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Cybersecurity · head to head

Malwarebytes vs Soketi

Malwarebytes logo

Malwarebytes

Cybersecurity

Protects every device, everywhere

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Soketi logo

Soketi

Developer Tools

Self-hosted, Pusher-compatible WebSockets server with a stalled maintenance record

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Malwarebytes pricing page information is incomplete or dynamically loaded, making transparent pricing comparison difficult for potential customers; Soketi maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Malwarebytes and Soketi actually diverge.

Attributes where Malwarebytes and Soketi differ
AttributeMalwarebytesSoketi
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Malwarebytes

  • Malware detection & removal
  • Ransomware protection
  • Real-time protection
  • Anti-exploit
  • Anti-phishing
  • Browser Guard
  • VPN
  • Brute Force Protection

Only in Soketi

  • Pusher protocol compatibility
  • Presence and private channels
  • Horizontal scaling
  • App management backends
  • Webhooks
  • Prometheus metrics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Malwarebytes

  • Budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free versionnot Soketi
  • Organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via Premium subscriptionnot Soketi
  • Users combining antivirus with privacy via Premium plus Privacy VPN bundlenot Soketi

Soketi

  • A Laravel application that already uses Echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime providernot Malwarebytes
  • Realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasonsnot Malwarebytes
  • A local or CI environment that needs a Pusher-compatible server without hitting a paid accountnot Malwarebytes
  • A high-connection-count application where hosted per-connection pricing has become the largest line in the infrastructure billnot Malwarebytes

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Malwarebytes

  • Pricing page information is incomplete or dynamically loaded, making transparent pricing comparison difficult for potential customers
  • Specific price amounts for different tiers (Individual, Family, Small business) are not clearly displayed on the main pricing page
  • No mention of free tier or free trial duration on pricing page, unclear what features are included in each tier

Soketi

  • Maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • Dependency drift on Node and uWebSockets.js will eventually force you to fork or migrate, and that cost is unbudgeted at the point you adopt it.
  • There is no commercial support to buy, so a production incident at three in the morning is entirely your problem with no escalation path.
  • Scaling beyond a single node needs Redis and careful configuration, and getting presence channels correct across nodes is a genuine source of subtle bugs.
  • It implements the Pusher protocol rather than tracking it, so any protocol feature Pusher adds later will not appear, and the compatibility guarantee slowly decays.

Pricing, plan by plan

Malwarebytes

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Malwarebytes review.

Soketi

Free
  • SoketiFree
    • MIT licensed
    • Unlimited connections subject to your own hardware
    • No vendor billing

Which should you pick?

Choose Malwarebytes if

  • You need malware detection & removal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ransomware protection.
Malwarebytes review

Choose Soketi if

  • You need pusher protocol compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want presence and private channels.
Soketi review

Questions people ask

Is Malwarebytes or Soketi better?
Neither clearly leads. Malwarebytes starts at Free and Soketi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Malwarebytes or Soketi?
Malwarebytes starts at Free and Soketi at Free.
Does Malwarebytes or Soketi run on more platforms?
Malwarebytes runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Soketi runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Malwarebytes for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Malwarebytes best used for?
Malwarebytes is most often used for budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free version, organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via premium subscription, users combining antivirus with privacy via premium plus privacy vpn bundle. Of those, budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free version and organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via premium subscription are not what Soketi is typically brought in for.
What can Malwarebytes do that Soketi cannot?
Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Ransomware protection, Real-time protection, Anti-exploit. Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, Presence and private channels, Horizontal scaling, App management backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Malwarebytes: What is the refund policy for Malwarebytes subscriptions?

Malwarebytes offers a 60-day money back guarantee on all purchases. This allows customers to test the product across their devices (PC, Mac, Android, iOS) with full refund protection if unsatisfied.

Source
Soketi: Is Soketi still maintained?

Barely. The maintainer has stated that available time is very limited and releases have been sparse; treat it as community-maintained.

Malwarebytes: What platforms does Malwarebytes support?

Malwarebytes works on Windows PC, macOS, Android, and iOS. Multi-platform protection is available across all subscription tiers including Individual, Family, Small business, and Standard single device options.

Source
Soketi: Do I need to change my client code?

No. Pusher client SDKs and Laravel Echo work by changing the host, port and credentials.

Malwarebytes: What is included in customer support with Malwarebytes?

Free customer support is included with all Malwarebytes subscription tiers. The product is backed by a 60-day money back guarantee for risk-free purchasing.

Source
Soketi: What does it cost?

Nothing in licence fees. It is MIT licensed; you pay for the server it runs on.

Soketi: What are people moving to?

Laravel Reverb for Laravel applications, and Sockudo, a Rust reimplementation, for others.

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