Comparison

Norton 360 Security & VPN vs Malwarebytes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Norton 360 Security & VPN

This app provides comprehensive mobile security with AI-powered malware and scam protection. It includes a VPN for online privacy, WiFi security, and features to block ads and monitor the dark web for breaches. An AI assistant helps answer cyber safety questions and identify potential scams.

Highlights
  • AI-powered malware protection
  • VPN for online privacy
  • Scam protection (SMS, web, calls, email)
  • Device security scans
  • Dark web monitoring
  • Ad tracker blocker
Read full description

Navigate the web more safely with Norton 360 for iOS. ​​ Norton 360 ensures robust mobile security, including AI-powered protection, and VPN for privacy online. Built-in scam protection helps keep you safe while browsing, shopping, or texting. New: Scam Protection Pro AI-powered protection against sophisticated scams. Provides holistic coverage across email, web, phone calls, and SMS. - Norton Genie - AI assistant - Safe SMS: AI scam protection against spam - Safe Web: AI helps protect you from scams when browsing online. - Safe Call: Proactively blocks scam and junk calls - Safe Email: 24/7 AI scam protection for your email inbox Device Security: scans for outdated operating systems and missing device passcodes to help you keep your data safer if your device is stolen. Norton Genie: Can answer your cyber safety questions, helps you identify scams in messages and in YouTube videos.[3] VPN: Help protect your private information with bank-grade encryption for a more secure connection, access to the content you love - wherever you are WiFi Security: scan WiFi networks to learn if your device is connected to vulnerable network. Safe SMS: filters spam SMS text messages that may contain phishing attacks with AI protection. Safe Web: advanced AI helps protect you from scams when browsing online by checking for scams on the pages you visit. Ad Tracker Blocker: Helps block ads on different platforms for added privacy & security. Dark Web Monitoring: We monitor the dark web and notify you if we find your personal information, security or privacy breaches.[2] Subscription details - Feature availability may vary based on your plan and country. - An annual subscription is required to activate the 7-day trial (see in-app product pricing). - Cancel the subscription from your account before the end of the trial to avoid payment. - After the 7-day trial, your subscription will start and automatically renew annually unless canceled. - You can manage your subscriptions and adjust automatic renewals in your Apple account settings after purchase. - The 7-day trial applies to eligible subscription plans and may vary by offer. Privacy Statement Norton respects your online privacy and is dedicated to safeguarding your personal data. See https://www.norton.com/privacy for more information. No one can prevent all cybercrime or identity theft. [1] Secure Norton VPN is not available in all countries. The VPN feature is no longer available for use within India as a result of governmental regulations requiring the logging and saving of user data, but you can still use your subscription when traveling outside of India. [2] Dark Web Monitoring is not available in all countries. Monitored information varies based on country of residence or choice of plan. It defaults to monitor your email address and begins immediately. Sign in to your account to enter more information for monitoring. [3] Currently available in early access and supports only YouTube videos in English. Norton 360 offers powerful protection, spyware detection, and a smart VPN to keep your device safe from online threats.

About

Malwarebytes

This app offers comprehensive mobile security and privacy protection for Apple devices. It includes features like ad blocking, scam text filtering, and identity protection. A free trial is available, with ongoing free protection and optional premium subscription features.

Highlights
  • Ad Blocking for Safari
  • Text Message Filtering
  • Digital Footprint Scanner
  • Identity Protection
  • Secure VPN
  • Web Protection
  • Call Protection
Features
Read full description

Malwarebytes delivers mobile security and digital protection beyond your device. We help protect you against online scams, harmful websites, annoying ads, sketchy calls, identity risks, and more. From banking to personal accounts, your phone carries some of your most important information. Malwarebytes keeps you safe with simple, smart security. Malwarebytes is designed for everybody: professionals, families, and first-time smartphone users. No complicated setup. No IT expertise needed. Just easy protection that safeguards your digital life. Start your 7-day free trial to unlock all features. SCAM & CALL PROTECTION Scammers use fake calls, texts, malicious links, and websites to imitate banks, delivery services, retailers, and other trusted brands. Alongside robocall filtering, Malwarebytes helps protect against: - Suspicious text scams and phishing attempts - Malicious links and unsafe websites - Brand impersonation and social engineering attacks - Annoying spam calls SAFER BROWSING & AD BLOCKER Web Protection: Blocks phishing sites and risky links before you enter payment or personal data. Ad blocking: Reduce intrusive ads and trackers while browsing. FAST VPN FOR PRIVATE BROWSING Incognito alone does not hide all of your online activity. Malwarebytes VPN helps protect your privacy on public Wi-Fi or while traveling. Encrypt your internet connection for added privacy Shield your IP address from trackers and advertisers Browse more safely on public Wi-Fi IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION Your email addresses, passwords, and personal information may be exposed in data breaches without you knowing. Digital Footprint Scanner: Run an email scan and check where your personal information may have been leaked. Data breach insights: See where your information may have been exposed and review steps to help secure affected accounts. 24/7 monitoring: Get real-time support and up to $2 million in identity theft insurance WHY CHOOSE MALWAREBYTES? - Mobile security against scams, spam calls, sketchy websites, and more privacy risks. - Built by Malwarebytes, with 17+ years as a trusted name in antivirus and cybersecurity. - Secure VPN and digital footprint tools for added privacy - Simple protection without complicated setup - No third-party ads in the Malwarebytes app - 4 million daily threats blocked Malwarebytes for iOS FAQs: - Can Malwarebytes help protect my iPhone from scam texts and phishing links? Malwarebytes helps detect suspicious text scams, phishing attempts, malicious links, and brand impersonation. - Can Malwarebytes protect me on public Wi-Fi? Malwarebytes VPN encrypts your internet connection, protects your privacy on public Wi-Fi, and alerts you to turn on VPN whenever you join an unsecure network. - Can Malwarebytes check whether my information was exposed in a data breach? The Digital Footprint Scanner checks your email against known data breaches and shows you how to secure your accounts. - Does Malwarebytes scan iPhones for viruses? Because of iOS platform restrictions, Malwarebytes does not perform traditional malware-file scans on iPhone. Instead, it focuses on proactive protection against phishing sites, scam texts, spam calls, malicious links, and unsafe websites. TRIAL & DEVICE INFORMATION 7-day free trial: Unlock device protection features during the trial (Identity Theft Protection not included). Premium features require a subscription after the trial unless canceled. Manage your subscription in Apple ID settings. Family Sharing: Premium subscription features are not eligible for Family Sharing. Compatible with iOS 18 or later with an active internet connection. iPad users can benefit from Web Protection (Premium) and Ad Blocking (Included) for safer Safari browsing. Identity Protection features vary by region. Terms: https://www.malwarebytes.com/tos EULA: https://www.malwarebytes.com/eula

Screenshots

Norton 360 Security & VPN4 screens
Malwarebytes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Malwarebytes at none against Norton 360 Security & VPN's shown. Malwarebytes also leads on review sentiment (48% vs 28%). Norton 360 Security & VPN's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Norton 360 Security & VPN sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and Malwarebytes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Norton 360 Security & VPN holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 183K and 109K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of Norton 360 Security & VPN's written reviews are positive against 48% of Malwarebytes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Norton 360 Security & VPN ships an update weekly, Malwarebytes every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Norton 360 Security & VPN versus Malwarebytes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNorton 360 Security & VPNMalwarebytes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (183K ratings) — better4.5 (109K ratings)
Positive reviews28.0% of reviews47.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings183K — better109K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#5 — better#37
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size649 MB128 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGen Digital Inc.Malwarebytes

Customer experience

Norton 360 Security & VPN

All ratings182,783 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.4%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews2,042 reviews
Positive28.0%
Neutral13.8%
Negative58.3%

Malwarebytes

All ratings109,165 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews2,825 reviews
Positive47.6%
Neutral9.2%
Negative43.2%

User reviews

Norton 360 Security & VPN

From 183K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🔒 Secure browsing
  • 🚨 Warns of unsafe websites
  • 📢 Helpful security alerts
  • 🛡️ Protects against cyber threats

Room to improve

  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🔌 Interferes with WiFi connectivity
  • 🤔 Unclear about VPN functionality
  • 🤯 Causes phone freezes and reboots
  • 💸 Expensive subscription cost

Malwarebytes

From 109K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Keeps devices updated and protected
  • 🔒 Provides security and peace of mind
  • 👍 Easy to use and set up
  • 🚀 Excellent protection and performance

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Activation and subscription issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent or non-functional features
  • 🐛 Fails to block spam calls and texts
  • 🔋 Drains battery life
  • 💰 Expensive subscription

Bugs and requests

Norton 360 Security & VPN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Fails to recognize existing subscription
  • Identity monitoring feature not working
  • Repeated prompts to update iOS

Requested features

3 requests
  • Provide more details on detected risks
  • Allow manual VPN server selection
  • Improve compatibility with iOS devices

Malwarebytes

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Activation and subscription problems
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
  • Inability to scan or detect malware on devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add bulk reporting of scam numbers
  • Improve text message filtering
  • Implement automatic updates
  • Provide more comprehensive dashboard and scanning capabilities

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Norton 360 Security & VPN

Subscriptions15
  • Yearly Plan1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • 14 Day Trial Yearly Plan14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Norton Mobile Security14 Days trial2 variants$19.991 Year
Show 12 more
  • Norton Mobile Security7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • 7 Day Trial Yearly Plan7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Norton Mobile Security1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • Norton 360 for Mobile14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Norton 360 for Mobile7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Privacy Monitor Assistant1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • Norton Mobile Security + PMA1 Year trial$114.991 Year
  • Norton 360 Deluxe$119.991 Year
  • Norton 360 Deluxe1 Year trial3 variants$119.991 Year
  • Norton 360 Deluxe7 Days trial$119.991 Year
  • N360 Mobile + PMA1 Year trial$149.991 Year
  • N360 Deluxe + PMA1 Year trial$204.991 Year
6 purchases

Malwarebytes

Subscriptions6
  • Standard7 Days trial$2.491 Month
  • Standard7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Plus7 Days trial$44.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Standard (3 devices)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Plus (3 devices)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Advanced1 Year trial$139.991 Year

Questions

Is Norton 360 Security & VPN free?
Norton 360 Security & VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Malwarebytes free?
Malwarebytes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Norton 360 Security & VPN or Malwarebytes?
Norton 360 Security & VPN is rated higher. Norton 360 Security & VPN averages 4.7 out of 5 from 183K ratings, while Malwarebytes averages 4.5 from 109K ratings.
Do Norton 360 Security & VPN or Malwarebytes have ads?
Norton 360 Security & VPN shows ads; Malwarebytes does not.
Which is updated more often, Norton 360 Security & VPN or Malwarebytes?
Norton 360 Security & VPN ships an update weekly, and Malwarebytes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Norton 360 Security & VPN was updated on September 25, 2026 and Malwarebytes on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Norton 360 Security & VPN or Malwarebytes?
Norton 360 Security & VPN currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Malwarebytes at #37. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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