An honest look at the free and paid tools that read a suspicious text, email or link and tell you what they think.
When a text says your package is stuck, your account is locked or you owe a toll, the useful question is simple: is this real? Several security companies now offer tools that read a suspicious message and tell you what they think. Some are free, some are paid, and they work in different places — an app, a website, a chat on WhatsApp.
This page compares the options we think are worth knowing about, including our own app, Shieldr. We've tried to be fair: several of these tools are free and work on Android, and Shieldr is neither. Every detail about another company's product comes from that company's own website or App Store listing, linked at the bottom. Prices and features change, so treat this as accurate as of September 2026.
| Option | Works on | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward to 7726 + FTC | Any phone | Free | Reporting a text you already know is spam |
| Norton Genie | iPhone, Android, web, and as an app in ChatGPT | Free | A free check on any device, no sign-in on the web |
| Bitdefender Scamio | Web, WhatsApp, Messenger, Discord | Free (Bitdefender account required) | People who'd rather check inside a chat app they already use |
| Malwarebytes Scam Guard | Malwarebytes app on iPhone, iPad and Android; Windows and Mac | Free, inside the Malwarebytes app | Malwarebytes users, or anyone who wants checks on phone and computer |
| Trend Micro ScamCheck | iPhone and Android | Free download; Scam Check is a premium feature after a 30-day trial | People who also want spam call and text filtering in one app |
| Shieldr | iPhone only | Paid: from $9.99/month or $39.99/year | iPhone users checking texts, voicemails and letters, often for a parent |
Before any app, there's a free option built into every phone plan. The FTC says to copy a spam text and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), which helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages. It also suggests using the "report junk" option in your messaging app and filing a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (FTC)
The catch: 7726 doesn't reply with an answer. It's a way to report, not to check. The FTC's article does list the common patterns — fake prizes, "suspicious activity" on your account, a "problem with your payment" — and its core rule is worth memorising: legitimate companies won't ask for your account information by text.
Best for: anyone, as a habit after any check. Not for: getting a verdict on a message you're unsure about.
Norton Genie, from Gen Digital, lets you paste or upload a screenshot of a text message, social media post, email or website and get an assessment back. Norton says Genie explains why it reached its answer and what to do next, and that when it can't tell whether something is a scam, it still gives advice on next steps. (Norton)
It's free, and it's available more widely than anything else here: an iPhone app (iOS 15 or later), an Android app (Android 8 or later), and a website at genie.norton.com that works in Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox without signing in. Since March 2026 it's also an app inside ChatGPT, where you need to be signed in to ChatGPT. (Norton, Gen Digital) The App Store listing shows the iPhone app in English. (App Store)
Best for: most people who want a free second opinion, on any phone or computer. Genie is genuinely hard to beat on price and reach.
Scamio is a free chatbot from Bitdefender. You can send it a suspicious text, email, social media message, link or QR code, upload a screenshot, or describe what happened, and it tells you whether it looks safe and gives tips. (Bitdefender)
What sets it apart is where it lives: on the web, and as a contact on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Discord. You need to sign in or create a Bitdefender account once before using it. Bitdefender says Scamio understands input in any language but replies only in English, and describes it as being in an early access phase. (Bitdefender help, Bitdefender)
Best for: people who spend their day in WhatsApp or Messenger and would rather forward a message to a chat than open a separate app.
Scam Guard is an AI chat inside the Malwarebytes app. You can paste a suspicious text, email, pop-up or website, upload a screenshot, or share it from your browser, messages or photos, and it checks the content against Malwarebytes' threat databases. You can also send the item on to Malwarebytes' threat team. You need to be signed in to the Malwarebytes app. (Malwarebytes help)
Malwarebytes says Scam Guard is available to both free and paid users of its iOS and Android app, without a separate download, and since February 2026 it also works on Windows and Mac. (Malwarebytes, Malwarebytes)
Best for: people who already use Malwarebytes, or who want the same free checker on their phone and their computer.
ScamCheck is a broader scam-protection app for iPhone and Android. Its Scam Check feature looks at phone numbers, links, emails, text messages and screenshots. (Trend Micro help) The app also filters spam texts and calls, blocks risky websites, and can detect deepfake video during calls. A Family plan lets you manage protection for up to six people and get alerts when one of them runs into a scam. Trend Micro says it does not store content submitted or scanned by ScamCheck. (Trend Micro)
The app is a free download with a 30-day trial. After that it keeps working with limited free features (basic call blocking and caller ID), while Scam Check itself is a premium feature. On the US App Store, the Individual plan is $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year and the Family plan is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year. (App Store)
Best for: people who want scam checks plus call and text filtering in one paid app, at a lower monthly price than Shieldr.
Shieldr is our app, so weigh this section accordingly. You share a text, screenshot, email, voicemail, link or a photo of a paper letter to Shieldr from the iPhone share sheet, and it answers safe, suspicious or scam with a one-sentence explanation. Voicemails are transcribed and then judged. Links are checked against Google's list of known malicious sites (Google Web Risk). If there isn't enough to go on, it says so rather than guessing. After a verdict you can report the text to 7726, block the sender, or have Shieldr draft a reply.
The Family plan is built for helping relatives: you can see that a parent checked something and what the verdict was, but not what the message said. Shieldr is paid with no free tier — Solo is $9.99/month or $39.99/year, Family is $14.99/month or $59.99/year — and it only works on iPhone.
Best for: iPhone users who get voicemails and paper letters as well as texts, and adult children keeping an eye out for a parent. Not for: Android users, or anyone who wants a free tool — the free options above are reasonable choices.
Share the text, screenshot, email, voicemail or a photo of a letter to Shieldr and get a plain-English verdict — safe, suspicious or scam — with a one-sentence reason. It's one more check before you tap anything, not a guarantee.
Get Shieldr on the App StoreNone of these tools can promise a correct answer every time. Scams change quickly and some real messages look odd. Whatever you use, the safest move when money, passwords or a one-time code are involved is the same: don't use the link or number in the message. Go to the company's website or call the number on the back of your card. If you've already paid or shared details, contact your bank and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Yes. Norton Genie, Bitdefender Scamio and Malwarebytes Scam Guard are free to use, according to their makers. You can also forward a scam text to 7726 to report it to your carrier, though that reports it rather than giving you an answer.
Norton Genie, Malwarebytes Scam Guard and Trend Micro ScamCheck all have Android apps. Bitdefender Scamio works through WhatsApp, Messenger, Discord and the web, so it works on any phone. Shieldr is iPhone only.
Yes. Every one of these tools can miss a scam or flag a real message. Use the answer as a second opinion, and when money or account access is involved, contact the company directly using a number or website you looked up yourself.
Competitor details below come from each company's own pages and App Store listings, checked in September 2026. Prices are US prices and may change.