Good to know. There are some very entrenched folks in those Apple Communities who don’t like anything that operates as a cleaner.
I use MalwareBytes once in a while, but don’t feel the need for anything more at this point.
I use CleanMyMac, and the free version of MalwareBytes; MalwareBytes is very good at spotting adware, and my elderly neighbors often mistakenly install/allow things like toolbars or “free video players.”
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@kat634e
I read many of the posts on the link you send, and couldn’t find even one single one which specifically described a problem clearly attributable to CMM, let alone to its most recent version CMMX. It’s mostly hearsay, "I’ve heard”, “a friend said”, “it’s widely known”, he-said-she-said, or stuff which might be attributable to all malware apps, and similar stuff ad nauseam.
I get really upset when I see this kind of thing going on - bad news, running something or someone down, alleging some kind of bad thing without even an ounce of proof or fact-checking, but mindlessly passing it on. (If there is any in this case I’d like to hear about it, so we can examine it more closely.)
To repeat: No malware program I’ve ever used over about 30 or so years has ever detected, and thus never removed, any malware on any of the Macs I’ve had, so I can’t say which is better at that. A few, like Norton or ClamAV, did cause problems of one sort or another which might have been corrected in later versions. But neither MalwareBytes nor CMM or CMMx has ever caused a problem for me, and, in the end, I like CMM better. (BTW, CMM’s a Ukrainian outfit, and IMO its people are heroes, which, for me, is another reason to support them.)
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It’s gospel with some of the bazillion-point regulars in the Apple Support Communities that you don’t need third-party security apps. It might be useful if we had a list here of apps that are known to be OK.
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Clean My Mac is solid and useful. I recommend it. Has only detected adware on my Macs, thankfully.
It does a good job cleaning up cruft and running app updates too.
This thread’s title is Malwarebytes vs. CleanMyMac X. While the OP may be mostly interested in malware protection, comparing both apps in their entirety is still relevant, especially since it seems (to me) that (1) both apps’ malware protection is probably good and reliable, and (2) neither causes problems. (An older thread here https://talk.tidbits.com/t/current-recommendations-for-anti-malware-software-on-the-mac/18679, though a bit dated, speaks to this issue, and includes what seem to be some wise words about the need for malware protection on Macs.)
Malwarebytes is free (with also a paid premium version) a one-trick-pony. CMMX additionally has many clean-up routines, and the one-user cost is €40.00 ($43.00) yearly. I believe these are quite useful, and I use them regularly. (Since I lost all my data many years ago, not due to malware, and have experienced a few other problems now and then (like slow-downs, faulty Spotlight searches, messed-up perms) I also use OnyX and TechTool Pro (as well as good back-ups) to try to protect myself as much as reasonable and possible against glitches, and it seems that I’ve been pretty successful.) All this my be overkill in the eyes of some, but not for me.
So, bottom line: I like what CMMX does, I feel it’s not expensive, and the price is worth it. And, as I said, I like the company. YMMV.
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I think this is the issue. MacKeeper has been around a while and, IIRC, has a terrible reputation for causing the issues it claims to fix.
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You overgeralize, but you raise an important point. Your “bazillion” Mac users are not as homogeneous a group as you suggest. So never forget that what’s gospel in one church is often foolish, sometimes even heresy, in another. And in the absence of much reliable data, evidence, or objective truth, what we’re left with is nothing more that unsubstantiated opinionated belief. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
I have run the free tier of Malwarebytes for years on my Macs (not often, but regularly). It has never found anything. From all I gather I chalk that up to the systems actually being clean vs. Malwarebytes being a poor scanner. The fact that it has yet to discover anything on my Macs reinforces my notion that being very conservative about what you install and keeping your system lean and clean is a recipe for peace of mind.
The one thing I’d love to see in Malwarebytes free tier is an option to have it automatically scan on launch. I’d actually pay just for that (one time though, never subscription). I’m no fan of its GUI which like Zoom is based off of Electron that does not respect macOS convention. But it’s free so whatever.
Note that I didn’t say “bazillion Mac users”. I said “bazillion-point regulars” in those Apple Community discussions. You get points for contributing in ways deemed useful. I seldom go there, and have something like 4000 points. Some of the very opinionated regulars have 40,000+ points.
Which is a really problematic mental image. 
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Fixed! Sorry about that.
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My personal view on security software is that every person should determine their risk tolerance and need for additional layers of privacy and security protection based on how they use their computers and the types of data they store.
My own Mac security strategy is centered around risk management, not predictions of bad actors’ behavior. I prefer spending some time up front–and money if justified–to minimize the possibility of having to deal with the fallout of an attacker putting viruses or malware on my computer. I view anti-virus and anti-malware software as a form of insurance. Yes, it sucks that I need it but I feel that having it lets me sleep better than not having it.
