Malwarebytes Free with Avast

[Dinobot2]

I use Avast Free Antivirus as my main AV and I use Malwarebytes Free. Avast runs as my real-time antivirus protection, recognized by Windows Security Center, and MB Free, obviously, is only the on-demand scanner with no real time shields or any of the other Premium features. Windows Defender's real time is also off (as is the case when Avast installs), but I have periodic scans turned on which is just a quick scan once a day.

Now, I am aware that you should not use more than one active real-time AV on a device as they can interfere with each other and cause a whole host of problems. However, because I only have Malwarebytes Free, conventional wisdom and past experience tells me that I can have both since there will be only one real-time AV running (Avast). Malwarebytes even recognizes my AV is on and will say that it's turned off if I temporarily disable Avast's shields.

The one thing I have still seen though is that exceptions need to be added to each scan, listing the files of the other, so that they don't pull up in the scan. However, I have done multiple scans with each since I have had both on my system, and neither have shown up on the other scan. This is the case in full C drive scans and targeted scans of the other AV's Program Files and ProgramData folders.

So I have a few questions

1. Is the risk of interference between Avast and Malwarebytes, including picking the other one in their respective scans, only with the Premium version due to the conflicting real-time shields?
2. Are there any other risks of having Malwarebytes Free along with Avast Free Antivirus that I should be aware of? Do they mess with each other's scans in ways that aren't necessarily visible?
3. Malwarebytes Free doesn't run in the background as I close it when i'm not using it and I don't have it automatically start when Windows starts, but if I'm running a manual, on-demand scan, would that somehow interfere with my Avast real time shield?

And just to establish: No, I don't plan to run manual scans from both at the same time.

[Malwarebytes]

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[Porthos]

10 minutes ago, Dinobot2 said:

Is the risk of interference between Avast and Malwarebytes, including picking the other one in their respective scans, only with the Premium version due to the conflicting real-time shields?

Not with the free.

11 minutes ago, Dinobot2 said:

Are there any other risks of having Malwarebytes Free along with Avast Free Antivirus that I should be aware of? Do they mess with each other's scans in ways that aren't necessarily visible?

No problem at all with the free.

12 minutes ago, Dinobot2 said:

Malwarebytes Free doesn't run in the background as I close it when i'm not using it and I don't have it automatically start when Windows starts, but if I'm running a manual, on-demand scan, would that somehow interfere with my Avast real time shield?

No, it won't.

The only issue with Avast and Malwarebytes premium is the conflicts with the web protection of premium.

Please refer to this support article which lists several known applications which conflict with the Web Protection in Malwarebytes currently, which includes Avast

If it makes you "feel" better,

You could create exclusions between Malwarebytes and Your AV to help prevent any possible conflicts or performance issues.  Please add the items listed in this support article to Your AV's allow list(s)/trust list(s)/exclusion list(s), particularly for any of its real-time protection components and likewise add Your AV's program folder(s) (likely located under C:\Program Files and/or C:\Program Files (x86)) to Malwarebytes' Allow List using the method described under the Allow a file or folder section of this support article and do the same for its primary data folder which is likely located under C:\ProgramData (you may need to show hidden files and folders to see it).

19 minutes ago, Dinobot2 said:

I don't plan to run manual scans from both at the same time.

I suggest not doing anything with the computer during a manual scan.

 

[Dinobot2]

11 minutes ago, Porthos said:

The only issue with Avast and Malwarebytes premium is the conflicts with the web protection of premium.

Please refer to this support article which lists several known applications which conflict with the Web Protection in Malwarebytes currently, which includes Avast

Stupid question then: would there have been any risk when, after installing Malwarebytes Premium, the Web Protection shield (that is available in the Premium Trial) is on for 10 seconds before I turned it off (along with the other real time shields) and turning my Premium trial into the Free version?

16 minutes ago, Porthos said:

If it makes you "feel" better,

You could create exclusions between Malwarebytes and Your AV to help prevent any possible conflicts or performance issues.  Please add the items listed in this support article to Your AV's allow list(s)/trust list(s)/exclusion list(s), particularly for any of its real-time protection components and likewise add Your AV's program folder(s) (likely located under C:\Program Files and/or C:\Program Files (x86)) to Malwarebytes' Allow List using the method described under the Allow a file or folder section of this support article and do the same for its primary data folder which is likely located under C:\ProgramData (you may need to show hidden files and folders to see it).

I suggest not doing anything with the computer during a manual scan.

 

I think i'll leave things be and leave the exceptions folders/files empty. I know it's a very small risk, but on the off chance that malware is dropped into either of those folders, I'd like to catch it. And, worst case if it flag the other files as Malware or PUP, I can just ignore them.

[Porthos]

2 minutes ago, Dinobot2 said:

Stupid question then: would there have been any risk when, after installing Malwarebytes Premium, the Web Protection shield (that is available in the Premium Trial) is on for 10 seconds before I turned it off (along with the other real time shields) and turning my Premium trial into the Free version?

No, not for that short of time.