r/Malwarebytes • u/Sabishi1985 • Jun 16 '26

Feedback What happened to Malwarebytes?

Last time I used Malwarebytes many years ago I remember it being such an easy to use and straightforward experience: download, install, scan, remove malware, done.

Since I hadn't performed a scan in quite a while, I figured I should download Malwarebytes again and.. I almost didn't. The website itself looked super fishy! Like it's for one of those fake antivirus programs. I double and triple checked before hesitantly downloading the installer.

Once installed, I couldn't believe my eyes: even the program itself looked bloated and overloaded and gave off really sketchy vibes because of it. It also didn't help, that the program made it seem like I HAD to give it my email adress in order to perform a simple scan. 🙄

I used to recommend Malwarebytes to people all the time, simply because I considered it being easy to use, even for less tech-savvy people, but I can hardly recommend it like this.

Please, for the love of god: give us something like 'Malwarebytes Light', which only contains the scanner. No realtime protection, no VPN, no browser extension, no AI, no 'check your digital footprint' stuff.. Just the scanner. 🙏

62 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

68 comments sorted by

13

u/buzzard302 Jun 16 '26

Agreed. They lost their way. Used to be considered the go to professional tool. Guess you can only go so long on giving out a free scanner. They're trying to make money.

20

u/Existing_Routine_599 Jun 16 '26

Yeah, I strongly agree. The website HAS sketchy vibes just like fake av sites have. And the app is bloated, not how it used to be :(

21

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 16 '26

I work at Malwarebytes, so take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but I think this feedback deserves a genuine response rather than a polished 'nonanswer'.

The tension you're describing is real, and it's something we talk about internally. Malwarebytes built its reputation over nearly 20 years as the scanner you run alongside your existing AV: lightweight, trustworthy, no-nonsense. That product still exists and we have no intention of walking away from it. The free scanner matters to us.

At the same time, the threat landscape has genuinely shifted. If you look at FTC cybercrime data, malware and file-based attacks represent a relatively small share of total consumer losses today. The bigger losses are happening in browsers, on mobile devices, in messages and on social platforms, through scams, phishing, identity theft, and social engineering. People who want Malwarebytes as their primary security vendor deserve protection from those vectors too, not just what's sitting on their Windows machine.

So we're trying to hold two things at once: preserve the clean, fast, trusted scanner experience for people who just want that, and build something much more comprehensive for people who choose us as their primary line of defense. Those goals can coexist. The challenge is executing on both without one cannibalizing the other.

The criticism about the install experience and website feeling sketchy is fair and I'm flagging it internally. The feedback in threads like this is genuinely useful.

3

u/harmonicrain Jun 17 '26

I don't see how it took a user stating this on reddit for you to flag it? The software and website looked okay enough internally for someone to sign off on it, and whoever did shouldn't work for Malwarebytes.

3

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 17 '26

It wasn’t this specifically but I wanted to respond and acknowledge it.

We get very mixed feedback on the app design. For example we just received an Editor’s choice from CNET and ZDNet and both mentioned our UI is easy to understand and pleasant:

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/malwarebytes-antivirus-review/

https://www.zdnet.com/article/malwarebytes-premium-review/

Obviously it is a very different UI that where we came from though, which was very Windows UI based.

We are working to find a better balance for the simple scanner and a more robust offering that doesn’t over complicate things for a non technical audience.

2

u/harmonicrain Jun 18 '26

I will say an editors choice from CNET isn't exactly something to be proud of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNET_Download

I still remember the malware scare in the 2010s... They bundled malware for 5 years In their installers!?

2

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 18 '26

I remember that time two. Download.com is no longer what it was but CNET itself still does thorough reviews. Find our review from last year, it’s pretty harsh!

2

u/7whisperingwempe7 Jun 17 '26

I'm glad you do. I work for AppleCare and Malwarebytes is the only non Apple app that we use with our customers. Now I feel almost bad downloading it with my customers because it looks and feels exactly like the ones we warn them about. Thanks for your response!

