# Merv vs PhishGuard

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PhishGuard at none against Merv's 2. Merv's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merv sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. PhishGuard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merv ships an update fortnightly, PhishGuard monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merv | PhishGuard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Size | 103 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | **26.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Protective IQ Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1803557144) | [Satish Nagdev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1838887903) |

## What reviewers say

### Merv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merv/id6749407173)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access (1 Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| All Access (1 Year) | $99.99 | per year |


### PhishGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phishguard/id6755875408)

**Features:** Safari Extension

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merv free?

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

### Is PhishGuard free?

PhishGuard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Merv or PhishGuard have ads?

Neither Merv nor PhishGuard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merv or PhishGuard?

Merv ships an update fortnightly, and PhishGuard monthly. Most recently, Merv was updated on October 15, 2026 and PhishGuard on October 14, 2026.

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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.*