# Malwarebytes vs Phone Security

The clearest difference is monetization model: Malwarebytes at free with in-app purchases against Phone Security's subscription. Malwarebytes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (109K vs 3.3K). Phone Security's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (15 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Malwarebytes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Phone Security sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Malwarebytes against 4.6 for Phone Security. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Malwarebytes has 109K ratings behind it against 3.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Malwarebytes's written reviews are positive against 64% of Phone Security's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Malwarebytes | Phone Security |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (109K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malwarebytes-mobile-security/id1327105431/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phone-security-privacy-shield/id6737263668/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **109K** | 3.3K |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | **63.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#38** | #150 |
| Size | 128 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Malwarebytes](https://appshunter.io/developer/610302098) | [Magic Snail](https://appshunter.io/developer/1758662275) |

## What reviewers say

### Malwarebytes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/malwarebytes-mobile-security/id1327105431)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This app offers comprehensive mobile security and privacy protection for Apple devices. It includes features like ad blocking, scam text filtering, and identity protection. A free trial is available, with ongoing free protection and optional premium subscription features.

**Highlights:** Ad Blocking for Safari, Text Message Filtering, Digital Footprint Scanner, Identity Protection, Secure VPN, Web Protection, Call Protection

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard | $2.49 | per month |
| Standard | $19.99 | per year |
| Plus | $44.99 | per year |
| Standard (3 devices) | $59.99 | per year |
| Plus (3 devices) | $79.99 | per year |
| Advanced | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Keeps devices updated and protected
- 🔒 Provides security and peace of mind
- 👍 Easy to use and set up
- 🚀 Excellent protection and performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Activation and subscription issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent or non-functional features
- 🐛 Fails to block spam calls and texts
- 🔋 Drains battery life
- 💰 Expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Activation and subscription problems
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Inability to scan or detect malware on devices

**Requested features**

- Add bulk reporting of scam numbers
- Improve text message filtering
- Implement automatic updates
- Provide more comprehensive dashboard and scanning capabilities


### Phone Security

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phone-security-privacy-shield/id6737263668)

**Currently charting:** #150 Top Grossing · Utilities (US App Store)

This app helps keep your phone secure, organized, and optimized. It offers features to clean up storage by removing duplicate photos and large files, scans for security vulnerabilities, and provides detailed device information. It also includes guides for clearing app caches and offloading unused applications.

**Highlights:** Duplicate photo and large file removal, System security and update checks, Detailed device performance monitoring, Step-by-step app cache cleaning guides, Unused app offloading, One-tap cleanup scans

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $12.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $12.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Week | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| Security Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| Security Premium 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast performance
- 💡 Helpful in cleaning up phone
- 🔒 Protects privacy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Misleading about free trial

**Reported bugs**

- App gets stuck at 68% during scan
- Repeated pop-ups that can't be closed

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- More detailed analytics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Malwarebytes free?

Malwarebytes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Phone Security free?

Phone Security is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Malwarebytes or Phone Security?

Phone Security is rated higher. Malwarebytes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 109K ratings, while Phone Security averages 4.6 from 3.3K ratings.

### Do Malwarebytes or Phone Security have ads?

Phone Security shows ads; Malwarebytes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Malwarebytes or Phone Security?

Malwarebytes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Phone Security every 3 weeks. Most recently, Malwarebytes was updated on September 24, 2026 and Phone Security on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Malwarebytes or Phone Security?

Malwarebytes currently peaks at #38 in the App Store charts, and Phone Security at #150. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*