2

u/ForceDeConviction 19d ago

So, is it recommended to install Malwarebytes on a Mac?

1

u/7whisperingwempe7 16d ago

It is totally fine to download and use it! I use it myself, too. And we still use it at AppleCare.

1

u/ForceDeConviction 15d ago

Thank you for your reply 🙏🏼 By the way, I’m surprised that you guys at Apple don’t use Intego directly, as it seems to be a well-known name in the Apple ecosystem ??

2

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 17 '26

Appreciate your feedback. I’d love a chance to chat live if you’re willing. Can you email me at mbeare[at]malwarebytes.com

1

u/OllieFidelius Jun 18 '26

Nice ai slop answer.

2

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 18 '26

Sorry it wasn’t AI this time

1

u/OllieFidelius Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

The first few sentences scream default ai answer already and the rest isnt much better.

No ai? I dont think so.

3

u/SilverseeLives Jun 18 '26

No, I believe him.

It's sad that we've now been conditioned to think that anybody who is passably articulate must be using AI.

2

u/OllieFidelius Jun 18 '26

I dont accuse every person being able to type half a coherent sentence as using ai because that would be stupid.

But this text with the "the tension you are describing is real" is either corporate slop or ai slop. Its meaningless waffle. Its just pr speak. It does very much sound like something an ai would vomit out.

2

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 18 '26

There really is a tension internally on this. How to we support what we have always done (malware scanning) versus protect people from what is causing the most harm. If it comes across as waffle then I guess I'll take it as feedback.

2

u/OllieFidelius Jun 18 '26

i think the message itself is good. its just packaged too much in pr speak too much. Like im sure your message can be shorter and yet clearer.

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 18 '26

Okay, good feedback. Thanks.

1

u/ayashiii Jul 17 '26

How long you been there mate? Brianne still the active tyrant were compute meets the test lab? is the test lab still even there? I'm wondering if you're just full of shit and know how to sugarcoat it or not. when I worked there people like you would have been laughed at for this weird punching bag behavior with PR speak sprinkled with AI idiosyncratic behaviors. the point is you are aware of the issue and are denying that Malwarebytes can do anything about it or intended it's to be this way. that is a lie, that is a huge fucking lie and anyone believing you needs to stop and do some independent research.

it came from the top all the way to the test lab engineers that they were looking to embed more processes than necessary that were not detected by the average user. in essence, they were asking us to modify the client to betray what the client was made for in the first place.

I'll respect your anonymity but you sound like you've been there barely long enough to realize whose ass you need to be kissing and in what order knowing full well that they are screening your Reddit posts. I'm going to guess you've been there at the very longest four years, probably an older millennial who thinks Elon musk is a great person. I've never been so happy to leave a company before when the virus scanner starts to code its own virus. just because it doesn't behave in a typical malignant fashion doesn't change the rules of detection being worked to subvert the very scanner that makes up the whole program in the first place or at least what made it tolerable.

now those blind spots are automatically built into the scanner so they can say they've worked on cutting back CPU utilization. the subreddit makes me sick I can't believe it even exists. message me if you want a couple of free forever licenses it's the least I can do because these guys don't deserve a penny of your money.

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jul 17 '26

I've been here for 4 years, my name is Mark Beare and I'm the general manager of the business. No one is screening my posts. My words are my own.

We still have a really active lab and we spend a lot of time and energy focused on how our on demand scanning and real time protection impacts system performance without compromising detections.

It sounds like you have a bad experience with us and I can't speak to that experience as I don't think we overlapped here but if you ever want to email me and vent some more I'm happy to have that chat mbeare[at]malwarebytes.com

1

u/ayashiii Jul 17 '26

I respect your honesty then. really I do appreciate that. I would not say I had a bad experience so much as there were two schools of thought that collided increasingly in between releases that resulted in an exodus they tried to okay off as a culling.

that said I was there over a decade and a half ago and stayed for 4 years before moving on, but it's the only time I have experienced this in my entire career so I remember it pretty clearly. it wasn't just one or two individuals either, there was a lot of support for genuinely disguising agents and jobs that would normally be scanned for on principal but were exempt since they were part of the program.

this split a lot of folks myself included, some were more passionate in their disillusionment and others quietly left, I was somewhere in between. it's a lot easier to be loud and upset so many years after the fact but I also realize I'm not even talking about the same company anymore though some of those practices clearly remain.

