Malwarebytes vs Webroot: AI-driven vs legacy
The short answer
Malwarebytes vs Webroot: Malwarebytes is advancing an AI-driven security narrative with research on AI scams and an AI worm, while expanding distribution via the Microsoft Store and MSP partnerships. Webroot, under OpenText, emphasizes cost savings and lightweight protection but faces criticism over legacy technology and false positives. This comparison evaluates their positioning, pricing, and customer sentiment.
Malwarebytes achieved a perfect 100% phishing detection score, while Webroot claims an 89% reduction in phishing attacks.
At a glance
| Malwarebytes | Webroot | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary value | Advanced endpoint security and managed services to eliminate complexity and alert fatigue | Fast, automated, cloud-native security with minimal performance impact |
| Target market | Small-to-midmarket organizations and MSPs | MSPs and SMBs, plus consumer |
| Pricing model | Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer | Not public; current promo offers 62% discount |
| Key differentiator | Proprietary Remediation Linking Engine and deployment speed | Ultralight agent (<15MB) and BrightCloud Threat Intelligence |
| Best for | Organizations seeking AI-driven protection and managed services | MSPs prioritizing cost savings and lightweight footprint |
| Customer sentiment | 69% positive mentions | 73% positive mentions |
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Prices as published by each vendor, checked 7 October 2026; estimates are marked est.
Pricing breakdown
Malwarebytes
- ThreatDown Core$345/year per endpoint · Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer
- Next-gen AV
- Incident Response
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Ransomware Rollback (7 days)
- ThreatDown Advanced$395/year per endpoint · Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer
- All Core features
- Endpoint Detection & Response
- Patch Management
- ThreatDown Elite$495/year per endpoint · Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer
- All Advanced features
- 24/7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
- Managed Threat Hunting
- Standard Individual$59.99/year · Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer
- Premium Security
- Browser Guard
- Scam protection
- Plus Individual$79.99/year · Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer
- All Standard features
- Privacy VPN
Webroot
Webroot is sales-led — we only show pricing where the vendor publishes it publicly.
Webroot's direct B2B pricing tiers are not public; current promo offers 62% discount on cloud-based antivirus suite. Malwarebytes business bundles are annual per-endpoint; consumer plans have annual billing and 3-year options. Larger/Ultimate deployments require custom quotes. Free tier available.
Recent moves
Malwarebytes
- Malwarebytes Releases Premium Security for Windows on the Microsoft Store
- Malwarebytes ThreatDown integrates with Octoja RMM for endpoint management
- Malwarebytes ThreatDown Platform Maintains 100% Phishing Detection Rate in Real-World Testing
Webroot
- OpenText Cybersecurity Reports £10,000 Cloud Cost Recovery for Managed Service Provider Seriun
- Webroot Promotes Webroot Essentials in Student Safety Campaign
What reviewers say
Malwarebytes
What users love
- The threat detection engine is exceptional at catching malicious software that standard antivirus tools often miss. The user interface in the cloud management console is clean…
- easy to manage interface that highlights issues and links to resolve them
- Malwarebytes / Threadown has only gotten better over time.
Common gripes
- The initial web protection settings can be slightly overzealous, occasionally flagging safe internal sites or harmless downloads until you build out proper exclusions.
- web interface can seem a bit overwhelming but there is a lot to pack in
- Nothing, they are the best!
Webroot
What users love
- Super Simple Deployment with the Agent having a very Light footprint on Workstations. It's very easy to manage from the OpenText Console.
- The User Interface of the console is nice
- It worked well up to a point, but the other platform simply offered more features.
Common gripes
- You do get the Occasional False Positive, but they're easily rectified by creating an exception.. No Product is Perfect!
- The Webroot SecureAnywhere agent is outdated and not able to keep up with modern threats
- It just doesn’t offer as many features as other tools that provide MDM functionality.
Positioning
Malwarebytes
How they describe themselves
“Malwarebytes positions as an AI-native security expert, leveraging research on AI scams and AI worms to differentiate, while emphasizing its remediation engine and deployment speed.”
What we see them doing
Research-led content strategy, Black Hat presence, and Microsoft Store distribution to expand reach and reinforce AI-driven positioning.
Webroot
How they describe themselves
“Webroot positions as a fast, automated, cloud-native security solution with minimal performance impact, emphasizing cost savings and lightweight footprint.”
What we see them doing
MSP case studies and discount promotions to reinforce resilience and cost-saving narrative, targeting MSPs and SMBs.
Sources: Malwarebytes Launches 50% Discount Across Tiers · The Shift from Descriptive to Prescriptive — August 2026
What our monitoring sees
MSP Practitioners Cite Performance Drag and Product Quality as Barriers to Webroot Adoption
IndustryLens analysis, based on The Shift from Descriptive to Prescriptive — August 2026When to choose which
When to choose Malwarebytes
Choose Malwarebytes when you need AI-driven threat protection, advanced managed services, and a proven remediation engine, especially for small-to-midmarket organizations seeking to reduce alert fatigue and re-infection rates.
