# PhishClean vs Malwarebytes Browser Guard

> Browser Guard blocks ads, trackers, scams and phishing for free, using lists and heuristics. PhishClean runs 27 checks in your browser. See which one fits you.

Canonical: https://www.phishclean.com/compare/phishclean-vs-malwarebytes-browser-guard
Last updated: 2026-11-05

Both extensions warn you about dangerous pages. Malwarebytes Browser Guard is free and adds ad and tracker blocking. PhishClean runs 27 checks in your browser and adds checks for leaked keys, tokens and HTTPS downgrades. Here's how they compare, using what each company publishes.

## Quick take

Malwarebytes Browser Guard is a strong free extension. It blocks malicious sites, phishing and tech support scams, strips ads and trackers, and combines lists and pattern rules with heuristics that watch how a page behaves.

PhishClean runs 27 detection signals in your browser and also matches sites against a list of about 380,000 reported phishing sites on the device. It adds checks Malwarebytes doesn't list, such as leaked API keys, session tokens and HTTPS downgrades, and it publishes its source and every network request it can make.

They overlap on phishing and scams and differ on the extras. If you want one free extension that also blocks ads, Browser Guard is the easier choice.

## Feature comparison

| Feature | PhishClean | MBGB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Known malware/scam site blocking | ✓ (about 380,000 reported phishing sites, free) | ✓ |
| New, unreported phishing pages | ✓ (page checks, part paid) | ✓ (Malwarebytes describes page heuristics) |
| Fake virus and tech support scam pages | ✓ (paid) | ✓ (browser lockers and scare tactics) |
| Ad & tracker blocking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Secret / API key leak scanning | ✓ | Not listed |
| JWT token leak detection | ✓ | Not listed |
| Token storage scanning | ✓ | Not listed |
| Hidden iframe detection | ✓ | Not listed |
| HTTPS downgrade alerts | ✓ | Not listed |
| Form domain mismatch detection | ✓ | Not listed |
| Auth header monitoring | ✓ | Not listed |
| Private key exposure detection | ✓ | Not listed |
| Where sites are checked | On your device | Not stated; Malwarebytes describes rule lists held by the browser |
| What the vendor says it collects | Nothing about the pages you visit is sent to PhishClean; see the [privacy policy](https://www.phishclean.com/privacy) | Blocked-page URLs, excluded domains, device data and IP address, with an opt-out |
| Detection signals | **27** | Not published |
| Price | Free + $9/mo Pro | Free; some features need a Malwarebytes plan |

Malwarebytes details are from its [Browser Guard page](https://www.malwarebytes.com/browserguard), [privacy policy](https://www.malwarebytes.com/privacy/policy-for-browser-guard) and [February 2026 engineering post](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/inside-malwarebytes/2026/02/how-manifest-v3-forced-us-to-rethink-browser-guard-and-why-thats-a-good-thing), checked November 2026. "Not listed" means we didn't find it there, not that Browser Guard can't do it. An earlier version of this page said Browser Guard sees every site you visit and has no way to catch new pages. We found no support for those claims in Malwarebytes' documents and removed them.

## How each one works

### Malwarebytes Browser Guard

Malwarebytes describes large lists of bad domains, pattern rules it can update every 30 minutes, and heuristics that monitor behaviour on the page. Its example is a password field on a page with a lookalike address, which it says it can detect "even if we've never seen the URL before." Its policy doesn't say whether every visit is checked on its servers, so we don't claim that it is.

### PhishClean

PhishClean matches each site against its list of reported phishing sites on the device, then checks the page itself: [hidden iframes](https://www.phishclean.com/threats/hidden-iframe-attacks), [content served over HTTP](https://www.phishclean.com/threats/ssl-stripping-attacks), [form fields sending data](https://www.phishclean.com/threats/formjacking-attacks) to a different domain, and [exposed secrets](https://www.phishclean.com/blog/what-are-api-key-leaks) or [leaked tokens](https://www.phishclean.com/features/jwt-token-leak-detection).

The practical difference is coverage, not method. Both can flag a page nobody has reported yet, if it shows signs they look for, and both can miss one that doesn't. Neither company's claims are the same as a measured result: we publish [our own test results](https://www.phishclean.com/transparency), good or bad, and we haven't tested Browser Guard side by side.

## Where Malwarebytes Browser Guard wins

Credit where it's due — there are things MBGB does that PhishClean doesn't:

- **Ad and tracker blocking.** Browser Guard has a built-in ad blocker that removes ads and blocks tracking scripts. PhishClean doesn't block ads — it's focused purely on security signals. If you want ad blocking, you'll need a separate extension like uBlock Origin (or Browser Guard).
- **Tech support scams and heuristics.** Malwarebytes says Browser Guard stops the browser lockers and scare tactics tech support scammers use, for free. PhishClean's warning for fake virus pages is on the paid plan.
- **Free.** The extension is free, and Malwarebytes describes it as "100% free", though its page lists some features under a Malwarebytes plan. PhishClean runs 5 of its 27 signals free forever, but the other 22 (secret scanning, JWT detection, token storage analysis and the rest) require the $9/month Pro plan after the 7-day trial.

## Where PhishClean wins

- **A wider set of published checks.** PhishClean lists 27 signals, including [fake login forms](https://www.phishclean.com/threats/phishing-attacks), lookalike domains, fake CAPTCHA pages and Paste Guard. Malwarebytes doesn't publish a comparable list.
- **Secret and token detection.** If a website is [storing your auth token insecurely](https://www.phishclean.com/blog/localstorage-token-security-risks) or [leaking API keys](https://www.phishclean.com/blog/what-are-api-key-leaks) in page content, PhishClean flags it. Malwarebytes doesn't list an equivalent check.
- **Checkable privacy.** Nothing about the pages you visit is sent to us, and [our public source](https://github.com/chidhu07/phishclean-extension) lists every network request the extension can make. Malwarebytes' policy covers telemetry on blocked pages and excluded domains, which you can turn off.
- **Checks for people who handle credentials.** PhishClean examines form actions, iframe properties, HTTPS integrity, token storage and network requests, which matters most if you work with API keys and tokens.

The honest recommendation: if you want one free extension that blocks ads and scams, start with Browser Guard. Add PhishClean, or choose it instead, if you want local checks for leaked keys and tokens, or a privacy claim you can check in the source.

## Who should choose which?

### PhishClean is the better fit if you:

- Are a developer working with API keys, tokens, and sensitive credentials
- Want checks for leaked keys, tokens and HTTPS downgrades
- Want to see exactly which checks fired on a page
- Want source code and a list of network requests you can check
- Already use uBlock Origin for ad blocking

### Malwarebytes Browser Guard is the better fit if you:

- Want a combined ad blocker + security tool in one extension
- Want tech support scam blocking at no cost
- Don't handle sensitive tokens or API keys
- Want the core extension free, with no trial
- Already use Malwarebytes antivirus and want ecosystem consistency

## Using both together

We know of no conflict between PhishClean and Malwarebytes Browser Guard, though we have not tested every version together. They overlap on some phishing and scam warnings, so you may occasionally see both react to the same page.

Together, you get Malwarebytes' ad and tracker blocking and scam protection, plus PhishClean's local checks for leaked secrets, tokens and HTTPS downgrades.

For a comparison with Chrome's built-in protection, see our [PhishClean vs Chrome Safe Browsing](https://www.phishclean.com/compare/phishclean-vs-chrome-safe-browsing) breakdown.

## Try PhishClean

27 checks run locally on every page, free for 7 days with no account. You can use it alongside Browser Guard.

[Install PhishClean](https://www.phishclean.com/#install)

Last updated: 5 November 2026