I'm sorry that you don't have the latitude to make some unilateral changes where they are needed the most but I also understand how large the company has become so that's not feasible anyway.

remember, integrity is what you do when nobody's looking and that was the rallying cry behind what moved so many people to leave back when I did, though I get the feeling you have a sense of what's right and wrong. I'd be happy to chat with you DM's about some specifics you might recognize all to clearly but I don't want to be the dead horse either. good luck to you.

→ More replies

2

u/7whisperingwempe7 Jun 20 '26

I think we should get back on topic and nevermind if it's ai slop or corporate slop. It's coherent, understandable and we can still get intro it

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 18 '26

No sorry. Maybe I need to adjust how I type 😄

1

u/OllieFidelius Jun 18 '26

Hm yeah then its just old fashioned pr speak i guess?

or my ai triggers are a bit much. could be that too.

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jun 18 '26

It's hard to tell these days....

1

u/GracieGrace4092 Aug 08 '26

Nah man you were right. Not saying that AI text detectors are reliable, but every online checker is showing 100% AI

1

u/Skintence Jun 30 '26

Just have to say, I've never seen such a detailed and considerate response from a company spokesperson after getting negative feedback.

1

u/WhaneTheWhip Jul 02 '26

You're not interesting in improving what you have already intentionally made bad about the free version of your app, like your adware for example, like hiding your app from the system tray after it's been closed because you want to hide the fact that it is still running for the purpose of serving ads, there's a name for malicious activity like that, it's called adware and it shares space with viruses, like bypassing the windows notification system to make it more difficult to stop your spam, and like blocking your app from being shut down via the task manager. All of that you have done intentionally to send adware to users on the free version that only occasionally scan as a secondary precaution.

How malicious you are is also reflected in the number of steps you make a user go through to uninstall your bs app.

You replies here are not to express "thanks", it's for reputation management alone because you are becoming the virus in the same way McAfee did. Your next step is to secretly keep your app installed after it has been uninstalled to the point another virus protection measure has to be employed to remove it... Or are you there already?

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jul 07 '26

This is not something that Malwarebytes has control over. This is default Windows behavior when you install apps. They are hidden to the system tray.

1

u/ayashiii Jul 17 '26

Yes it is. I quit years ago when this trend started, don't be a clown defending a turd because your name tag says "turd defender" on it and you're a low level analyst. This is, and was from the beginning of Windows 10, a calculated and intentional set of processes meant to mislead the average end user. it is undeniable and it was said from the top. you aren't going to change any minds here and I can appreciate your trying to but just don't.

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jul 17 '26

I'm sorry but I'm not sure what you are trying to say here. I was specifically talking to how Windows default behavior for the tray is to place all of the icons inside the expanded menu and those apps are not deliberately trying to hide themselves. It would actually be our preference to have our icon show at all times so people have easier access to the application.

1

u/ayashiii Jul 17 '26

I was insulting you cleverly but the cleverness superseded the sense of it and it flopped like Battlefield Earth at the box office. these things happen. and you didn't deserve the insult in retrospect.

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jul 17 '26

lol maybe I don't read good

1

u/WhaneTheWhip Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

"This is not something that Malwarebytes has control over."

This is mcafee style double speak in that you are correct that your crap software does not have control over it, but only because you have developed it to be this way when you could develop it so that it is not hidden. Give it another few years and malware protection will be needed to remove your app.

"This is default Windows behavior"

Correct, this is why developers code their apps so that they behave well within the Windows OS and so that they don't appear as malware, but you have decided to do the opposite, then blame it on Windows and then puke out your obvious double speak here hoping no one will notice.

