Malwarebytes Free
Malwarebytes Free is the no-cost tier of the Windows application. It is a manual, on-demand scanner: it finds and removes malware that is already on the PC, but it does not sit in the background blocking threats once the introductory trial ends.
What the free version includes
- Manual scans of drives, memory, startup entries and the registry
- Detection of malware, adware, spyware and potentially unwanted programs
- Quarantine with the option to restore a false positive
- Regular threat-database updates
Installing the Windows application usually starts a short Premium trial. When it expires, the product keeps working as the free scanner — nothing is uninstalled, the real-time shields simply switch off.
What the free version does not include
No real-time protection, no web filtering, no exploit or ransomware shields, and no scheduled automatic scanning. In practice that means the free tier cannot stop an infection at the moment it happens; it can only clean up afterwards. If nobody remembers to run the scan, nothing is being checked.
When the free scanner is the right tool
- A second opinion when your main antivirus reports a clean machine but the PC misbehaves
- Cleaning adware and browser hijackers after a bundled installer
- One-off checks on a family PC that already runs Windows Security
- Diagnosing pop-ups, redirects or unexplained CPU usage
When to move to the paid tier
If the PC is used for online banking, remote work, or by someone who clicks links quickly, the real-time layers matter far more than scan quality. Ransomware in particular is a race measured in seconds — a scanner you launch manually on Sunday cannot help on Tuesday morning. The Premium page lists what the paid layers add, and our free vs premium comparison puts it side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malwarebytes free forever?
The manual scanner is free to keep using. The Premium features that come with the initial trial expire, after which the application continues as the free on-demand scanner.
Does the free version remove malware or just detect it?
It removes what it finds. Detections are moved into quarantine, and you can delete them permanently or restore an item that was flagged by mistake.
Is the free version enough on its own?
Not as a sole defense. Pair it with the built-in Windows Security real-time protection, or move to a tier with always-on shields.
Malware-Bytes.net is an independent information resource about malware protection for Windows. We are not Malwarebytes, and this site is not the official Malwarebytes website or support channel. Malwarebytes is a trademark of Malwarebytes Inc.