The short version
- Choose MalCare if you run WordPress and want malware cleanup built in, with scanning done on MalCare's servers.
- Choose Webforta if you want uptime, certificate and DNS monitoring, outside-in scans that work on any platform, an edge firewall and agency reporting, alongside a free WordPress plugin for protection inside the site.
What MalCare offers (from its own pages)
MalCare describes itself as a WordPress security plugin. Its pricing page lists paid plans billed annually, priced for 1 site or 5 sites:
| Plan | 1 site / 5 sites per year | Malware scans | Cleanup | Firewall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Every 7 days | Not included | Basic |
| Protect | $99 / $299 | Every 24 hours | Not included | Advanced |
| Repair | $299 / $899 | Every 12 hours | Automated cleanup and report | Real-time |
| Fortify | $499 / $1,499 | Every hour | Cleanup plus unlimited manual fixes | Real-time |
- MalCare says its deep scan runs on its own servers, so the scan does not load your hosting.
- Its one-click cleanup removes malicious code, takes a backup first so changes can be undone, and rescans afterwards.
- Paid plans add bot protection; Repair and Fortify include an activity log (7 and 60 days); Fortify adds web host suspension recovery. All plans list vulnerability alerts and SSL monitoring.
- Uptime monitoring is not listed on the pricing page.
What Webforta offers
Webforta has a Free plan (1 website, 4 on-demand scans a month and hourly uptime and certificate checks) and paid plans at Starter €9, Pro €29 and Business €79 a month (or €90, €290 and €790 a year), before any VAT, each covering a set number of websites (1, 5 and 20).
- Outside-in scans of any verified website, WordPress or not: exposed files, HTTPS, headers, cookies, injected scripts, cloaked spam and known vulnerabilities, with the evidence and fix for each finding.
- The free Webforta WordPress Security plugin: a firewall inside WordPress, login limits and 2FA, file integrity checks against official checksums, malware signatures with file and line, undoable quarantine, hardening, an activity log and opt-in automatic updates with rollback.
- Uptime, response-time, certificate, domain, DNS and header monitoring with alerts (minimum intervals: Free 60 minutes, Starter 30 minutes, Pro 10 minutes, Business 5 minutes).
- Webforta Shield, an edge reverse-proxy WAF on Pro and Business.
- "Safe to update" advice for pending WordPress updates, a daily vulnerability watch, client portal and white-label reports.
How the approaches differ
MalCare's plugin sends your site's files to MalCare's servers for scanning, so it sees files that are never shown to visitors, and it can clean them. Webforta does two separate things: its platform checks the site from the outside, the way visitors, search engines and attackers see it, and its free plugin checks files from inside WordPress against official checksums and known malicious code.
The outside-in view catches problems a file scan does not report, such as an expired certificate, a changed DNS record, a missing security header, a site that is down, or spam shown only to Google. A file scan catches backdoors and infected files that produce no visible output. Neither view alone is complete, which is why Webforta never describes a site as malware-free.
Where MalCare is stronger
- Malware cleanup. MalCare's Repair and Fortify plans include cleanup; Webforta does not remove malware.
- Scheduled server-side malware scanning on its own infrastructure, up to hourly on Fortify.
- Specialisation. MalCare focuses entirely on WordPress.
Where Webforta may suit you better
- You need uptime and certificate monitoring, DNS change alerts and domain expiry warnings in the same tool.
- You also manage sites that are not WordPress.
- You want an edge firewall that filters traffic before it reaches your server.
- You want to start on a free plan or pay monthly, in euros.
- You report to clients and need white-label reports or a client portal.
Can you use both?
Webforta's scanning, monitoring and Shield work from outside the site and run alongside any plugin. Inside WordPress, choose one security plugin with a firewall: running the Webforta WordPress Security plugin and MalCare's firewall together is not something we have tested, and two firewall plugins can conflict.
Sources
Competitor details on this page come only from the competitor's own public pages below, last checked on . Plans, prices and features change; check the competitor's site before deciding. All trademarks belong to their owners, and Webforta is not affiliated with or endorsed by the companies named. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.