Glarysoft Malware Hunter Review: Can It Perform Well in 2024?

Malware Hunter in 2024

Glarysoft's Malware Hunter is a well-known player in the antivirus world, and I couldn't resist the urge to put it to the test. As a cybersecurity enthusiast, I'm always on the lookout for software that can keep our digital lives safe without breaking the bank or slowing down our devices.

In this Malware Hunter review, I'll take you through its features, performance, and overall value. You'll learn:

• How easy it is to buy and install Malware Hunter
• What the user interface looks like and how user-friendly it is
• How well it performs in real-world malware detection tests
• Whether its additional tools are worth your time
• If it will slow down your computer

So, let's examine what Malware Hunter has to offer in 2024!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a quick overview of what I discovered during this Malware Hunter review:

What You'll Like:

• Fast and easy installation
• Easy to use interface with 40 language options
• Quick scanning capabilities
• Useful system optimization tools
• Low system resource usage

What You May Not Like:

• Limited malware detection in my tests
• No file encryption feature
• Lack of advanced customization options for some tools

What Makes This Malware Hunter Review Different?

Many antivirus reviews you'll find online are simply repeating information from the product's website. They don't actually test the software or provide real insights based on hands-on experience.

I wanted to do things differently. For this Malware Hunter review, I purchased the Pro version of Malware Hunter and installed it on my Dell XPS laptop running Windows 11. I spent several days testing every feature, running scans, and seeing how it impacted my system's performance.

Throughout this article, you'll find many screenshots I took during my testing process. These images provide visual proof of my experience and help you understand exactly what you can expect from Malware Hunter.

Buying Malware Hunter

When I decided to test Malware Hunter, I opted for the Pro (paid) version to get access to all features. The buying process was uncomplicated, but there were a few things worth noting.

On the product page, I clicked the "Subscribe Now" button, which took me to the purchase screen. Here's what you need to know about the buying process:

1. You can select the quantity of licenses you want to purchase.
2. You'll need to provide your email, name, country, and VAT ID (if applicable).
3. Payment options include debit card, PayPal, and wire transfer.
4. Glarysoft offers additional utilities you can add to your cart, such as Glary Utilities Pro and File Recovery Pro.
5. Before completing your purchase, you must check the "Confirm Subscription" box.

After a successful payment, I received a confirmation page with my Cleverbridge reference number, license key, and a download link for the installer. Glarysoft also sent me an email with the same information, which I appreciated as a backup.

Installation

With the installer downloaded, I was ready to set up Malware Hunter on my laptop. The installation process was refreshingly simple:

The installation window for Malware Hunter

1. I ran the installer and was prompted to choose the installation folder.
2. There was an option to join the Glarysoft Experience Improving Program.
3. The entire installation took just one minute to complete.

After opening the program for the first time, I had to activate it using the license key to access all features. This was easily done by clicking the "Activate Now" button and entering my email and license key.

Interface

Glarysoft has done a good job with Malware Hunter's user interface. It's well-organized and easy to navigate, which is crucial for an antivirus program.

The main interface of Malware Hunter showing the Protection tab

The dominant colors are blue and white, giving it a clean and professional look. At the top of the window, you'll find information about the selected tab. For example, the Protection tab shows the number of blocked threats and the last activity.

The main tabs include:

• Protection
• Virus Scan
• Speedup
• Cleanup
• Settings

One thing to note is that the window isn't resizable, which might be an issue for some users. There are also no themes available, but you do get to choose from an impressive list of 40 languages in the General settings.

In the General settings tab, you can change the language and configure the auto update settings.

Speaking of settings, there are several options worth mentioning:

• Load on Windows startup
• Auto Update (with automatic component and program updates for Pro users)
• PC Booster (a small utility that opens when enabled)
• Startup Helper (shows boot time after startup)
• Experience Improvement Program

I particularly liked the PC Booster feature durign my Malware Hunter review tests, which provides a quick overview of your system's performance:

The PC Booster utility provides information about system performance

Major Features

Let’s review the notable aspects of Malware Hunter. We’ll see what differentiates it and why it could be ideal for meeting your security standards.

Active Protection (Real-Time Threat Detection)

Active Protection is Malware Hunter's first line of defense against threats. It's designed to catch malware as soon as it attempts to infect your system.

