run scans as often and quickly as I wish. When a scheduled scan begins, the program GUI appears. If nothing is wrong, it disappears after a "Flash" scan, which takes under one minute on my Windows 7 PC.

If anyone here is contemplating purchasing a license for MBAM or Trend, I would be grateful if you do so through my affiliate page links.