MalCare
by MalCare
Off-server malware scanning and one-click clean-up, so scans do not slow the site down.
This link may earn us a commission. It never changes our rating.
What MalCare does
Off-server malware scanning and one-click clean-up, so scans do not slow the site down.
It sits in the security part of a WordPress stack and is sold by MalCare on a freemium basis. We recommend it in our security guides because it does that one job well without asking you to rebuild the rest of the site around it.
Every plugin adds work to a page request, so treat this as a decision with a cost. Record a speed test before you install it and run the same test afterwards, on the same page, so you know exactly what it charged you.
Real user ratings
Score
4.4/5
Reviews
548
Active installs
200,000+
Downloads
18.7M
Latest version
6.72
Last updated
2026-08-28
These figures come straight from the public WordPress.org plugin directory API for version 6.72, not from us. Check them yourself on the WordPress.org listing. Our own editorial score is 4.6/5.
Where MalCare ranks elsewhere
| Publisher | List | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Kinsta | Best WordPress Security Plugins | #3 of 22 |
| WPBeginner | Best WordPress Security Plugins | #4 of 8 |
Positions are read from the published articles themselves, so they reflect that publisher's order rather than ours. Lists get re-ordered over time, so follow the link if you want the current version.
What changed in the latest version
- Tweak: Added validation checks for input params.
- New: Added email-based two-factor authentication for WordPress users.
- Improvement: Enhanced secret generation using the secure random_int function.
- Improvement: Improved connection key generation mechanism.
- New: Added file-editing and modification hardening controls.
- Tweak: Improved uptime monitoring with full-page checks.
- Tweak: Redesigned site connection and account management pages.
- Tweak: Improved firewall.
Release notes are the developer's own words, published on WordPress.org. Read the full changelog
Pros and cons
- Scanning runs on their servers
- A free tier you can trial before paying
- Actively maintained and used on production sites we test
- Clean-up features are paid
- The features most sites need sit in the paid tier
How to use it
- 1Take a full backup before enabling any blocking feature.
- 2Turn on login protection and two-factor for administrator accounts first.
- 3Schedule scans outside peak hours to protect response times.
- 4Set alerts to a monitored inbox, not the default admin address.
- 5Re-run the speed test so you know what the protection costs you.
How it compares
Other security plugins we recommend, with their rating and pricing model.
| Plugin | Our rating | WordPress.org | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MalCare | 4.6 | 4.4 (548) | Freemium | Scanning runs on their servers |
| Akismet | 4.7 | 4.7 (1,186) | Freemium | Catches almost all comment spam with no tuning |
| Antispam Bee | 4.8 | 4.8 (226) | Free | Privacy friendly spam filtering with no account |
| Duo | 4.2 | 4 (1) | Freemium | Central policy control for teams |
| Jetpack Protect | 4.3 | 4.6 (123) | Freemium | Free vulnerability alerts |
| Limit Login Attempts Reloaded | 4.8 | 4.8 (1,483) | Freemium | Big protection for almost no overhead |
Guides that cover MalCare
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