Jetpack Protect vs MalCare Security
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 26 features compared side by side.
Automattic's lightweight security plugin with free daily vulnerability scans and brute-force protection, upgradable to Jetpack Scan malware scanning and WAF.
Cloud-scanning WordPress security plugin with a plugin-level firewall, login protection and paid one-click malware cleanup, for site owners and agencies.
Choose Jetpack Protect if…
- Site owners in the Jetpack ecosystem who want hands-off cloud vulnerability and malware scanning rather than detailed security settings
Choose MalCare Security if…
- You need two-factor authentication and rate limiting & bot blocking
- You also want one-click hardening and country blocking
- You want the more complete feature set (80/100 vs 51/100)
- You want the lower entry price ($99/yr vs $119.40/yr)
MalCare Security has 6 that Jetpack Protect lacks, including Rate limiting & bot blocking, Country blocking and Two-factor authentication. Both include 13 of the 26 features we track. 1 feature is not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Jetpack Protect MalCare SecurityFirewall & blocking4/76/7
Free allows manual IP rules only; automatic WAF rules need Jetpack Scan.
Plugin-level firewall blocks SQLi, XSS and other OWASP classes; advanced rule set on Protect and up.
WAF runs on your server (optionally before WordPress loads).
Firewall runs inside the WordPress site, not as a proxy on MalCare's network.
Blocks botnet and repeated login attempts by default.
Login protection with rate limiting of failed logins on every plan, including XML-RPC.
Math CAPTCHA appears only as a fallback when an IP is blocked.
CAPTCHA challenge on the login page is part of the free login protection.
No crawler or bot throttling controls.
Bot protection that blocks malicious crawlers is listed from the Protect plan.
No country or geo blocking.
Geo-blocking with per-country toggles on Protect and higher.
Brute-force protection uses Jetpack network data at login; site-wide lists are manual.
Real-time IP blacklisting from MalCare's network on Protect+; free blocks known bad IPs with slower updates.
Scanning & cleanup5/66/6
Daily malware scanning with Jetpack Scan.
Scans every file, database table and scheduled task for known and unknown malware.
Core file comparison not documented on pages checked.
Unexpected file changes are flagged as part of the malware scan rather than a separate checker.
Daily scans of core, plugins and themes against WPScan data.
Vulnerability alerts for plugins, themes and core are included in the free plan.
Automatic daily scans; manual scans can also be triggered.
Automatic scans weekly on Free, daily on Protect, 12-hourly on Repair, hourly on Fortify.
Scans run on Jetpack's cloud infrastructure.
Scans are processed on MalCare's servers so they do not load the site.
Automated one-click fixes for most detected threats; no human cleanup.
Automated one-click cleanup on Repair; unlimited manual fixes by analysts on Fortify.
Login security0/51/5
No 2FA in the plugin.
Email-based 2FA; free covers 2 admin users, rising to all users on Fortify.
No passkey support.
No passkey or hardware-key login mentioned in features or pricing.
No password rules.
Offers a reset-all-passwords action but no strength, expiry or breached-password rules.
Cannot change the login URL.
No option to move or hide the login page is listed.
No session tools.
No session listing or concurrent-login controls are listed.
Hardening1/54/5
No hardening toggles such as disabling XML-RPC or file editing.
Paid hardening: block PHP in untrusted folders, disable file editor, block installs, rotate keys.
No HTTPS tools.
SSL certificate monitoring on all plans; no HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content fixing.
No security header settings.
HTTP security header configuration is not part of the feature set.
Automatic firewall rules block known threats as they are found.
Free gets virtual patches about 7 days late; immediate patching from Protect.
Recommends updates but does not auto-update vulnerable plugins.
Plugins and themes can be updated from the central dashboard; auto-updating only vulnerable items is not stated.
Monitoring & management3/33/3
Activity Log page added in v6.1; full 30-day history is in Jetpack Security.
Activity log of logins and changes kept 7 days on Repair and 60 days on Fortify.
Instant email notifications when threats are found.
Email alerts for detected hacks, vulnerabilities and security events.
Agencies can track sites and security alerts in the Automattic for Agencies dashboard.
Sites are managed from MalCare's web dashboard; white label and client reports are paid extras.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Jetpack Protect Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Jetpack Scan | $119.40 per year, 1 site |
| Jetpack Security | $239.40 per year, 1 site |
MalCare Security Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Protect | $99 per year, 1 site |
| Repair | $299 per year, 1 site |
| Fortify | $499 per year, 1 site |
Downloads trend
Jetpack Protect
4,205 downloads last week
MalCare Security
57,526 downloads last week
Verdict
MalCare Security scores higher on our feature checklist (80/100 against 51/100) and includes two-factor authentication, rate limiting & bot blocking and one-click hardening that Jetpack Protect does not. Paid plans start at $119.40/yr for Jetpack Protect and $99/yr for MalCare Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Jetpack Protect: not included. MalCare Security: included. Email-based 2FA; free covers 2 admin users, rising to all users on Fortify.
Jetpack Protect: not included. MalCare Security: paid version (Protect). Bot protection that blocks malicious crawlers is listed from the Protect plan.
Jetpack Protect: not included. MalCare Security: paid version (Protect). Paid hardening: block PHP in untrusted folders, disable file editor, block installs, rotate keys.
Jetpack Protect: not included. MalCare Security: paid version (Protect). Geo-blocking with per-country toggles on Protect and higher.
Jetpack Protect: not included. MalCare Security: partial. SSL certificate monitoring on all plans; no HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content fixing.
Jetpack Protect: not included. MalCare Security: partial. Plugins and themes can be updated from the central dashboard; auto-updating only vulnerable items is not stated.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Jetpack Protect or MalCare Security?
MalCare Security scores higher on our feature checklist (80/100 against 51/100) and includes two-factor authentication, rate limiting & bot blocking and one-click hardening that Jetpack Protect does not. Paid plans start at $119.40/yr for Jetpack Protect and $99/yr for MalCare Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
MalCare Security includes 20 of the 26 features we track, against 13 for Jetpack Protect. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Jetpack Protect free?
Jetpack Protect has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $119.40/yr.
Is MalCare Security free?
MalCare Security has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $99/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Jetpack Protect or MalCare Security. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.