SiftWP and MalCare compared
| SiftWP | MalCare | |
|---|---|---|
| How scanning works | Reads files and database rows on your server over SSH during the scan | The plugin sends site data to MalCare's servers, where the scan runs, according to MalCare |
| Cleanup | The agent applies safe fixes and quarantines files. Risky changes wait for your approval. | A cleanup you trigger yourself. Instant cleanup is part of its paid plans, according to MalCare. |
| Firewall and bot protection | Not included | Included on paid plans, according to MalCare |
| Plugin | None | Yes |
| Host-level problems | The agent drafts the exact message to send your host | You contact your host yourself |
| Where your data goes | See the note below on how the AI processes what it reads | Site data is held on MalCare's servers for scanning |
| Pricing | $9, $29 or $49 per site per month, with 100 free credits | MalCare lists annual per-site plans. Tier names and prices have changed, so check its pricing page. |
What changes when nobody has to press the button
With MalCare you find out about a problem, open the dashboard and run the cleanup. That is quick and easy to understand. The weak point is the delay between a finding and the moment you notice it.
SiftWP runs weekly without you. It investigates each finding and applies fixes that are low risk and easy to undo, such as quarantining a file. Anything that could change how the site works waits for your yes: renaming an admin account, deactivating a plugin you may use, restoring an older backup. Every action is logged so you can review what it did.
Where MalCare is stronger
- Everything happens inside WordPress. If you like one dashboard and one button, that is simple.
- Extra protection layers. Its paid plans include a firewall and bot protection, which SiftWP does not offer.
- Heavy scanning is off your server. The scan work runs in MalCare's cloud, not on your hosting.
Where SiftWP is stronger
- No plugin. Nothing new inside WordPress to keep updated or to be attacked.
- A review of the real files. The agent reads a flagged file before deciding. Matches for functions like
evalare often legitimate plugin code, so a match alone is never treated as proof. - Server problems come with a ready message. If the cause is outside WordPress, such as an SSL or Apache issue, you get the exact request to send your host.
- Nothing is deleted. Suspicious files move to quarantine and can be restored.
How SiftWP handles your data
SiftWP does not keep a copy of your site. During a scan, the AI agent reads the files and database rows it needs to judge a finding, and those excerpts are processed by the AI provider to produce its analysis. The provider is Anthropic. Our privacy policy explains how data is handled.
You can cut off access at any time by deleting the SSH key from your hosting panel. SiftWP never asks for your WordPress admin password.
Using both
You can run MalCare for its firewall and dashboard and add SiftWP for the weekly server-side investigation. SiftWP installs nothing in WordPress, so the two do not conflict.
Which one fits you?
Choose MalCare if...
- You want a cleanup button inside the WordPress dashboard that you press yourself
- You want a firewall and bot protection bundled in
- You are comfortable with a plugin that sends site data to a scanning cloud
Choose SiftWP if...
- You do not want another plugin on your site
- You want safe fixes applied for you, with approvals for risky ones
- You want a ready message for your host when the problem is outside WordPress