Also, we are all human and we make mistakes, especially when we are in a rush, distracted, or tired. Relying on constant vigilance as protection requires perfection. I don’t reach that standard very often, especially with something that is constantly changing and morphing.
Finally, I always try to keep in mind that nobody on an Internet message board will be consistently available to help me if I follow bad advice or take an action that turns out it be ill-suited to my personal situation. The same goes for bloggers, websites, and social media.
This is the setup I use on my Mac:
Level 1 (foundation)
- Anti-virus (I use the anti-virus and Web Protection modules of Sophos Home)
- Anti-malware (I use Malwarebytes)
- Firefox browser with ad blocking and Javascript blocking add-ons (I use AdBlock Plus and NoScript) for general web browsing. I keep Safari relatively stock and only use it with a very small number of trusted websites.
Level 2 (good to use but have more convenience vs. security tradeoffs)
- Little Snitch (monitor outgoing Internet connections, essentially a reverse firewall)
- RansomWhere (anti-ransomware monitor)
- SilentKnight (utility for easily checking Apple’s own security measures in macOS for updates)
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I use both but don’t absolutely need either. 
First: +1 to what Adam said: CleanMyMac is very reputable. MacPaw is a great company. But MacKeeper is scum.
I use the version of Malwarebytes or the anti-viral component of CleanMyMac every now and then. Not on a schedule, just whenever I think of it or immediately after I stumble into something that seems questionable. They rarely find anything and it’s ever been consequential.
More important is to make sure your not-so-savvy loved ones are equipped and have good habits. I run Malwarebytes every time I work on their systems.
And even MORE important: Make sure everyone has backups because spit happens, no matter how careful we are. I make sure we all have live, in-house backups (Time Machine and disk cloning tool) plus an off-site backup (Backblaze).
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Thanks to all for the advice and opinions. I think I have decided to go with the apparent majority and continue to use CleanMyMac and downgrade to the free version of Malwarebytes. That will save me $45 per year. Thanks again,
Randy
Smoke and mirrors. Stop listening to rumors. CMM is fine. In fact it’s great.
While not wanting to get into this debate (i use Malwarebytes free, but not the others) i should mention that just because something comes out of Ukraine does not mean it comes from “good guys”. My router is set up to block intrusions from Russia and Ukraine, and i have blockages of attempted intrusions every day from both those countries. It is useful to remember two things: Russia occupies regions of Ukraine, and there are a fair number of pro-Russian citizens in Ukraine.
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"just because something comes out of Ukraine does not mean it comes from “good guys”.
Nor does it mean that it comes from bad guys, either. You’ve got to investigate and do some research. I’ve only done a little, but what I’ve found is summarized in this, which I got from Bing’s Copilot:
“MacPaw is a company that was founded and primarily operated in Kyiv, Ukraine. In response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, MacPaw has taken several steps to ensure the safety of their team members based in Ukraine and to continue their operations. They have prepared various assistance programs and launched an emergency plan.
Despite their office being located in Kyiv, they securely host all of their infrastructure and user data on Amazon Web Services, whose physical location is outside Ukraine. Their payment provider, Paddle, operates from the United Kingdom.
In terms of their stance towards Russia, MacPaw has decided to stop selling their products to users from Russia and Belarus, and the funds collected from these markets are being sent to support the Ukrainian army. They have also developed a free Mac app called SpyBuster that identifies software built by and reporting to “undesirable countries of origin” — such as Russia and Belarus.
So, while MacPaw is affected by the situation in Russia due to their location in Ukraine, they do not have any direct connection to Russia. Instead, they have taken steps to distance themselves from Russia and support Ukraine in the current conflict.”
My router is set up to block intrusions from Russia and Ukraine, and i have blockages of attempted intrusions every day from both those countries.
If any of this has named MacPaw as a bad actor or even a suspect, please report. A simple generalization like that is proof of nothing specific.
It is useful to remember two things: Russia occupies regions of Ukraine, and there are a fair number of pro-Russian citizens in Ukraine.
I think by now everybody knows that. Moreover, everybody knows that bad actors can be quite subversive and successfully disguise themselves. Further, everybody knows that disinformation and misinformation abounds all over, in fact, such things are used by all countries today.
And finally my experience (YMMV): I’ve only had good experience with CMMX, and have had no reason to suspect its creators of any maliciousness. If you’ve got evidence to the contrary, please post it.
I would never use Cleanmymac even though they have worked hard to build confidence over the years (which they certainly didn’t have at first, but most because it is fairly useless and there are free better alternatives. Malwarebytes was better before ut was bought up, but it eventually got better again. After it was bought up it could not find much malware, but Clamxav that Thomas Reed thought was doubtful was the only helpful anti-malware then – both are good now, but Apple has also stepped up the game on its own and made both less meaningful. Best is to use BlockBlock now.
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Plus BlockBlock’s developer, Objective-See, is led by a well respected Mac security expert and offers many donationware security tools and utilities. I’ve used several of its products for years now.
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