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MetaDefender vs VirusTotal comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

MetaDefender
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
6th
Ranking in Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP)
7th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (16th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (6th)
VirusTotal
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
4th
Ranking in Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP)
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Anti-Malware Tools category, the mindshare of MetaDefender is 2.1%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VirusTotal is 3.1%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Anti-Malware Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
VirusTotal3.1%
MetaDefender2.1%
Other94.8%
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Pavan Ingaleshwar - PeerSpot reviewer
Soc Analyst at ISECURION
Multi-engine analysis has strengthened file security and now stops hidden threats in attachments
I think scanning time can sometimes be a bit slow for larger files, and the user interface could be improved. The licensing cost is somewhat high for smaller organizations like ours, so these are my personal suggestions for improvement. They should consider integrating live threat intelligence data so that if any attachment is detected in a security environment somewhere in the world, it could show where else this file has been delivered. I would rate MetaDefender an eight out of ten, primarily because it experiences slight delays in scanning larger files, and both the user interface and pricing could be optimized.
Chinmay Banerjee - PeerSpot reviewer
Advisor Adtech/Martech/API product/project Engineering at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Helps businesses collect threat data while keeping privacy in mind and apable of detecting, blocking, and removing viruses and malware
There are two gray areas I still need to explore. I have worked with VirusTotal because it easily integrates with over seventy antivirus scanners and blacklisting services. In addition to those there is much scope to improve and add other services or integrations. The areas for improvement are that VirusTotal is not using much AI or generative AI models, while other competitors are starting to build them. For example, VirusTotal's work is based on the setup done by their engineers. If you want to do scanning or protection activities for a specific site, app, or device, that is the area VirusTotal is currently focused on. But other competitors are building AI models that can do things like left-side scanning and provide auto-generated reports. VirusTotal has predefined reports, but there is a lot of manual effort involved. Secondly, the API is very limited if I want to integrate VirusTotal with other applications. They need to build more connectors and provide support for Webhook connectors for the API. If you can't build your own connector, it's always good to have provisions for Webhook setup connectors across platforms. Thirdly, Kaspersky, a competitor of VirusTotal, is using a methodology called "gatekeeper." A gatekeeper is a security system that protects the inside of a building from outside threats. This is the model Kaspersky is currently using. You have your website set up, but the entire army of VirusTotal or Kaspersky is standing guard, protecting you from the first gate itself. Right now, VirusTotal detects threats from your domain, but it is always better to verify inside the domain and protect it from the first level when people or malware are entering. This first level of protection is lacking in VirusTotal right now. The security bridge and protection gate are missing.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"MetaDefender has positively impacted my organization by reducing the risk of file-based attacks, which has significantly improved our overall defense against phishing and malware delivery techniques."
"For one of my clients, a major bank in Turkey, they reported saving approximately 30 percent of their SOC time on analyzing emails since implementing MetaDefender."
"Overall, MetaDefender is a strong solution for file security, especially for handling email attachments and downloadable files."
"I like the simplicity, the way it works out of the box. It's pretty easy to run and configure. The integration of the network devices with the ICAP server was easily done."
"The best feature of MetaDefender is that it can isolate USB devices from the connected network, blocks malware and unsafe files, and ensures all endpoints follow security policy, so that my organization remains safe and reduces the risk of these threats."
"Overall, MetaDefender is a strong solution for file security, especially for handling email attachments and downloadable files."
"MetaDefender is 100% stable, making it one of the best cybersecurity solutions we offer, which provides confidence in promoting and recommending it to others."
"MetaDefender is 100% stable, making it one of the best cybersecurity solutions we offer, which provides confidence in promoting and recommending it to others."
"VirusTotal provides 95% to 98% accurate information."
"VirusTotal provides 95% to 98% accurate information."
"With VirusTotal, I can check for any hash, malware, file, domain, IP URL, or malicious URL, and Kaspersky stays clean."
"It allows us to see if there have been previous reports on certain indicators of compromise, providing insights from other security professionals."
"The initial setup is easy."
"It can scan the dark web and find if an email ID has been compromised. This is another area that we have not explored yet."
"It provides detailed insights into possible malicious behavior, dropped files, and TCP connections."
"It gives detailed information about suspicious IPs, which is one of its most valuable features."
 

Cons

"The main improvement needed is pricing because, as an enterprise solution, smaller partners do not often receive the attention they deserve."
"The licensing cost is somewhat high for smaller organizations like ours, so these are my personal suggestions for improvement."
"While MetaDefender's mail gateway already gives fewer false positives, there is still room for improvement in reducing those even further."
"What I would like to see improved in MetaDefender includes reducing the high cost of the license, as the pricing is very high."
"The UI can be more user-friendly, and initial steps and policy tuning take some time."
"I think scanning time can sometimes be a bit slow for larger files, and the user interface could be improved."
"The main improvement needed is pricing because, as an enterprise solution, smaller partners do not often receive the attention they deserve."
"Some capabilities are lacking in reporting because we do not have full statistics that are easy for users to understand."
"VirusTotal needs better advertisement and promotion, especially in the Middle East, since it is not yet widely recognized or popular in that region."
"They can improve the telemetry. Whenever we handle a sample, they cannot provide any information about a victim."
"They can improve the telemetry. Whenever we handle a sample, they cannot provide any information about a victim."
"I would like to see an improved user interface and some automation."
"VirusTotal has different versions, and sometimes the parameters of the API are not very clear."
"I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy."
"I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy."
"I would like to see improved correlation with other threat intelligence sources, not just reliant on its own database, to enhance the database of threat intelligence that VirusTotal offers."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We bought a three-year license, and that was pretty expensive. We agreed that it was really worth buying. It could be cheaper, but we understand that quality comes at a price."
"VirusTotal is an expensive solution."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"We are using VirusTotal with free licenses, managing the license limits across three or four accounts, thus incurring no costs."
"The pricing is very economical."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Healthcare Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MetaDefender?
I do not find it cost-effective, as the costing is high.
What needs improvement with MetaDefender?
I am not using the expanded file type and archive coverage feature because I was unaware of it. I am not using the enhanced reporting and audit visibility features, and I am unsure about them. Rega...
What is your primary use case for MetaDefender?
The use cases for MetaDefender involve checking an endpoint, such as a laptop or USB, to ensure that they are safe, clean, and meet security policy before they connect to the network. I can use it ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VirusTotal?
I do not know about the pricing or licensing as our organization services VirusTotal for our clients.
What needs improvement with VirusTotal?
I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy. VirusTotal should add more details like those from competitors such as URL Void or Symantec URL Checker, which show the categ...
What is your primary use case for VirusTotal?
As I work in an incident response role, my daily task is to mitigate the security alert and perform the analysis part. When any alerts come, I check the IPs from where they originate and the locati...
 

Also Known As

OPSWAT MetaDefender, MetaDefender Core
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about MetaDefender vs. VirusTotal and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.