Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Or SpyBot S&D: Which Is Best For You?

When you come to using your computer for almost everything, from work to managing your bank account and keeping in contact with your friends or making purchases online, every single application that you install and give access to your private data must be carefully scrutinized, while keeping unwanted guests at bay.

Only a couple of years ago, computer viruses were linked to hackers and feats of programming depicted in low-budget movies. More recently, malware changed completely the focus of the computer security industry. The original viruses were mostly malign - creating a software equivalent of nature's most prolific organisms was a reward in itself for the virus programmer.

Malware is not the result of implementing biology principles in software, but rather a vicious set of tools designed to pry on large numbers of computer users, steal their data and not last, manipulate their perception. Unpleasant as it sounds, malware could not exist in the absence of major programming and security flaws that plague popular operating systems and applications, and not least, the users' predisposition to fall prey to social engineering traps.

The companies leading the antivirus scene felt entitled to enter the malware removal market by simply extending their existing products. Surprisingly, competition appeared not only from other large software suppliers like Microsoft, but also from individuals interested to develop free removal tools for the benefit of other Internet users. Some of the best programs to fight malware are free - this way their creators can avoid being portrayed as the parents of the very same threats their security solutions are designed to counter. Two such free solutions to fight malware are Spybot S&D and Malwarebytes Anti-malware.

The main criteria for comparing anti-malware software consist in the database accuracy, the speed and effectiveness of scanning, the realtime protection feature and the ease of maintaining the application up to date to fight the latest threats. Another interesting trait is the usability of the interface, together with the frequency of updates and the level of documentation that accompanies the threat list.

With Spybot S&D you get more than a simple anti-malware tool - it has the ability of disabling programs that start automatically with the operating system and it is also capable of scanning the registry for references to files no longer on the harddisk. Malwarebytes have also been on the forefront of software threat detection and removal for a couple of years now. Their efforts are addressing both the end-user and the corporate environment. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware offers the signatures database for detection and removal for free, but charges for advanced features like realtime protection, IP blocking or scheduled scans and updates.

It seems a no-brainer that Spybot should become the software of choice. In spite of this, Malwarebytes retains an important market share and the undisputed position of malware removal leader with its smaller memory footprint and faster engine.

To decide which is right for you, try to think if you appreciate the speed and responsiveness of your computer as the decisive factor in your Internet experience. To keep the cost down, choose SpyBot. For speed, go with the full version of the Malwarebytes software. At checkout you can try to use a Malwarebytes coupon code to save on the total amount - sometimes Malwarebytes coupon codes are shared on the Internet by Malwarebytes partners or even individual users like us.

I could barely touch on the significance of malware threats to online business in general - there is a lot more to discuss in regard to the individuals and organizations hiding behind it. To summarize what you really need from this review, I would suggest to fight malware early and even better, to keep it from entering your computer in the first place.