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MalCare
MalCare is a popular WordPress security plugin.
But does MalCare deliver reliable malware defense?
This is what Ill explore in this MalCare review.
This will help you decide if MalCare is a decent option for your WordPress security needs.
We evaluated its accuracy, performance impact, and bot protection.
Our hands-on testing and user feedback provide an unbiased review of MalCares effectiveness in securing high-performance WordPress sites.
How Does MalCare Work?
MalCare works by providing a quick and automated way to detect and remove malware from WordPress websites.
First, you implement the MalCare plugin on your site with a simple setup process.
MalCares real-time firewall blocks malicious traffic, bot attacks, and brute-force login attempts.
It also includes automated backups and activity logging.
The process of installing MalCare is straightforward.
Once you purchase a subscription, add your website to the MalCare dashboard.
After you add your website to the MalCare dashboard, the next step is to load the MalCare plugin.
After installing the MalCare plugin on your website, you should probably activate it.
Post the first sync, the MalCare WordPress plugin dashboard will show data about your website security.
Congratulations, the MalCare setup is completed.
Next, I will explain MalCares key features in detail.
MalCare offers layered defense for your WordPress website.
Its dashboard shows three defense layers:Ozone,Cortex, andCarbon.
Ive tested all the features in these layers and will break them down one by one below.
you might initiate a malware scan in your MalCare dashboard by clicking Scan now.
After each scan, a backup of your website is created.
PHP version, etc.
), and recently modified files.
MalCare runs scans on its server, meaning it shouldnt affect your website speed.
During my testing, I noted this claim to be true, as my website speeds werent slowed down.
The plugins algorithm continuously learns from over 200,000 websites, analyzing 100+ parameters per site.
This real-time learning improves malware detection accuracy, minimizes false alarms, and quickly identifies real threats.
Vulnerability Scanner
Hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in plugins and themes to hack into WordPress websites.
MalCare provides a powerful vulnerability scanner that scans your themes and plugins daily to find vulnerabilities.
MalCare can also auto-patch your old plugins.
I like its Visual Regression Test, which makes sure that your site doesnt break during the process.
Its a useful feature as plugin updates often break WordPress websites.
Another great aspect of the MalCare malware removal service is that you could remove malware unlimited times.
I believe manual website malware removal is a valuable feature since security companies charge hundreds of dollars for it.
Your paid subscription includes this service, as confirmed by their support team (shown below).
Firewall
A malware prevention tool must have a powerfulWordPress web program firewall (WAF)to block malicious traffic.
I explored MalCares WordPress firewall feature, and it worked without issues.
You dont have to set up anything to use the MalCare firewall.
l like the fact that MalCare leverages threat intelligence from 20000+ sites.
MalCare also claims to offer no false positives.
In my testing, I didnt encounter any false positives either.
Some countries generate high levels of cyber threats, like hacking and malware attacks.
Blocking traffic from these regions enhances your websites security and reduces server load.
It also helps filter out unrelated visitors, improving your websites performance.
MalCares firewall lets you easily implement geo-blocking to protect your site and optimize traffic management.
Bot Protection
Malicious bots pose severe cybersecurity threats to WordPress websites.
They can run brute-force attacks, overloading your site with XMLRPC and WP-Login attempts.
Bots can also scrape your WordPress website and share findings with your competitors.
MalCares Bot Protection feature automatically blocks suspicious bots to protect your website.
Login Protection
Your WordPress website tends to have multiple users.
I like this feature as it gives you valuable insights about all user login activities.
you might also enter the detailed login report by clicking on View All.
For example, these fixes may prevent you from installing or upgrading your sites plugins/themes or even updating WordPress.
It can back up WordPress sites of any size.
In my research, I noted that it stores encrypted copies of your entire backups across multiple data centers.
The backup service is unavailable in MalCares starting plan, and the backup frequency depends on your subscription tier.
The highest plan offers automatic backups every hour.
It also allows you to download your website backup to save it locally.
If you have a DropBox account, MalCare can upload your backup there as well.
Activity Log
During my testing, I was impressed with MalCares activity log tracking.
With MalCares Activity Log, you’re free to track all activities a user completes.
you might also easily search for events to discover suspicious activities.
High-performance sites handle millions of events daily, so I appreciate that MalCare offers cloud event storage.
It keeps all activity logs in your MalCare account instead of your website.
After the beta phase is completed, it will be chargeable separately.
However, the availability of these monitoring features depends on your subscription plan.
The starting plan doesnt offer any advanced features for monitoring your website.
Website Protection
Hackers constantly target WordPress websites.
Reports ofdata breaches, ransomware, and cyberattacks frequently make headlines.
As a result, hackers have little to no chance of successfully attacking your website.
Site Monitoring
Your website is a key revenue stream for your business.
If it goes down or its performance deteriorates, you risk losing revenue and your visitors trust.
These monitoring solutions help you keep tabs on your websites performance and take proactive action if anything hampers it.
With MalCares centralized dashboard, you might update these elements quickly as soon as new updates are available.
Additionally, the migration feature allows you to easily migrate your website to another server or hosting provider.
Can MalCare Clean My Hacked Website?
Yes, MalCare can clean your hacked website.
In fact, it offers guaranteed malware removal from WordPress websites.
The best thing is you dont have to pay extra for it.
Its premium plans cover a comprehensive cleanup service, including manual cleanup, at no extra cost.
MalCare Pricing
MalCare offers four pricing plansPlus, Prime, Pro, and Max.
Here is a quick comparison table for various MalCare pricing plans and available features.
If you buy any plan for more than one website, MalCare offers a discount.
For example, the Plus plan starts at $149 for one website.
The same plan costs $499 for 5 sites and $799 for 10 sites.
The MalCare Plus plan provides basic website security, making it ideal for bloggers.
Agencies and high-traffic websites require frequent malware scans and backups, making the Pro plan their best choice.
There is no free trial, but MalCare offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
However, this version only detects the malware and doesnt have the capability to remove them.
MalCare Support
MalCare offers email-based support.
In the mail shown in the above screenshot, I contacted them via my main account.
MalCare also creates your Support account, which lets you access valuable resources and raise/track your tickets.
For reference, BlogVault is MalCares parent company.
MalCare Alternatives
MalCare provides reliable malware defense for your WordPress website.
But how does it compare to leading security solutions like Sucuri, Wordfence, or Solid Security Pro?
Check the comparison of MalCare alternatives below.
$149/year
$229/year
$99/year
Who Should Use MalCare?
Who Shouldnt Use MalCare?
While MalCare offers powerful malware defense for WordPress websites, it may not be the best fit for everyone.
Plus, the plugin runs scans on its own servers, which has zero impact on your website speed.
However, its free plan only detects malware, not removes it, and comment spam protection is limited.
