A free chatbot in WhatsApp and Messenger, or a paid iPhone app — what each checks, where it works, what it costs, and which fits you.
Bitdefender Scamio and Shieldr both answer the question you have when a message feels off: is this a scam? You hand them the text, email, link or screenshot, and they tell you what they think. The big differences are price, where they live, and what you can send them.
Shieldr is our app, so we've tried hard to be fair. Scamio is free, works on any phone or computer, and lives inside chat apps many people already use — for a lot of people that settles it. Everything we say about Scamio comes from Bitdefender's own pages, linked at the bottom, and reflects what they said as of October 2026.
| Shieldr | Bitdefender Scamio | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Shieldr | Bitdefender |
| What you can check | Texts, screenshots, emails, voicemails, links, photos of letters | Texts, emails, social media messages, links, QR codes, screenshots and images, PDFs, or a description of what happened |
| How you send it | iPhone share sheet | Chat: paste, forward or upload into a conversation with Scamio |
| Where it works | iPhone only | Web browser, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord — any device, no download |
| Price | Paid, no free tier. Solo $9.99/mo or $39.99/yr; Family $14.99/mo or $59.99/yr | Free |
| Account | Required (email or Sign in with Apple) | Bitdefender account required (sign in once) |
| Voicemails | Transcribed, then judged | Not listed on Bitdefender's pages |
| The answer | Safe, suspicious or scam, with a one-sentence reason; says so if there isn't enough to go on | A verdict with recommendations (such as delete or block the contact); asks follow-up questions when it needs more |
| After the answer | Report to 7726, block sender, or draft a reply | Recommended next steps and prevention tips |
| Helping family | Family plan: see that a relative checked something and the verdict, not the message | Not listed as a feature |
| Status | Released app | Bitdefender describes it as an AI chatbot in an early access phase |
Scamio takes a wide range of material. Bitdefender says you can describe the scam, paste in texts, links or QR codes, or upload pictures and screenshots of emails, texts and instant messages, and Scamio will tell you whether it looks safe or whether there's a threat. (Bitdefender help) Its Discord announcement adds social media posts and PDF files to the list, and says that if Scamio needs more information it will ask you and update its answer. (Bitdefender) Bitdefender says it combines AI and natural language processing with its own threat detection technologies. (Bitdefender)
Shieldr covers the everyday cases — texts, screenshots, emails and links — and adds two things people often ask about: voicemails, which it transcribes before judging, and photos of paper letters, such as a fake invoice or a “final notice” in the mail. Links are checked against Google's list of known malicious sites (Google Web Risk). It doesn't take QR codes or PDFs the way Scamio does.
This is Scamio's clearest advantage. It runs on the web at scamio.bitdefender.com/chat, and you can add it as a contact on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Discord. (Bitdefender help) Bitdefender says it works on any device or operating system with no download and no other Bitdefender product needed. (Bitdefender) If a suspicious message arrives in WhatsApp, forwarding it to another WhatsApp chat is about as easy as it gets.
Shieldr is iPhone only. You tap Share in the app where the message is and pick Shieldr. If anyone in your family uses Android or mostly checks things on a computer, Scamio will cover them and Shieldr won't.
Scamio is free. You do need to sign in to or create a Bitdefender account, once. (Bitdefender, Bitdefender help) Shieldr is paid with no free tier: Solo is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year, and Family is $14.99 a month or $59.99 a year. It also needs an account (email, or Sign in with Apple, including Hide My Email).
That's a real difference. If you get a suspicious message now and then and just want a second opinion, a free tool may be all you need.
Bitdefender says Scamio understands input in any language but replies only in English. (Bitdefender help) It describes Scamio as an AI chatbot in an early access phase and says its use is covered by Bitdefender's Privacy Policy. (Bitdefender) We didn't find a Scamio-specific explanation of how long submitted messages are kept, so we haven't made a claim about it here.
Shieldr's privacy policy says it does not store the content of the messages you check — the text, images and audio are sent for analysis and then discarded — and keeps only the verdict, the explanation and the sender's number or email where one can be extracted.
Bitdefender says Scamio gives a verdict in seconds along with recommendations for what to do next, such as deleting the message or blocking the contact, plus tips to avoid similar scams. (Bitdefender) Because it's a chat, you can ask follow-up questions.
Shieldr answers with one of three words — safe, suspicious or scam — and a one-sentence explanation. If there isn't enough to go on, it says so rather than guessing. From the answer you can forward the text to 7726, block the sender, or have Shieldr draft a reply.
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 StoreUse Bitdefender Scamio if you want something free, you use Android or a computer, you'd rather forward a message inside WhatsApp, Messenger or Discord, or you need to check a QR code or a PDF. For many people with an occasional suspicious message, it's a sensible first choice.
Use Shieldr if you're on iPhone, you'd rather share from the share sheet than open a chat, you get scam voicemails or paper letters as well as texts, or you're looking out for a parent and want the Family plan. It costs money, so it makes most sense if you check messages often or for someone else.
Whichever you pick, neither tool catches everything. If a message involves money, a password or a one-time code, contact the company directly using a number or website you looked up yourself. To compare more options, see our roundup of scam checker apps or Shieldr vs Norton Genie.
Yes. Bitdefender says Scamio is free to use. You do need to create or sign in to a Bitdefender account once. Shieldr is a paid app with no free tier.
Yes. Bitdefender offers Scamio as a contact on WhatsApp, in Facebook Messenger, on Discord and on the web, so you can forward a suspicious message to it in a chat. Shieldr works from the iPhone share sheet instead.
Shieldr transcribes a voicemail and then judges it. Bitdefender's pages list texts, emails, social media messages, links, QR codes, screenshots and PDFs for Scamio, but not audio, so for a voicemail you'd need to type out or describe what was said.
Bitdefender Scamio details come from Bitdefender's own pages, checked in October 2026. Features and availability may change. Bitdefender and Scamio are trademarks of their owner; Shieldr isn't affiliated with Bitdefender.