Comparison

Malwarebytes vs Scam Scanner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Malwarebytes

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
Read full description

Malwarebytes delivers mobile security and digital protection beyond your device. We help protect you against online scams, harmful websites, annoying ads, sketchy calls, identity risks, and more. From banking to personal accounts, your phone carries some of your most important information. Malwarebytes keeps you safe with simple, smart security. Malwarebytes is designed for everybody: professionals, families, and first-time smartphone users. No complicated setup. No IT expertise needed. Just easy protection that safeguards your digital life. Start your 7-day free trial to unlock all features. SCAM & CALL PROTECTION Scammers use fake calls, texts, malicious links, and websites to imitate banks, delivery services, retailers, and other trusted brands. Alongside robocall filtering, Malwarebytes helps protect against: - Suspicious text scams and phishing attempts - Malicious links and unsafe websites - Brand impersonation and social engineering attacks - Annoying spam calls SAFER BROWSING & AD BLOCKER Web Protection: Blocks phishing sites and risky links before you enter payment or personal data. Ad blocking: Reduce intrusive ads and trackers while browsing. FAST VPN FOR PRIVATE BROWSING Incognito alone does not hide all of your online activity. Malwarebytes VPN helps protect your privacy on public Wi-Fi or while traveling. Encrypt your internet connection for added privacy Shield your IP address from trackers and advertisers Browse more safely on public Wi-Fi IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION Your email addresses, passwords, and personal information may be exposed in data breaches without you knowing. Digital Footprint Scanner: Run an email scan and check where your personal information may have been leaked. Data breach insights: See where your information may have been exposed and review steps to help secure affected accounts. 24/7 monitoring: Get real-time support and up to $2 million in identity theft insurance WHY CHOOSE MALWAREBYTES? - Mobile security against scams, spam calls, sketchy websites, and more privacy risks. - Built by Malwarebytes, with 17+ years as a trusted name in antivirus and cybersecurity. - Secure VPN and digital footprint tools for added privacy - Simple protection without complicated setup - No third-party ads in the Malwarebytes app - 4 million daily threats blocked Malwarebytes for iOS FAQs: - Can Malwarebytes help protect my iPhone from scam texts and phishing links? Malwarebytes helps detect suspicious text scams, phishing attempts, malicious links, and brand impersonation. - Can Malwarebytes protect me on public Wi-Fi? Malwarebytes VPN encrypts your internet connection, protects your privacy on public Wi-Fi, and alerts you to turn on VPN whenever you join an unsecure network. - Can Malwarebytes check whether my information was exposed in a data breach? The Digital Footprint Scanner checks your email against known data breaches and shows you how to secure your accounts. - Does Malwarebytes scan iPhones for viruses? Because of iOS platform restrictions, Malwarebytes does not perform traditional malware-file scans on iPhone. Instead, it focuses on proactive protection against phishing sites, scam texts, spam calls, malicious links, and unsafe websites. TRIAL & DEVICE INFORMATION 7-day free trial: Unlock device protection features during the trial (Identity Theft Protection not included). Premium features require a subscription after the trial unless canceled. Manage your subscription in Apple ID settings. Family Sharing: Premium subscription features are not eligible for Family Sharing. Compatible with iOS 18 or later with an active internet connection. iPad users can benefit from Web Protection (Premium) and Ad Blocking (Included) for safer Safari browsing. Identity Protection features vary by region. Terms: https://www.malwarebytes.com/tos EULA: https://www.malwarebytes.com/eula

About

Scam Scanner

Instantly detect potential scams from emails, texts, mail, and even physical items using advanced AI. Get clear explanations and community insights to protect yourself and your loved ones from fraud.

Highlights
  • AI-powered scam detection
  • Scan emails, texts, mail, and products
  • Instant analysis and explanations
  • Community scam trends
  • AI Safety Coach (premium)
Features
Read full description

How It Works Simply point your camera at any suspicious message, email, letter, currency, text, physical mail, or product and within seconds, our advanced AI analyzes the content and helps determine whether it appears safe or potentially suspicious — complete with a clear explanation of what to watch out for. Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from Scams Every day, millions of people receive suspicious emails, texts, calls, and letters designed to steal money and personal information. Scam Scanner puts the power of AI in your pocket to help detect potential scams before it’s too late. Why Scam Scanner? • Instant AI Detection — Powered by advanced AI technology, Scam Scanner helps recognize common scam tactics like fake urgency, phishing attempts, impersonation scams, and fraudulent notices. • Who’sThat? Reverse Lookup — Got a suspicious call or text? Premium users can use Who’sThat? to quickly view publicly available information and scam-related indicators that may help identify whether a number appears trustworthy or potentially suspicious. • Designed for Everyone — Large buttons, high-contrast text, and simple navigation make Scam Scanner easy to use for people of all ages and technical abilities. • Community Protection — Stay informed with our community feed showing trending scams and suspicious activity reported by other users. • AI Guardian — Premium members get access to Guardian, a personal AI assistant that can answer fraud and scam protection questions in a calm, easy-to-understand way. • Peace of Mind — Stop second-guessing suspicious messages, calls, and emails. Scan them in seconds and make more informed decisions. Perfect For: • Seniors wanting extra protection from scams • Families helping protect loved ones online • Anyone who receives suspicious calls, texts, emails, or mail and wants quick answers Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Malwarebytes4 screens
Scam Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Scam Scanner at 100% against Malwarebytes's 48%. Scam Scanner also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Malwarebytes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (112K vs 12). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Malwarebytes sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Scam Scanner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scam Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Malwarebytes has 112K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Malwarebytes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Scam Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Malwarebytes versus Scam Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMalwarebytesScam Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (112K ratings)5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings112K — better12
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#36 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMalwarebytesHappy Grandma Senior Tech Support, LLC

Customer experience

Malwarebytes

All ratings112,154 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews2,974 reviews
Positive47.7%
Neutral9.2%
Negative43.1%

Scam Scanner

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Malwarebytes

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Scam Scanner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Malwarebytes

Subscriptions6
  • Standard7 Days trial$2.491 Month
  • Standard7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Plus7 Days trial$44.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Standard (3 devices)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Plus (3 devices)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Advanced1 Year trial$139.991 Year
4 purchases

Scam Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Whose That Credit Pack$9.99
  • Scan pack$14.99

Questions

Is Malwarebytes free?
Malwarebytes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scam Scanner free?
Scam Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Malwarebytes or Scam Scanner?
Scam Scanner is rated higher. Malwarebytes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 112K ratings, while Scam Scanner averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.
Do Malwarebytes or Scam Scanner have ads?
Scam Scanner shows ads; Malwarebytes does not.
Which is updated more often, Malwarebytes or Scam Scanner?
Malwarebytes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Scam Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, Malwarebytes was updated on October 26, 2026 and Scam Scanner on October 24, 2026.

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