When to choose Webroot
Choose Webroot when you prioritize a lightweight, cloud-native agent with minimal performance impact and cost savings, particularly for MSPs looking to reduce help desk calls and cloud spend.
Our take
Malwarebytes is aggressively positioning as an AI-driven security leader, leveraging research and product launches to differentiate, while Webroot relies on cost-saving narratives and lightweight design but faces perception of legacy technology. Independent validation and customer feedback suggest Malwarebytes may have an edge in innovation, but Webroot's cost efficiency remains compelling for price-sensitive buyers.
Sources: Malwarebytes Launches 50% Discount Across Tiers · The Shift from Descriptive to Prescriptive — August 2026
Sources
The facts on this page come from these sources: vendor pricing and product pages, review sites, press and public posts, each checked on the date shown.
- Malwarebytes pricing pageSupports: Pricing: ThreatDown Core $345/year per endpoint Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer Next-gen AV Incident Response Vulnerability Assessment Ransomware Ro
- Instagram pricing pageSupports: Pricing: ThreatDown Core $345/year per endpoint Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer Next-gen AV Incident Response Vulnerability Assessment Ransomware Ro
- Komando pricing pageSupports: Pricing model: Not public; current promo offers 62% discount
- Threatdown pricing pageSupports: Pricing: ThreatDown Core $345/year per endpoint Subscription; annual per-endpoint for business, flat annual per-device for consumer Next-gen AV Incident Response Vulnerability Assessment Ransomware Ro
- G2 reviewsSupports: Webroot Users Identify Product Tech and Reporting Gaps
- G2 reviewsSupports: ThreatDown users report recurring false positive detections affecting business continuity
- G2 reviewsSupports: Webroot macOS Users Report Pattern of High CPU Usage and Native Security Conflicts
- G2 reviewsSupports: Webroot Feedback Highlights Performance Efficiency Amid Legacy Technology Concerns
- Trustpilot reviewsSupports: Webroot Feedback Highlights Performance Efficiency Amid Legacy Technology Concerns
- G2 reviewsSupports: Malwarebytes ThreatDown Platform Current Displacement Patterns of Legacy Antivirus Vendors
- Wfla pageSupports: Webroot Promotes Webroot Essentials in Student Safety Campaign
- Malwarebytes pageSupports: Malwarebytes Releases Premium Security for Windows on the Microsoft Store
- Threatdown pageSupports: Malwarebytes ThreatDown integrates with Octoja RMM for endpoint management
- Cybersecurity.opentext pageSupports: OpenText Cybersecurity Reports £10,000 Cloud Cost Recovery for Managed Service Provider Seriun
- LinkedIn postSupports: Malwarebytes Releases Premium Security for Windows on the Microsoft Store
Why a vendor comparison goes stale — and how fast
A like-for-like snapshot is true the week it’s written. It dates because the competitors themselves keep moving. Across the B2B SaaS competitors we monitor: we re-diff their public footprint every week, and across 2,942 weekly comparisons (December 2025 – October 2026):
- 69% changed their pricing page at least once.
- In a typical week, about 4 in 10 had a pricing change and 50.6% changed their messaging.
Method: a “change” is a detected week-over-week diff on the monitored public page, excluding first-baseline records. Pooled across 197 competitors; computed live from IndustryLens monitoring and refreshed daily.
Malwarebytes vs Webroot: common questions
When should you choose Malwarebytes?
Choose Malwarebytes when you need AI-driven threat protection, advanced managed services, and a proven remediation engine, especially for small-to-midmarket organizations seeking to reduce alert fatigue and re-infection rates.
When should you choose Webroot?
Choose Webroot when you prioritize a lightweight, cloud-native agent with minimal performance impact and cost savings, particularly for MSPs looking to reduce help desk calls and cloud spend.
Malwarebytes vs Webroot: what's the verdict?
Malwarebytes is aggressively positioning as an AI-driven security leader, leveraging research and product launches to differentiate, while Webroot relies on cost-saving narratives and lightweight design but faces perception of legacy technology. Independent validation and customer feedback suggest Malwarebytes may have an edge in innovation, but Webroot's cost efficiency remains compelling for price-sensitive buyers.
Malwarebytes vs Webroot — the short version?
Malwarebytes leads with AI-driven innovation; Webroot counters with cost savings and lightweight design.
Which is better, Malwarebytes or Webroot?
Malwarebytes vs Webroot: Malwarebytes is advancing an AI-driven security narrative with research on AI scams and an AI worm, while expanding distribution via the Microsoft Store and MSP partnerships. Webroot, under OpenText, emphasizes cost savings and lightweight protection but faces criticism over legacy technology and false positives. This comparison evaluates their positioning, pricing, and customer sentiment.
Do Malwarebytes and Webroot publish pricing?
Malwarebytes publishes its pricing; Webroot runs a sales-led, demo-only motion — quotes vary by seat count and intel volume. Use IndustryLens or Vendr to triangulate before negotiating with Webroot.
What's the headline difference between Malwarebytes and Webroot?
Malwarebytes achieved a perfect 100% phishing detection score, while Webroot claims an 89% reduction in phishing attacks.
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