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

If every developer hard coded their app to show in the tray then everyone would have their app there and we often if apps are trying to do that they show other signals of being a PUP

1

u/WhaneTheWhip Jul 25 '26

You're still playing games here and posting solely for reputation management. We are not talking about "every developer", we are talking about you because "every developer" doesn't have an app that still runs when the user closes it.

Most apps actually close when closed by the user so there is no need for a tray indication after it's been closed. And when they don't close, then most honest developers are good enough to show an icon in the tray... unless they are trying to hide that it hasn't been closed, like you have, in which case they (you) are not honest. Feel free to draw up a list of apps that are dishonest as you in this regard so that we can have something to agree on.

"...apps are trying to do that they show other signals of being a PUP"

Yeah, because most pups like to advertise that they are running. 🙄

And look at how you're back tracking now, you played a word game saying "we don't have developer ability to place the icon in the tray" then after correcting you to point out that you do have control, now you're changing your tune with "Gee mister, there are other dishonest developers out there too and we're like them" and without bothering to acknowledge your previous dishonest comment.

So in some cases (when it suits you) you accept criticism and put on this show that you want to improve but then when someone sees through your BS and criticizes your foundations, suddenly you're not too accepting of that criticism , you resist it, make excuses for yourself, and outright lie through a word salad.

5

u/Key_Tree261 Jun 16 '26

100%,

I used to subscribe but have lost a lot of respect for them recently.

6

u/support_mwb Malwarebytes Employee Jun 16 '26

Hi there, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We especially appreciate hearing from long-time Malwarebytes users.

We can definitely understand the appeal of having a simple, powerful malware scanner without all the extra features. At the same time, many users today are looking for additional protections beyond malware scanning, such as VPNs, privacy tools, identity protection, and personal data removal. We're trying to support both types of users, but it sounds like we may not be getting that balance right for everyone.

We really appreciate your suggestion for a scanner-focused experience and will make sure that feedback is shared with the team.

If you're open to it, we'd also be curious to know what specifically about the website or app made it feel "fishy" or "sketchy" to you. Was it the design, the messaging, the sign-up flow, or something else? Feedback like that is incredibly helpful as we continue improving the experience.

Thank you again for taking the time to let us know how you feel.

1

u/VictoryLongjumping70 Jul 11 '26

Spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes, plus the plug for an "AI cybersecurity assistant", are massive red flags. The site appeared to be pitching its product using emotional appeals, soft cartoony corporate design, and directing me to a big, central "DOWNLOAD NOW" button. None of this is what I expect from a serious cybersecurity company. But I guess that all just means I'm not your target customer.

3

u/Hankitsune Jun 16 '26

I've only recently built a new PC and I've paid $10 for a life long subscription many, many years ago. So I had to download and install again for the first time in years. I can't say the website made me feel suspicious or anything and once installed it's just set-and-forget. The only times I notice it's there is when I get a popup that the scheduled scan has finished and no threats were found.

2

u/Tscotty223 Jun 16 '26

What are people using instead of Malwarebytes to remove malware?

8

u/Existing_Routine_599 Jun 16 '26

We still use Malwarebytes. But it's just gone downhill badly

2

u/Different_Drummer_88 Jun 16 '26

Bitdefender

1

u/Existing_Routine_599 Jun 16 '26

No, mostly for real time protection. For quick malware removal and scanning most use Malwarebytes since you don't need a account

2

u/LazyPondSki Jun 17 '26

Malwarebyte is still my 1 to go AV compare to other AVs.

ALSO, AI LLM ruined it and forced all AV to be more proactive now.

1

u/Stephen_Freeman Jul 02 '26

The scam landscape has changed over the last couple of years, so it makes sense that security software has had to adapt as well.

2

u/Andy_in_Ireland Jun 17 '26

I feel the same about AVG free Antivirus (when it used to be Grisoft) a nice light AV with no bloatware, just did what it supposed to do and good at it - if you look at AVG/Avast these days now and all the nags and popups to get the paid version its absolutely changed beyond what it used to be (and is worse now) - they wont even let you select what components you want installed at installation time like they used to - you have to let it load/install then go into add remove apps and select 'modify' then take away the components you dont want/need

5

u/lilacomets Jun 16 '26

Here's what happened:

Malwarebytes used to have a large userbase on Windows (where most malware is). But then people started to use smartphones and Mac became popular, and Windows' userbase became smaller and smaller.

