MalCare offers security solutions for WordPress sites, including malware scanning, removal, and real-time protection features.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $99/year
- Category
- Security
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for MalCare
MalCare vs Password Protected
Evenly matched on the points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.
At a glance
| Feature | MalCare | Password Protected |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.7/10 (better) | 8.1/10 |
| Starts at | $99/year | See website |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Refund window | 14 days | – |
| Billing | Subscription | Free + paid plans |
| Active installs | 100K+ | 300K+ (better) |
| Last Black Friday | – | – |
| Category | Security | Security |
| Vendor | MalCare | Password Protected |
| Black Friday 2026 | Not announced | Not announced |
Which should you choose?
Choose MalCare if…
- WordPress site owners who need malware cleanup
- Agencies managing several client sites
Choose Password Protected if…
- Private sites, client previews and staging sites
- Sites that need one shared password for a section
Features
MalCare
- Malware scanner
- Malware removal
- WordPress firewall
- Login protection
- Geoblocking
- Vulnerability scanner
Password Protected
- Password protect the whole site
- Protect pages, posts and products
- Partial content protection
- Role and IP access rules
- Multiple passwords
- Bot protection
Pros and cons
MalCare
- Free version on WordPress.org with cloud malware scanning and a firewall
- Trustpilot rating of 5 stars from 231 reviews for the vendor
- 14-day free trial and 14-day money-back guarantee
- Malware cleanup included on the Repair and Fortify plans
- The Protect plan does not include malware cleanup
- Cleanup needs FTP, SFTP or SSH access to the server
- The plugin needs a MalCare account to run
Password Protected
- Free on WordPress.org
- Can protect the whole site, single pages, or only part of a page
- Lightweight, with no user accounts required
- Pro pricing is not shown on the WordPress.org plugin page
- Ownership moved from Ben Huson to WPExperts in 2022, according to WP Tavern
- Visitors without the password see no site content, so it does not suit public sites
Pricing plans
MalCare
ProtectStarts here
$99/year
1 site sites
- Daily scans
- Firewall, virtual patching, geo-blocking and bot protection
- Malware cleanup not included
Repair
$299/year
1 site sites
- Prevention plus malware cleanup
- Scans every 12 hours
- Expert response within 24 hours
Fortify
$499/year
1 site sites
- Hourly scanning
- Unlimited manual security fixes
- Expert response within 6 hours
Password Protected
Plans not listed. See Password Protected pricing
MalCare vs Password Protected questions
Is MalCare better than Password Protected?
They're evenly matched on the points we can measure. Pick by features and budget.
Which is cheaper, MalCare or Password Protected?
MalCare starts at $99/year and Password Protected starts at See website.
Can I get MalCare or Password Protected cheaper on Black Friday?
Both are on our Black Friday tracker. We'll add each discount the moment it goes live.
Both products
Easily make your entire WordPress content private in minutes.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- See site
- Category
- Security
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for Password Protected
