TechRadar Review Finds Malwarebytes Data Removal Tool Locked to $280 Ultimate Plan

The review described the product as one part of a broader cybersecurity suite best known for its antivirus software, and listed a user-friendly interface, comprehensive support resources and an advanced security feature set among the reasons to buy it. It cited limited broker coverage and the absence of manually drafted deletion requests as reasons to avoid it.

Malwarebytes sells the Personal Data Remover only inside its Ultimate plan, which costs $280 a year and is discounted by half to $140 for the first year, according to the review. That tier covers three devices and bundles antivirus protection, a VPN and identity protection. A family version covering 10 devices costs $400 a year, or $200 in the first year. The cheaper Standard plan at $60 a year and Plus plan at $80 a year exclude the data removal tool, which the reviewer called a drawback, writing that a standalone version usable alongside other antivirus and VPN products would be preferable.

The service is offered only to U.S. residents, the review said. Users elsewhere can turn to Malwarebytes' free Digital Footprint Scanner, which checks an email address against known data breaches and alerts the user if a linked account was compromised, but that tool cannot search people-finder sites or send deletion requests.

Setup follows a fixed sequence: activating a subscription or 14-day free trial on the website, signing in to Malwarebytes, opening the Secure Hub page and clicking "Activate Now" on the Personal Data Remover entry. The user then enters a first and last name, state, city and other details, and Malwarebytes scans people-finder sites for matching records. The review said a scan can take a few hours to several days depending on how many sites hold the data, with an email alert sent when it finishes.

Coverage extends to more than 100 popular people-finder sites that aggregate data on U.S. residents, a smaller list than the reviewer encountered on rival platforms. Malwarebytes states that the tool is built for the U.S. market and does not offer global coverage. When a scan ends, the dashboard displays the sites found holding the user's data, and deletion requests can be started from that screen, with Malwarebytes sending automated requests and tracking the progress of each one. For sites where automated requests do not work, the company offers guidance through its manual opt-out process, though the review noted this is not the same as sending manually written requests directly to a site.

Malwarebytes also provides a 14-day free trial of the Ultimate plan and a 60-day money-back guarantee for customers who are not satisfied after paying, the review said.

The review set out the problem the category addresses: personal information posted online tends to remain there and can be collected by people-finder sites, also called data brokers, which sell it to subscribers. Data removal platforms scan those sites for a user's details and then file deletion requests on the user's behalf. TechRadar published its assessment of the Malwarebytes tool against that standard, weighing its bundled security features against its narrower site coverage and its lack of manual requests.