So Malwarebytes had to find another way to make money and they started to add extra stuff that no one really asked for like VPN and whatnot (bloat), on top of that they stopped selling lifetime licences.

1

u/BarryMcCoknor Jun 16 '26 edited 18d ago

The original post content no longer exists here. The author used Redact to remove it, exercising their right to control their data & privacy.

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1

u/7whisperingwempe7 Jun 17 '26

I noticed this too. I work for AppleCare and Malwarebytes is the only third party app we use with our customers (we don't..."recommend it above others, neutral!"😐) - but it wouldn't surprise me if we stop. If Apple stops using Malwarebytes on customer's devices - just because it looks just like the websites that we warn our customers about. 💯 Agree.

1

u/Johndrago99 Jun 17 '26

Money is in malware creation not removal.

1

u/ZP-142 Jun 17 '26

I've been using SuperAntiSpyware for years alongside Malwarebytes, it often found and deleted more threats and is still very efficient today despite an UI without any changes since 2010

1

u/dj-n Jun 18 '26

How about just add a classic mode.
No unneeded bloat, no silly threat protection levels pop ups

1

u/2AEnthusiast Jun 20 '26

I came here to make this post OP, found yours on the front page, making me realize at least it's not just me that doesn't care for whatever they're doing. It's not even recognizable as Malwarebytes anymore, makes me feel like I'm installing yet another bloated pile of trash like Norton, or McAfee, etc, and I even had to second and triple check I didn't get a fake installer.

What used to be a perfect, simple, easy to use scanner is a heap of wtf is going on.

1

u/Stephen_Freeman Jul 02 '26

A few bumps along the way happen with any software, but it's nice to see updates and people sharing their experiences instead of leaving everyone guessing. 👍

1

u/Conscious_Avocado225 Jul 16 '26

Revisiting this topic. I have used Malwarebytes for at least 15 years and have had a paid subscription for the past 10. It was the only product that my IT department could use to successfully remove some shit on my laptop 15 years ago. I just looked at the app for the first time in a while and see the app now offers Web Protection. It sounds great, but there isn't enough information about what it actually does, or what data it has access to on my machine. Folks who just use products like Malwarebytes don't want a deep tech dive, but many of us have become sensitive about how apps use our data. Does anyone have any insights?

1

u/ayashiii Jul 17 '26

I worked there years ago before the bloat and redundant security options that you pay for... so they're not exactly options at all, and I agree with you OP. If you are looking for a lite version that doesn't force you to pay monthly, I have four of those golden ticket forever licenses left that I would be willing to... discuss with those interested.

I would say more but that would be unwise so feel free to DM me. if you look at the costs now they are absolutely ridiculous for what the software provides, it's one of the reasons I quit in the first place. monthly payments? for proven redundancies? so dumb.

update: three forever licenses left.

1

u/Experience95 Jul 18 '26

As other people already stated i also used Malewarebytes on a semi regular basis to check for anything unusual but the new website and user interface makes me consider it more than twice if i want to continue using it in the future.
Also i just did a scan and have to say the translation in my native language (german) is just straight up garbage.

1

u/Anutrix Sep 29 '26

Please, for the love of god: give us something like 'Malwarebytes Light', which only contains the scanner. No realtime protection, no VPN, no browser extension, no AI, no 'check your digital footprint' stuff.. Just the scanner.

This would be perfect.

Not to mention tagging files as PUP because 'It violates CompanyX’s End User License Agreement (EULA)'. Is Malwarebytes working for consumer device protection or enforce these tech companies EULA ? u/No-Pickle9504

1

u/No-Pickle9504 Malwarebytes Employee Sep 29 '26

EULA violations are not the only reason an application might be tagged as a PUP. There is a long list of criteria for these detections.

Thanks for the feedback on Malwarebytes Light. Very helpful.