MBAM free trial and Defender

I think when the trial ends I should uninstall MBAM if I don't want to pay so Defender will work well.
Is there a free alternative to MBAM free if this is the case?

Not sure I'm following you.

I assume you refer to Malwarebytes.

The free version will work indefinitely without paying.

Is there a reason you don't want to use Malwarebytes?

It doesn't conflict with Defender in my experience.

I have been reading that the free 14 day trial ends and although the 2 programs still work you lose effectiveness. If this were you would you keep the free MBAM with defender or defender with another malware program? I ask due to the reading I did about the weakening support, unless you pay.

I have read nothing about "lose effectiveness".

What have you read?

The significant difference between paid and free is that free does NOT supposedly prevent bad stuff from getting on your PC.

Instead, it removes bad stuff after a manual scan.

The paid version is intended to prevent as well as remove.

As far as I know, the paid version does NOT remove stuff any better than the free version.

Decide if you want to prevent or remove.

Some here think Malwarebytes is largely superfluous and that Defender is enough.

Clintlgm said:

With the free version you have to manually run scans, none of the automatic feature are active. I haven't had any issues with the paid version and defender or Norton. Personally I have one lifetime paid version and purchase a 4 pack for my other computer well worth the money. and a good manual scanner in the free version

>I would never use Norton and cannot debate it but hope we get company about the main post.

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ignatzatsonic said:

I have read nothing about "lose effectiveness".

What have you read?

The significant difference between paid and free is that free does NOT supposedly prevent bad stuff from getting on your PC.

Instead, it removes bad stuff after a manual scan.

The paid version is intended to prevent as well as remove.

As far as I know, the paid version does NOT remove stuff any better than the free version.

Decide if you want to prevent or remove.

Some here think Malwarebytes is largely superfluous and that Defender is enough.

>>I agree and will use Defender - thanks

When it comes down to security you get what you pay for. But you also have to be careful not to fall victim to the marketing of these products. No security package will protect you 100%. Whether you pay a small yearly license fee or whether you own a multi billion dollar company and pay several hundred thousand each year. But you have to accept that a car alarm is a genuine deterrent given a situation where people are around and someone notices someone breaking into your car. CCTV is a genuine security solution even though they can be duped by simply wearing a face mask or spray painting the glass panel. You can argue you are more protected with these extra layers of protection. Likewise, motion detectors in your home will likely pick up people breaking in. Do they offer 100% protection? No. But do they help? Yes.

Security is no different for your computer system. Like I said, you just have to do your research and not be serenaded into parting with your hard earned cash by some fancy sales pitch and some grossly exaggerated claim to keep you safe and secure. No antivirus solution can do that completely. Some security experts say they offer minimal protection in this regard and that far too many people put far too much trust into them making their computer invincible. However, they offer protection nonetheless. And if you shop around, learn about individual features, capabilities, performance, look at independent tests and reviews etc if you find a decent product you will benefit from paying for it. This goes without saying.

Free vs Premium you will always get more when you pay. If you compare the ability of Windows Defender to the best paid alternative on the market right now you'll see marked differences in overall performance, protection and capabilities. Windows Defender actually has some of the lower scores for detection and removal of malware. But this can be expected as it is often the gateway to your computer as most people simply use Windows Defender because it's there when they first turn on the computer and it's easier to keep it running rather han shopping and getting an alternative. Windows Defender gets hit A LOT and it really doesn't stand up well against attacks. It is the first to be hit whenever malware attacks your computer. It is the first target and so this in and of itself makes your computer vulnerable to begin with. It really doesn't have a good history in terms of consistent protection against malware and assorted threats. It has got better over the years but is by no means up there among the highest rated solutions. And so I would just bare this in mind.

Like I said, you get what you pay for. And if you shop around, do your research, be involved in the process of learning and understanding what you are paying for and what it does, you will get a lot more than what free software can offer.

ignatzatsonic said:

I have read nothing about "lose effectiveness". What have you read? The significant difference between paid and free is that free does NOT supposedly prevent bad stuff from getting on your PC. Instead, it removes bad stuff after a manual scan. The paid version is intended to prevent as well as remove. As far as I know, the paid version does NOT remove stuff any better than the free version.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/why-us/

If only the free version of Malwarebytes for Windows is used, nearly every bit of the left side of the above webpage is not enabled. In the case of 0-day and/or polymorphic attacks, the likelihood of overlapping protection is entirely crippled. Even in light of the significant improvements of the Windows 10 product, the risks are unacceptably high. Everyday proof of this lies in the various malware removal forums. The Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit (AE module) and Anti-Ransomware (ARW module) protections have always been unique and remarkably effective.

e.g. In the absence of extremely recent backups, virtually nothing can help the victims of successful ransomware attacks if effective, multilevel, AI/Heuristics are inactive/absent. A hapless user gains no comfort from after-the-fact malware removal if their computer's valuable data is now sequestered with undecipherable military grade encryption or being marketed on the darknet.
HTH