Active Protection settings provides various protection layers

The feature includes several layers of protection that can be enabled or disabled:

• Downloaded File Scan (internet protection)
• USB Drive Protection
• Scan File When Saved
• Scan File When Opened
• Registry Protection

In the Active Protection settings, you can configure how the software responds to threats and which file types it monitors. I appreciated the flexibility this offered, allowing me to tailor the protection to my needs.

Scan

Malware Hunter offers several scanning options to help you keep your system clean. You can find these in the Virus Scan tab.

The Virus Scan tab includes the quick, full, and custom scans.

During any scan, you can see the types of files being checked, including malware, system synthesis, startup items, drivers, common apps, registry security, and key positions. I found this level of detail helpful in understanding what the software was doing.

Quick Scan

The quick scan searches for threats in critical files on your computer. In my Malware Hunter review test, it took about 2.5 minutes to complete and scanned 10,000 files. However, I was a bit disappointed that it only detected one adware threat and failed to resolve it when I clicked the "Resolve" button. Robust antivirus alternatives like McAfee and Kasperksky perfmored a bit better in my tests.

The Quick Scan detected a single threat

Full Scan

The full scan is more thorough, searching all file types on your hard drive. In my test, it took 41 minutes to finish and scanned 411,000 files. It detected the same adware threat as the quick scan but was able to resolve it this time.

Results of a Full Scan showing one resolved threat

One concern I had was that neither the quick scan nor the full scan detected several malware files I had intentionally downloaded for testing purposes. This raised some questions about the effectiveness of Malware Hunter's detection capabilities.

Custom Scan

Malware Hunter also offers a custom scan option, allowing you to choose specific files or folders to scan. This can be useful if you want to check only certain areas of your system.

Scheduled Scan

For those who prefer automated protection, Malware Hunter includes a scheduled scan feature. You can configure the type of scan (quick or full), frequency (daily, monthly, or weekly), and set conditions like skipping the scan when CPU usage is high or when running on battery power.

The scheduled Scan settings allow you to customize automated scans

System Speedup

The Speedup module is designed to optimize your computer's performance by targeting several critical areas:

The Speedup module showing various optimization options

• Startup items
• Scheduled tasks
• Application services
• System services
• Plug-ins
• Network performance optimization

When using this tool, you need to scan your computer for potential optimizations. The scan takes a couple of minutes, and the results are organized into the areas mentioned above. During my tests for this Malware Hunter review, I found this feature particularly useful for managing startup programs and freeing up system resources.

System Cleanup

The Cleanup utility helps you remove unwanted files from your computer to improve performance and free up space. When you first use it, you need to start a new scan.

The results of a Cleanup scan includes different categories of junk files

After several seconds, Glarysoft shows you all your junk files organized by categories:

• Registry
• Junk files (from Windows OS, browsers, and applications)
• Plug-in cleanup

In my Malware Hunter review tests, I was impressed by the amount of junk data the tool was able to identify and remove:

Cleanup results: almost 15 GB of junk was removed

I managed to remove almost 15 GB of junk in just a matter of seconds, which was quite satisfying.

System Performance Impact

For my tests, I used a Dell XPS laptop with an Intel i7-1065G7 CPU @ 1.30GHz and 16 GB of RAM running on Windows 11.

While running a full scan, I observed that Glarysoft Malware Hunter consumed about 30% CPU power and 300MB of RAM. The CPU usage is slightly above the average of 25% for antivirus software, while the RAM consumption is in line with the typical 300 MB usage.

Malware Hunter Review: Conclusion

After thoroughly testing Glarysoft Malware Hunter, I have mixed feelings about the software. Here are my key takeaways for this Malware Hunter review:

• Malware Hunter is a simple antivirus solution with a fast scanning engine. However, its failure to detect several known malware files in my tests is concerning.
• The extra tools, particularly the System Speedup and Cleanup utilities, are quite effective. I was able to free up a significant amount of space and optimize my system.
• Additional features like the PC Booster and boot time display are nice touches that add value to the package.

While Malware Hunter has some strong points, its core function of malware detection left me wanting more. If you're looking for basic protection and useful system optimization tools, it might be worth considering. However, for those seeking top-tier malware protection, you may want to explore other options as well.

Norton, Bitdefender, and TotalAV are respected antivirus options to consider. Be sure to explore our top antivirus software for 2024.

Octav Fedor (Cybersecurity Editor)

Octav is a cybersecurity researcher and writer at AntivirusGuide. When he’s not publishing his honest opinions about security software online, he likes to learn about programming, watch astronomy documentaries, and participate in general knowledge competitions.