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Cybersecurity · head to head

Malwarebytes vs Teleport

Malwarebytes logo

Malwarebytes

Cybersecurity

Protects every device, everywhere

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teleport logo

Teleport

Cybersecurity

Certificate-based access to servers, Kubernetes, databases and apps, replacing shared credentials and VPNs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Malwarebytes has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Malwarebytes pricing page information is incomplete or dynamically loaded, making transparent pricing comparison difficult for potential customers; Teleport pricing is not published and is described as active users plus protected resources, so an autoscaling estate cannot forecast the bill and finance teams discover the true cost only after the first true-up.
  • They diverge on capability: Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Teleport covers Short-lived certificates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Malwarebytes and Teleport actually diverge.

Attributes where Malwarebytes and Teleport differ
AttributeMalwarebytesTeleport
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidLinux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Cloud
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Teleport

  • Short-lived certificates
  • Protocol coverage
  • Session recording and replay
  • Access Requests
  • Device Trust
  • Identity provider integration
  • Machine identity
  • FIPS and FedRAMP builds

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 Teleport
  • Organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via Premium subscriptionnot Teleport
  • Users combining antivirus with privacy via Premium plus Privacy VPN bundlenot Teleport

Teleport

  • Removing long-lived SSH keys and shared database passwords so that offboarding an engineer takes one action in the identity providernot Malwarebytes
  • Producing session recordings and per-user database audit trails as direct evidence for SOC 2 or FedRAMPnot Malwarebytes
  • Giving contractors or on-call engineers time-boxed, approved access to production instead of standing admin rightsnot Malwarebytes
  • Replacing a flat VPN with per-resource authorisation across servers, Kubernetes and internal web appsnot 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

Teleport

  • Pricing is not published and is described as active users plus protected resources, so an autoscaling estate cannot forecast the bill and finance teams discover the true cost only after the first true-up.
  • The proxy is a hard dependency on reaching production, so it needs its own high availability deployment and a tested break-glass path or an outage in Teleport becomes an outage in your ability to respond to outages.
  • The open source Community Edition omits Access Requests, Device Trust and the FIPS builds, which are exactly the controls an auditor asks about, so the free tier rarely survives a compliance review.
  • Self-hosting means running and upgrading a certificate authority and its backing store, and Teleport releases frequently enough that upgrade work becomes a standing operational commitment.
  • Coverage across protocols is uneven in depth, so teams with legacy systems, unusual databases or bespoke network appliances find gaps that still require the old VPN to remain in place alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Malwarebytes

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Malwarebytes review.

Teleport

On request
  • Teleport Community Edition$undefined/year
    • Open source, self-hosted
    • SSH, Kubernetes, database and app access
    • Session recording
  • Teleport Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Cloud-hosted or self-hosted
    • Access Requests and approval workflow
    • Device Trust and hardware key enforcement

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 Teleport if

  • You need short-lived certificates.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want protocol coverage.
Teleport review

Questions people ask

Is Malwarebytes or Teleport better?
Neither clearly leads. Malwarebytes starts at Free and Teleport at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Malwarebytes or Teleport?
Malwarebytes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Malwarebytes and On request for Teleport.
Does Malwarebytes or Teleport run on more platforms?
Malwarebytes runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Teleport runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use Malwarebytes for free?
Yes. Malwarebytes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Teleport starts at On request.
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 Teleport is typically brought in for.
What can Malwarebytes do that Teleport cannot?
Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Ransomware protection, Real-time protection, Anti-exploit. Teleport covers Short-lived certificates, Protocol coverage, Session recording and replay, Access Requests.

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
Teleport: Is the open source edition usable in production?

Yes, but it lacks Access Requests, Device Trust and FIPS builds, which most compliance programmes end up requiring.

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
Teleport: How is it priced?

Not publicly. The vendor prices on active users and protected resources and provides a quote after a sales conversation.

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
Teleport: What happens if Teleport goes down?

Nobody reaches the resources behind it, so you need a highly available deployment and a documented break-glass procedure.

Teleport: Does it replace our VPN?

For anything you put behind it, yes. Legacy systems and appliances it does not support will keep the VPN alive.

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