A free AI scam checker inside a full security app, or a paid iPhone app that only checks messages: what each looks at, where it works, what it costs, and which fits you.
Malwarebytes Scam Guard and Shieldr both answer the question you have when a strange text lands: is this a scam? You hand them the message and they tell you what they think and what to do next. Under the surface they're quite different products. Scam Guard is one feature of Malwarebytes' security app, which also filters texts and calls; Shieldr is a single-purpose iPhone app for checking messages.
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Check it with ShieldrShieldr is our app, so we've tried hard to be fair. Scam Guard is free and runs on more devices, and Malwarebytes is a long-established security company. Everything we say about Malwarebytes comes from its own pages and the App Store, linked at the bottom, and reflects what they said as of October 2026.
| Shieldr | Malwarebytes Scam Guard | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Shieldr | Malwarebytes |
| What it is | A standalone scam-checking app | An AI chat built into the Malwarebytes security app |
| What you can check | Texts, screenshots, emails, voicemails, links, photos of letters | Texts, emails, pop-ups, links and website domains, phone numbers, screenshots and other images |
| How you send it | iPhone share sheet | Paste or attach in the Scam Guard chat, or share to the Malwarebytes app |
| Platforms | iPhone only | iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Price | Paid, no free tier. Solo $9.99/mo or $39.99/yr; Family $14.99/mo or $59.99/yr | Scam Guard is free in the mobile app; other features are paid, with a 7-day free trial |
| Voicemails | Transcribed, then judged | Not listed on Malwarebytes' Scam Guard pages |
| Links | Checked against Google's list of known malicious sites | Checked against Malwarebytes' own threat databases |
| Call and text filtering | No. It checks what you share; it doesn't filter incoming calls or texts | Yes, in the mobile app: Text Protection and Call Protection |
| The answer | Safe, suspicious or scam, with a one-sentence reason; says so if there isn't enough to go on | Whether it's suspicious or a known threat, plus recommended next steps |
| After the answer | Report to 7726, block sender, or draft a reply | Recommendations; option to submit the item to Malwarebytes' threat team |
| Helping family | Family plan: see that a relative checked something and the verdict, not the message | Not listed as a Scam Guard feature |
Scam Guard is an AI chatbot inside the Malwarebytes app. Malwarebytes' help center says it analyzes what you share — suspicious texts, emails, pop-up notifications, website domains, images and links — checks it against Malwarebytes' protection databases, and gives recommendations. It may also offer to submit a suspicious phone number, email address or message to Malwarebytes for analysis, and submitted items can be added to its protection database. (Malwarebytes help) Malwarebytes' product page describes checking scam texts, fake shipping alerts, dating and job scams, phishing links, robocalls and suspicious emails, by screenshot, text, number or URL. (Malwarebytes)
Shieldr covers the same everyday ground — texts, screenshots, emails and links — and adds two things: voicemails, which it transcribes before judging, and photos of paper letters, like a fake invoice or a “final notice” in the mail. Links are checked against Google's list of known malicious sites (Google Web Risk). Malwarebytes' Scam Guard pages don't mention voicemail, so we haven't claimed either way whether it handles one.
This is Malwarebytes' biggest advantage. Scam Guard sits inside a full mobile security app. In July 2026 Malwarebytes rebuilt that app around scam protection: Text Protection filters junk and scam texts, looks closely at shortened links and flags romance-scam language and unexpected money requests, and Call Protection checks incoming calls against known scam and spam numbers so you can block or flag them automatically. On iPhone it also offers Wi-Fi monitoring and ad blocking in Safari; on Android, a malware scanner, real-time protection and a junk cleaner. (Malwarebytes) The App Store listing also describes safe browsing, a data-breach Digital Footprint scanner and a VPN. (App Store)
Shieldr doesn't do any of that. It only looks at what you choose to share with it. If you want something that quietly screens calls and texts before you see them, Malwarebytes is the better fit.
Scam Guard runs in the Malwarebytes app on iPhone and Android, and Malwarebytes lists it for Windows and Mac as well. (Malwarebytes) The App Store lists the iPhone app as requiring iOS 18 or later. (App Store)
Shieldr is iPhone only. It works from the share sheet: you tap Share in the app where the message is and pick Shieldr. You can share to Malwarebytes the same way, or open Scam Guard and attach a screenshot. If anyone in your family uses Android or wants to check from a computer, Scam Guard covers them and Shieldr won't.
Malwarebytes calls Scam Guard “a free AI-powered tool built into Mobile Security for both Android and iOS.” (Malwarebytes) The app is a free download; its App Store listing offers a 7-day free trial to unlock all features, with several paid tiers sold as in-app purchases, and Malwarebytes says features vary by plan and operating system. (App Store, Malwarebytes) Check the listing for current prices before you subscribe.
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. If you only want a free second opinion now and then, Scam Guard gives you that.
Malwarebytes' Scam Guard page says queries are stored locally for 30 days for convenience, that it keeps a zero-logging policy and never rents or shares sensitive personal information, and that reported scams are registered in its database to protect other users. (Malwarebytes)
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.
Scam Guard replies in a chat, telling you whether the item is suspicious or a known threat, with recommended actions, and you can keep asking follow-up questions. Malwarebytes is upfront that some calls and texts won't be flagged because new scams appear daily. (Malwarebytes)
Shieldr answers with one of three words — safe, suspicious or scam — and a one-sentence explanation you could repeat to someone else. 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 Malwarebytes Scam Guard if you want a free checker, you use Android or a computer, or you'd like automatic call and text filtering and other security tools in the same app. For most people who already use Malwarebytes, it's the obvious place to start.
Use Shieldr if you're on iPhone and want one simple app that only checks messages, you get scam voicemails or letters as well as texts, you want a short three-word verdict rather than a chat, 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.
The two also work fine together: filtering catches the obvious junk, and a second opinion helps with the message that gets through. Neither 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, Shieldr vs Norton Genie and Shieldr vs Bitdefender Scamio.
Also compared: Shieldr vs McAfee Scam Detector.
Yes. Malwarebytes says Scam Guard is a free AI tool built into its Mobile Security app for iPhone and Android. Other features of the app are paid, with a 7-day free trial. Shieldr is a paid app with no free tier.
No. Shieldr checks the messages you share with it and lets you report to 7726, block the sender or draft a reply, but it doesn't filter incoming calls or texts. Malwarebytes' mobile app includes Text Protection and Call Protection for that.
Yes. They don't conflict: Malwarebytes can filter calls and texts in the background, and you can share any message that gets through to Shieldr or Scam Guard for a second opinion.
Malwarebytes details come from Malwarebytes' own pages and the App Store, checked in October 2026. Features and prices may change.