PhishGuard vs CheckPhish
An honest, written-by-the-builder comparison. Where CheckPhish (by Bolster.ai) is stronger, we say so. Where PhishGuard wins, we'll show the receipts.
- • Self-serve API access for $9/mo
- • Transparent pricing (no sales calls)
- • Source-level transparency on every verdict
- • Free Email Header Analyzer + URL Deobfuscator
- • Open-source browser extension
- • Public Atom feed for SIEM ingest
- • Phishing site takedown service
- • Proprietary CV brand-impersonation ML
- • Internal threat-intel feeds
- • Enterprise compliance (SOC 2, etc.)
- • Larger free-tier scan quota
- • Bigger company, longer track record
Feature-by-feature
What you get in each product, side by side.
| Feature | PhishGuard | CheckPhish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free URL scanner | ✓ 5/day, all sources | ✓ unlimited | CheckPhish wins on quota; PhishGuard wins on price tier transparency. |
| AI page analysis | ✓ Claude (anthropic) | ✓ proprietary | Both use AI on the rendered page. PhishGuard is transparent about the model + lets you read the reasoning. |
| Email scanner | ✓ free, web + API | ✓ free, web only | |
| Typosquat checker | ✓ 150+ variants, live DNS | ✓ proprietary lookalike engine | |
| URL deobfuscator | ✓ free, web + API | — | Unwraps Safe Links, Proofpoint, Mimecast, base64. |
| Email header analyzer | ✓ free, web + API | — | |
| WHOIS + DNS + TLS lookup | ✓ free, one panel | Behind login | |
| Public threat feed | ✓ free, Atom + JSON | Behind Bolster Platform | |
| REST API | $9/mo (1k scans/day) | Behind enterprise sales | PhishGuard's API is self-serve. CheckPhish requires sales contact. |
| Browser extension | ✓ open-source, MIT | ✓ proprietary | |
| Outgoing webhooks | $9/mo, Slack/SIEM/JSON | Enterprise tier | |
| Brand monitoring | $9/mo, weekly digest | Bolster Platform (enterprise) | |
| Takedown service | — | ✓ proprietary (enterprise) | If you need takedowns, CheckPhish/Bolster is the right tool. PhishGuard is detection-only. |
| SOC 2 / enterprise compliance | On the roadmap | ✓ enterprise-grade | |
| Per-seat pricing | Flat $9 / $49 | Custom quote | |
| Self-serve signup | ✓ instant | Sales call for paid tier | |
| Source transparency | ✓ all sources cited per scan | Aggregate verdict only |
Which one is right for you?
You need takedown automation, enterprise compliance, dedicated CSM, and a procurement-friendly contract. CheckPhish is a Bolster.ai product with the full enterprise platform behind it. Their CV brand-impersonation ML is genuinely strong and there's no way to replicate it on a solo-founder budget.
You want a self-serve REST API for $9/month. You want to see why a URL was flagged — every source cited, no black box. You want webhook delivery into Slack or Splunk without a sales call. You want to add URL safety to your own app without committing to an enterprise contract.
They're complementary. CheckPhish for ongoing brand-protection & takedowns. PhishGuard for developer integrations & transparent investigations. Both are free to start.
Try PhishGuard free
5 scans/day, no signup, no credit card. Paste a URL and see every source cited in the verdict.