Avast vs Malwarebytes: Assistant or Scam Guard?
Avast wins on free AI help. Avast Assistant judges any message you show it and Web Guard blocks fake sites, both at no cost. Pick Malwarebytes if you want scam checks on phone numbers inside a paid app.
Where we earn from a click, it says so under the button.
Avast
Free antivirus with an AI assistant that checks a suspicious message
Malwarebytes
Stops scam sites and malware, with a free browser extension
This button can earn us a commission. You pay the same price.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | Avast | Malwarebytes |
|---|---|---|
| AI protection | ||
| AI feature | Avast Assistant and Web Guard. | Malwarebytes Scam Guard. |
| What it checks | A message or an offer that you show it. | A text, number, link or screenshot you share in the app. |
| Channels | Texts, email, links and websites. | Texts, email, links and phone numbers. |
| Free or from which plan | Free. Automatic email screening starts at Avast Premium Security. | In Malwarebytes Premium Security. Browser Guard is free. |
| Watches on its own | Yes. Web Guard blocks fake sites and phishing links without being asked. | No. Scam Guard reads only what you hand it. |
| What happens to your input | Kept for 30 days. Chats help improve future conversations. | Queries stay on your device for 30 days. Reported scams go into the database. |
| Voice clone or deepfake | Deepfake Guard is named in the product policy. It has no product page. | No promise. Deepfakes appear nowhere as a feature. |
| What each provider says about its own AI feature, read on September 22, 2026. | ||
| Our score | n/a | 3.9 / 5 |
| Price | From $4.09/mo | From $5/mo |
| Renews at | $77.99/yr | n/a |
| Free plan | ||
| Best for | Anyone who wants a free second opinion on a message | Blocking phishing and malware on three devices |
| Visit Avast | Visit Malwarebytes This button can earn us a commission. You pay the same price. | |
Our verdict
Avast is the pick if you want an AI second opinion without paying. Avast Assistant tells you whether a message or an offer looks like a scam. Web Guard blocks fake shops and phishing links while you browse. Both sit in Avast Free Antivirus. Malwarebytes suits you when the risk arrives by phone.
Scam Guard takes a number, a text or a screenshot and answers in seconds. The product page puts Scam Guard in Malwarebytes Premium Security. Another page on the same site calls it free. Avast Premium Security costs $49.08 in the first year against $59.99 for Malwarebytes Standard (annual).
From year two Avast turns dearer, because it renews at $77.99 a year. Malwarebytes shows no launch discount on Standard. What happens to your input differs. Malwarebytes says your queries stay on your device for 30 days. Avast keeps what you submit for 30 days as well.
A suspected malicious email is stored whole and human reviewers may read it. Neither brand promises to spot a cloned voice. Avast does claim deepfake detection, but only on the PC tab of its store. That feature has no product page of its own. Malwarebytes names deepfakes nowhere as a feature.
“Avast is the cheap way in. The assistant and Web Guard cost nothing. Together they answer the usual question about a strange message. What you pay for is the automatic email screening. The deepfake claim is thin and has no product page behind it.”Editorial team, on Avast
“A sound pick for phishing and malware protection on a few devices. The free Browser Guard is a starting point that costs nothing. Standard covers the core. The higher plans add a VPN, breach alerts and identity protection. One reservation. Ultimate's half-price offer lasts one year, then the price doubles.”Editorial team, on Malwarebytes
Frequently asked questions
Is Avast Assistant free?
Yes. Avast puts the assistant and Web Guard in Avast Free Antivirus. You show the assistant a message or an offer and it says whether it looks like a scam. The automatic email screening is the part you pay for.
Is Malwarebytes Scam Guard free?
The brand contradicts itself. Its product page puts Scam Guard in Malwarebytes Premium Security. Another page on the same site calls it free. The pricing page names no plan at all, so check the app store listing before you buy.
Does either one spot a deepfake or a cloned voice?
Avast claims deepfake detection and Malwarebytes does not. Avast lists it on the PC tab of its store alone. The brand name Deepfake Guard turns up only in the product policy. Neither brand promises anything about a cloned voice.
Which one checks a phone number?
Malwarebytes does. Scam Guard takes a number or a screenshot and says whether it points to a scam. It covers robocalls and fake delivery notices too. Avast blocks scam calls as a separate feature and makes no AI claim there.
Does Avast read my email?
Only a message it flags as malicious. Avast stores that whole message unless you opt out. Human reviewers may check it to see whether the detection was right. Such a message stays in raw form for 30 days.