--- title: "Best WordPress security plugins" description: "Wordfence, Sucuri, Patchstack, MalCare, Defender: 11 WordPress security plugins compared in 2026 on firewall, scans, login and price, and who each suits." language: "en" locale: "en-US" type: "page" canonical: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/best-wordpress-security-plugins/" published: "2026-10-28T10:01:55+00:00" modified: "2026-11-05T20:55:32+00:00" translations: en-US: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/best-wordpress-security-plugins/index.md" fr-FR: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/fr/meilleurs-plugins-securite-wordpress/index.md" es-ES: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/es/mejores-plugins-seguridad-wordpress/index.md" de-DE: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/de/beste-wordpress-sicherheits-plugins/index.md" it-IT: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/it/migliori-plugin-sicurezza-wordpress/index.md" pt-BR: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/pt/melhores-plugins-seguranca-wordpress/index.md" nl-NL: "https://www.wp-masquerade.com/nl/beste-wordpress-beveiligingsplugins/index.md" --- # Best WordPress security plugins Eleven WordPress security plugins compared on the same criteria: firewall, scanning, login, vulnerabilities and prices checked. The right pick for your site, and what none of them does. Which WordPress security plugin should you choose? For a complete free suite that runs on your own server, Wordfence is still the benchmark. To stop attacks before they reach your server and hand cleanup to humans, Sucuri. To neutralize known plugin vulnerabilities fast, Patchstack. On modest hosting, MalCare, which scans your site on its own servers. For an agency, Defender. We compared eleven plugins on the same criteria (firewall, scanning, login, vulnerability alerts, hiding, price), using official pages checked. None of them does everything: a [web application firewall](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/waf/) filters requests, a scanner looks for [malware](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/malware/) after the fact, a monitoring service flags known vulnerabilities, and other tools reduce what bots can see of your site. This page helps you pick one main plugin, then a complement that does not overlap. **Disclosure:** this page is published by the developer of WP Masquerade, one of the plugins compared, marked “Our product”. Every plugin is described against the same criteria; none of the developers mentioned pays us and the page contains no affiliate links. Details in our method. ## Our picks at a glance One plugin per main need; each profile also explains what it does not do. - Most complete free suite Wordfence Free firewall, scanning and two-factor authentication, on your server. - Firewall in front of your server Sucuri Cloud filtering, plus manual cleanup in the Platform plans. - Plugin vulnerabilities Patchstack Virtual patches from $5 per month per site. - Modest hosting MalCare Scans run on its servers, not yours. - Multi-site agency Defender Complete free suite and central management with WPMU DEV. - Hide WordPress, as a complement WP Masquerade Fewer clues for bots, locked-down login with Pro (our product). ## The 11 plugins compared Use the table to make a shortlist; the profiles below explain the differences that matter when you pay. | Plugin | Best for | Approach | Paid from | Strength | Limitation | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Wordfence | Everything for free | Suite on your server | $149/year | Free firewall and scanning | Free rules delayed 30 days | | Sucuri | Business websites | Cloud firewall (DNS) | $9.99/month | Filters before your server | No firewall in free plugin | | Kadence Security | Sites with many accounts | Login and accounts | $299/year (Kadence Pro) | 2FA and password rules | No file scanning | | All-In-One Security (AIOS) | Small sites, zero budget | Suite on your server | $89 excl. tax/year, 2 sites | Free audit log | Paid malware scanning | | Jetpack Protect | Sites already on Jetpack | Vulnerability monitoring | €8.95/month | Free daily monitoring | No two-factor authentication | | Patchstack | Plugin-heavy sites | Virtual patches | $5/month per site | Blocks known vulnerabilities | Free: alerts, no blocking | | MalCare | Modest hosting | Scans on its servers | $99/year | No load on your server | Cleanup in Repair plans | | Shield Security | Open comments | Suite on your server | €139 excl. tax/year | Bots blocked, no visible CAPTCHA | Paid vulnerability alerts | | WP Cerber | Experienced admins | Access control | $99/year | Very fine access rules | Off wordpress.org since 2022 | | Defender | Agencies and freelancers | Suite and multi-site management | $50/year (WPMU DEV) | Whole table free | Pro tied to WPMU DEV | | WP Masquerade (our product) | Complementing a suite | Attack surface and login | €59 excl. tax/year | Hides WordPress from bots | No firewall, no scanner | *Price of the entry-level paid plan shown by each developer, in its own currency, plus any applicable taxes. First-year discounts are not included.* ### What each free version includes The same feature is free with one plugin and paid with another: that is often where the real price difference lies. | Plugin | Firewall | Malware | 2FA | Vulns | Hiding | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Wordfence | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✗ No | | Sucuri | ◐ Paid | ✓ Free | ◐ Paid | ◐ Paid | ✗ No | | Kadence Security | ✓ Free | ◐ Partial | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | | All-In-One Security (AIOS) | ✓ Free | ◐ Paid | ✓ Free | ✗ Not advertised | ✓ Free | | Jetpack Protect | ◐ Paid | ◐ Paid | ✗ No | ✓ Free | ✗ No | | Patchstack | ◐ Paid | ✗ No | ◐ Paid | ✓ Free | ✗ No | | MalCare | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✗ No | | Shield Security | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ◐ Paid | ✓ Free | | WP Cerber | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Free | ✗ Not advertised | ✓ Yes | | Defender | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | ✓ Free | | WP Masquerade (our product) | ✗ No | ✗ No | ◐ Pro | ◐ Pro | ✓ Free | *“Paid”: paid plan only (Pro for WP Masquerade). Malware: free Sucuri runs an external scan, MalCare scans on its servers, free Shield scans the core only, Kadence only checks Google’s blocklist. Hiding: moved login address; only WP Masquerade also hides the traces of WordPress. WP Cerber does not publish its free / paid split. Wordfence’s free rules arrive 30 days late.* ## Complete suites that run on your server These plugins combine a web application firewall, login protection and file scanning inside WordPress. The upside: they see the site’s context (logged-in user, targeted plugin). The trade-off: every filtered request and every scan uses your hosting’s resources. Install only one. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/wordfence-128.webp) ### Wordfence The most installed free firewall and scanner, running on your server Suite on your server Free, Premium $149/year Blogs, business sites, small stores - Installations 5 million+ - Latest version 9.0.2, September 30, 2026 - Premium $149 per year per site - Cleanup Care and Response plans Wordfence gives away what most competitors charge for: web application firewall, file scanning, login limits, CAPTCHA, [two-factor authentication](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/two-factor-authentication/) and known vulnerability alerts. The real difference with Premium is timing: firewall rules and signatures in the free version arrive 30 days late. Against a vulnerability exploited as soon as it is published, that is a long time; Premium gets rules in real time and adds a real-time IP blocklist and country blocking. The flip side of a suite that runs inside WordPress: scans read your files on your own hosting. On a busy shared host, schedule them for off-peak hours. For a store that takes payments, the 30-day delay justifies Premium or upstream filtering. Our article [Wordfence and WP Masquerade](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/wordfence-and-wp-masquerade/) shows how to split the roles without overlap. Strengths - The most complete free version in this comparison - Scans run on your own server - Known vulnerability alerts included for free Limits - Free rules and signatures delayed by 30 days - Heavy scans on small hosting - Activity log and cleanup are paid **Who it is for:** a blog, business website or small store that wants broad protection without paying, on hosting that can handle local scans. **Our take:** the best free starting point; move to Premium as soon as the site takes money. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/defender-128.webp) ### Defender A complete free suite, built to manage many sites with WPMU DEV Suite on your server Free, WPMU DEV from $50/year Agencies and freelancers - Installations 80,000+ - Latest version 6.3.0, September 29, 2026 - Paid plan WPMU DEV Pro Basic, $50 per year, 1 site - Management WPMU DEV dashboard Defender’s free version ticks every box in the table: local firewall, malicious bot blocking, file scanning, two-factor authentication, hidden login address, audit log and [hardening](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/hardening/) settings. What sets it apart from Wordfence is not an extra feature but management: from the WPMU DEV dashboard, an agency applies and monitors the same settings across all its clients’ sites. Defender Pro has no separate price: it is part of the WPMU DEV plans, which include the developer’s other Pro plugins. It adds up if you already use that ecosystem, less so if you only want scheduled scans, which are reserved for the paid version. Strengths - Every feature in the table in the free version - Central management of many sites - Free audit log Limits - Scheduled scans are paid - Pro sold only in WPMU DEV plans - Smaller user base than Wordfence or AIOS **Who it is for:** agencies and freelancers who manage several sites, especially if they already use WPMU DEV. **Our take:** the most balanced free alternative to Wordfence, and the best choice for managing a fleet of sites. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/aios-128.webp) ### All-In-One Security (AIOS) Lots of free settings, from the .htaccess firewall to the audit log Suite on your server Free, from $89 excl. tax/year Small sites, zero budget - Installations 1 million+ - Latest version 5.5.0, October 26, 2026 - Personal $89 excl. tax per year, 2 sites ($44.50 the first year for a new customer) AIOS bets on the number of free settings: firewall rules in PHP and in the .htaccess file, login limits, basic two-factor authentication, comment spam protection, file change detection, audit log and a renamed login address. The free audit log is a real advantage over Wordfence and Kadence, which charge for it. Two limits weigh on the choice: malware scanning is paid, and the developer does not advertise known vulnerability alerts. On a small site, fill that gap with free monitoring (Jetpack Protect or Patchstack). The Personal plan covers two sites, which makes it cheaper per site than Wordfence Premium. Strengths - Free audit log - Comment anti-spam included - Paid plan valid for 2 sites Limits - Paid malware scanning - No advertised vulnerability alerts - Many options to understand before enabling **Who it is for:** small sites that want lots of settings and an audit log without paying. **Our take:** the richest free version for configuring everything yourself, to pair with vulnerability monitoring. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/shield-128.webp) ### Shield Security Blocks bots on login and comments with no visible CAPTCHA Suite on your server Free, ShieldPRO €139 excl. tax/year Blogs with open comments - Installations 30,000+ - Latest version 22.3.4, October 27, 2026 - ShieldPRO Plus €139 excl. tax per year - Anti-bot silentCAPTCHA Shield stands out with silentCAPTCHA: it spots bots on login, registration and comments without asking visitors to click on images. For a blog that gets comment spam, that is one less plugin to install. The free version adds an activity log, two-factor authentication and a hidden login address. The free scan is limited to the WordPress core: scanning plugins and themes, vulnerability alerts and form anti-spam are paid. Yet plugins are what you need to watch first (see monitoring your plugins for vulnerabilities). Shield is also far less installed than Wordfence or AIOS: fewer user reports to lean on if there is a conflict. Strengths - Bots blocked without bothering visitors - Free activity log - Price shown in euros Limits - Plugin and theme scanning is paid - Paid vulnerability alerts - Small user base **Who it is for:** blogs and community sites that want to filter bots and comment spam with the same plugin. **Our take:** a good choice for sites with open comments, less relevant if you have many plugins to watch. **What about WP Cerber?** Its access control is very fine-grained (traffic inspection, country rules, form anti-spam, integrity checks), but we do not recommend it as a first choice: the plugin was removed from wordpress.org on September 22, 2022 (stated reason: security issue), it is installed and updated from the developer’s site (version 9.10, October 13, 2026), and the developer does not publish which features are free. The Single plan costs $99 per year. Best left to admins who already know the tool. ## Filtering and scanning off your server Two approaches move the work elsewhere: Sucuri filters traffic before it reaches your hosting, MalCare scans your files on its own servers. Your server does less, but a provider sees your traffic or your files: see where your data goes. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/sucuri-128.webp) ### Sucuri Cloud firewall enabled through your DNS, with cleanup handled by humans Cloud firewall and service From $9.99/month Business websites - Installations 600,000+ (plugin) - Latest version 2.8.1, October 14, 2026 - Basic firewall $9.99 per month, 1 site - With cleanup $229 per year Sucuri does not protect from inside WordPress: you change your DNS records and all traffic goes through its network, which blocks dangerous requests before your server. According to its product page, this firewall also provides virtual patching, denial-of-service mitigation, a CDN and pages protected by password or IP allowlist. Your hosting no longer sees mass attacks, something no suite installed inside WordPress can offer. Watch out for a common misunderstanding: the free Sucuri Security plugin (activity auditing, file integrity monitoring, external scanning, hardening) does not include the firewall. The real product is the subscription; the Platform plans include unlimited manual cleanup if the site is hacked (see what [cleaning up a hacked site](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/clean-hacked-wordpress-site/) involves). Our article [Sucuri and WP Masquerade](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/sucuri-and-wp-masquerade/) shows how to combine them. Strengths - Attacks stopped before your server - Unlimited manual cleanup in Platform plans - Free activity auditing in the plugin Limits - No firewall in the free plugin - DNS change required - All traffic goes through a provider **Who it is for:** business websites and stores that want to take load off the server and hand recovery to a provider. **Our take:** the best choice for upstream filtering and outsourced cleanup; compare with your host’s or Cloudflare’s firewall before paying twice. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/malcare-128.webp) ### MalCare Malware scans run on its servers, not yours Off-site scanning and suite Free, Protect $99/year Modest hosting - Installations 100,000+ - Latest version 6.76, September 17, 2026 - Protect $99 per year, 1 site - Cleanup Repair plans and up MalCare runs scans on its own servers instead of on your hosting. On entry-level shared hosting, where a local scan can slow the site down, that is the concrete difference with Wordfence. The free version adds a basic firewall, login protection with CAPTCHA, two-factor authentication for two admins and vulnerability alerts. One-click cleanup only comes with Repair plans and up, and the activity log is paid. The trade-off of off-site scanning: MalCare becomes a processor for your site, to mention in your privacy policy. The article [MalCare and WP Masquerade](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/malcare-and-wp-masquerade/) covers the combination. Strengths - Does not weigh down your hosting - Free two-factor authentication for two admins - Free vulnerability alerts Limits - Cleanup only in Repair plans and up - Paid activity log - Processor to declare (GDPR) **Who it is for:** small sites on modest hosting, where a local scan would be too heavy. **Our take:** the best option when your server cannot handle local scans. ## Monitoring and blocking known vulnerabilities A vulnerable plugin or theme that has not been updated yet is one of the most exploited ways in. These two tools compare installed versions against a database of published vulnerabilities ([CVE](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/cve/), [CVSS](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/cvss/) severity); Patchstack can also block exploitation until you update. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/patchstack-128.webp) ### Patchstack Virtual patches that block a known vulnerability until you update Monitoring and virtual patches Free, $5/month per site Plugin-heavy sites - Installations 100,000+ - Latest version 2.3.7, July 28, 2026 - Protection $5 per month per site - Developer $69 per month, billed yearly Patchstack does not look for malware and is not a general-purpose firewall: it applies targeted [virtual patches](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/virtual-patching/), rules that run inside the site and only activate when a vulnerable plugin is detected. For a site that relies on dozens of plugins, or a store where every update must be tested first, this covers the gap between a vulnerability’s disclosure and your update. The free version reports vulnerabilities but blocks nothing: protection costs $5 per month per site as an add-on, and the Developer plan ($69 per month billed yearly) targets agencies. Patchstack does not replace file scanning: pair it with a scanner if you want to detect an infection. See [Patchstack and WP Masquerade](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/patchstack-and-wp-masquerade/). Strengths - Blocks exploitation of a vulnerability before the update - Rules active only when needed - Free alerts and log Limits - Free version does not block - No malware scanning - Monthly cost per site **Who it is for:** sites that use many plugins and cannot update everything the same day; agencies, with the Developer plan. **Our take:** the best tool against known plugin vulnerabilities, to pair with a scanner. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/jetpack-128.webp) ### Jetpack Protect Free daily vulnerability monitoring, backed by the WPScan database Vulnerability monitoring Free, Scan €8.95/month Sites already on Jetpack - Installations 100,000+ - Latest version 6.1.0, August 12, 2026 - Jetpack Scan €8.95 per month, billed yearly (€4.95 per month the first year) Jetpack Protect does one thing for free and with no setup: every day, it checks the installed core, plugins and themes against Automattic’s WPScan vulnerability database, and it protects the login against [brute force](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/brute-force-attack/). The web application firewall, malware scanning and one-click fixes come with the paid Jetpack Scan. No free two-factor authentication or log: it is a monitoring tool, not a suite. It is most useful if you already use Jetpack, or alongside a suite that does not advertise vulnerability alerts, such as AIOS. Strengths - Free daily monitoring, no setup - WPScan vulnerability database - Discounted first year of Scan Limits - No two-factor authentication - Paid firewall and scanning - Cannot block an application attack on its own **Who it is for:** sites already running Jetpack, and beginners who want to be warned about a vulnerability without configuring anything. **Our take:** simple free monitoring, to pair with a suite or two-factor authentication. ## Locking down the login and reducing the attack surface Bots start by identifying a WordPress site ([fingerprinting](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/fingerprinting/)), then try passwords on its login page. The next two plugins act at that stage, before a vulnerability or a weak password gets exploited. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/kadence-128.webp) ### Kadence Security A login and account specialist, formerly iThemes and then Solid Security Login and accounts Free, Pro in Kadence Pro $299/year Sites with many accounts - Installations 700,000+ - Latest version 10.0.6, October 14, 2026 - Developer Nexcess - Pro Included in Kadence Pro, $299 per year Kadence Security is the most account-focused plugin: brute force protection, two-factor authentication, password rules, custom login address, file change detection and known vulnerability checks, all for free. When several writers or clients log in, enforcing strong passwords matters as much as a firewall. It has been renamed twice (iThemes Security, then Solid Security): older tutorials describe the same plugin. It does not scan files for malware (only a blocklist check). Virtual patches (provided by Patchstack), reCAPTCHA and the user log are paid, with no separate price: you need the Kadence Pro plan at $299 per year, mostly worth it if you already use the Kadence theme. Strengths - Free password rules and 2FA - Free vulnerability monitoring - Patchstack virtual patches in Pro Limits - No malware scanning - Pro has no separate price ($299 per year) - Two name changes in a short time **Who it is for:** sites with many accounts that mainly want to lock down the login, and Kadence theme users. **Our take:** the best free choice for securing accounts, to pair with a scanner. ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/brand/app-icon.svg) ### WP Masquerade Hides WordPress from bots and locks down the login, alongside a firewall Our product Attack surface and login Free, