Malwarebytes VPN Review
Malwarebytes is a VPN with more than 500 servers in over 40 locations, but it’s headquartered in the U.S. What does that mean for your privacy?
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Last Updated on Nov 13, 2025
What We Like
- 7-day free trial
- No log VPN
- Affordable
What We Don't Like
- Unimpressive number of servers
- Five Eyes headquarters
- Slows down internet
Bottom Line
We found Malwarebytes VPN takes a more focused approach to its service, compared to other companies primarily known for their antivirus or digital security tools. Malwarebytes only supports Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows devices. If those are the only platforms you need to protect, Malwarebytes could work for you. You might be wondering if you can trust an antivirus company to handle your VPN needs. Let’s find out.
Is Malwarebytes Ready To Offer A VPN?
Malwarebytes has earned respect in the antivirus world, but their VPN offering feels like it's still catching up to established players. You only get access to 150+ servers across 60 locations. Companies like NordVPN have more than 8,000 servers in 118 countries. If you’re looking for this type of service, we suggest checking out the top-rated providers we've tested:
The Best of Malwarebytes VPN
Malwarebytes sticks to the basics with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android support only. For these devices, you’ll get solid encryption at a competitive price. Here’s what impressed us:
- Won’t log traffic or IP addresses: Malwarebytes’ privacy policy clearly states they only log bandwidth usage and the public key used for VPN connections. The company doesn’t save anything that could identify your online activities.
- Kill switch on Windows: Only the Windows app had a kill switch, killing our web apps and browsers when the VPN inevitably failed.
- Torrenting access: We successfully torrented public domain films with Malwarebytes VPN connected.
- Netflix works (sometimes): We couldn’t stream on every server we tested, but Malwarebytes did unblock Netflix in some regions.
- AES-256: Malwarebytes uses military-grade AES-256 encryption to protect our web activity and IP address. Our DNS and WebRTC leak tests confirmed that our real IP address and domain names were completely hidden.
- Fast upload and download speeds: Malwarebytes only slowed our Macbook down by about four percent total, while on Windows, our download speeds decreased by about 33 percent and 25 percent, respectively. While that may sound like a lot, compared to competitors, it’s on the lower end, especially as VPNs for Windows tend to be slower than Macs in our experience.
- Unlimited server switches: We could’ve gone on over 500 different Malwarebytes servers without being charged extra, all under the same sweet subscription.
- Seven-day free trial: We like that the free trial didn’t cap our data or device connections. We got full access to test the VPN as if we’d paid for it.
- Decent pricing: Although we wish that Malwarebytes was a bit more flexible when it comes to contracts, a VPN for what amounts of $3.33 a month is on the lower end of average. To dive deeper, read our Malwarebytes VPN costs page.
| Number of devices | Cost per month | Total amount billed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3.33 | $39.99 |
| 3 | $3.33 | $39.99 |
| 5 | $4.99 | $59.99 |
The Worst of Malwarebytes VPN
Our list of drawbacks runs longer than we usually like. From its U.S. headquarters raising privacy concerns to limited device support, Malwarebytes VPN isn’t for everyone:
- Based in the U.S: The U.S. is a founding member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes international surveillance alliances. This means the company could theoretically be compelled to share your data with authorities. They don’t log web activity, which means there’s nothing to hand over. We still recommend choosing VPNs based in non-member countries.
- Low number of servers: Providers like NordVPN operate over 8,000 servers across 118 countries, so Malwarebytes’ network feels tiny by comparison. This matters most if you need servers in specific locations. We recommend taking advantage of the free trial to see if they cover your needs.
How To: To change your server on the Malwarebytes VPN, turn on Malwarebytes Privacy and click on “Change server location”. Under “Choose new server”, you’ll be able to see the available countries and cities within those countries with available servers. Click the server you want to connect to.
- Static IP addresses: We noticed that Malwarebytes assigned us the same IP address for every session. This makes online tracking easier, undermining the privacy benefits of using a VPN. Thankfully, our real IP address stayed hidden.
- Latency: We saw huge amounts of latency on both our 2019 Macbook Pro and our Windows 10 Acer Aspire 5. On Mac, latency increased by 138 percent, while on Windows, that number was even higher at 1,680 percent. It’s safe to say that Malwarebytes is not a good VPN for gamers, at least if you want to win.2
- Only five simultaneous connections and devices: One subscription from Malwarebytes only covered five devices total and five devices at once. Now, personally, we have way more than five devices, so this wouldn’t cut it for us, or you if you’re looking for a VPN for families or a VPN for businesses. But this may not be a big deal to you if you have five devices or less.
- Yearly contracts only: Since Malwarebytes hails from the world of antivirus, where yearly subscriptions are typically the minimum contract length, we were disappointed but not surprised that the same thing rang true for their VPN. Whether we signed up for their VPN alone or a bundle with the Malwarebytes antivirus software, there was no flexible, month-to-month option. However, the fact that they give you a week to try out their software makes this annual commitment a little less scary. To learn more about the antivirus software pricing in particular, read our page on Malwarebytes antivirus subscriptions.
Pro Tip: If you want to buy both the VPN and the antivirus software, you can save money by buying them in a bundle, $59.99 for a year of coverage, but it might be worth considering one of our favorite alternatives for Malwarebytes Antivirus.
Our Malwarebytes Research and Data
The following is the data and research conducted for this review by our industry-experts. Learn More.
Encryption
| In Transit | Yes |
|---|---|
| At rest? | Yes |
| All network communications and capabilities? | Yes |
Security Updates
| Automatic, regular software/ firmware updates? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Product available to use during updates? | No |
Passwords
| Mandatory password? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Two-Factor authentication? | Yes |
| Multi-Factor authentication? | Yes |
Vulnerability Management
| Point of contact for reporting vulnerabilities? | |
|---|---|
| Bug bounty program? | Yes |
Privacy Policy
| Link | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|
| Specific to device? | No |
| Readable? | Yes |
| What data they log | Name, email address, phone number, username, company name, company size, payment information, IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring pages, files viewed on site, operating system, and clickstream data. |
| What data they don’t log | Not applicable |
| Can you delete your data? | Yes |
| Third-party sharing policies | Yes |
Surveillance
| Log camera device/ app footage | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Log microphone device/ app | Not applicable |
| Location tracking device/ app | Not applicable |
Parental Controls
| Available? | No |
|---|
Company History
| History of Breaches or Security Issues? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Action Taken? | Fixed minor security vulnerabilities |
Additional Security Features
| Privacy Shutter | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Privacy Zone | Not applicable |
In Conclusion
We found a lot of issues with Malwarebytes VPN. Some of those negatives might not matter for your specific needs, though. At the same time, the positives could be exactly what you’re looking for. To help you decide, we’ve broken down who would benefit from Malwarebytes VPN and who should keep shopping.
The Malwarebytes VPN would be good for:
- Android, Windows, iOS, or Mac users only: Maybe Linux and router compatibility is coming someday. For now, the VPN only works on more conventional devices.
- Someone who wants Netflix and torrenting access: If you want a VPN for streaming, Malwarebytes hits the mark (but every server may not be Netflix-compatible).
- Anyone with a total of five devices or less: You’ll be able to connect up to five devices at once on Malwarebytes.
- A person that wants a week-long free trial: You’ll get all the same features of Malwarebytes within their free trial period, so you can truly see how well it works on your devices.
The Malwarebytes VPN would not be good for:
- Gamers: Based on our speed tests, Malwarebytes increased our latency significantly.
- Someone who wants a VPN based in a non-member country: Since Malwarebytes is based in the U.S, they could be forced to share customer data with the federal government.
- Someone who wants dynamic IP addresses: Rather, each time you connect to the same server, you’ll get the same IP address.
- Anyone who wants subscriptions for less than a year: Malwarebytes doesn’t have any week-long, month-long or six-month long options, unlike many of its competitors.
If you’re not sure whether the Malwarebytes VPN is right for you, again, the trial period is seven days. Or, check out some other VPNs with free trials. While some of them require putting a card down, if you cancel before the trial is over, you won’t lose any money. Phew!
FAQ
Hankering for more information about Malwarebytes VPN? Then check out these frequently asked questions.
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Is the Malwarebytes VPN good?
The Malwarebytes VPN is good for Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows users, but for those who want to use a VPN for a router or Linux device, you might want to look somewhere else. On a more positive note, Malwarebytes doesn’t log IP addresses and internet traffic, it allows access to torrenting and Netflix, and most importantly, it uses AES-256 encryption, so it’s a good option for desktop users.
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Does Malwarebytes offer a VPN?
Malwarebytes offers a VPN, which costs about $5 per month for up to five devices. If you also use Malwarebytes anti-malware solution for your Android devices or Chrome browsers, you can snag a VPN plus anti-malware plan for only $99.99 per year or roughly $8 per month.
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Is the Malwarebytes VPN safe and legitimate?
The Malwarebytes VPN is safe and legitimate. Although Malwarebytes started as an anti-malware company, it has since expanded its horizons to include a VPN service. Unlike many VPNs today, the Malwarebytes VPN does not keep IP addresses and internet traffic, making it a safer choice for privacy-conscious individuals.
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Do I need an antivirus even if I have the Malwarebytes VPN?
You still need an antivirus even if you have the Malwarebytes VPN. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic so your ISP, the government, and hackers won’t be able to see what you’re doing online. However, it does not protect you against malware such as viruses, trojans, and worms.
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FindLaw. (2021). 17 U.S.C. § 106 – U.S. Code – Unannotated Title 17. Copyrights § 106. Exclusive rights in copyrighted works.
codes.findlaw.com/us/title-17-copyrights/17-usc-sect-106.html -
PSafe. (2017). Why Lagging Can Make or Break Your Gameplay.
psafe.com/en/blog/why-lagging-make-or-break-your-gameplay/
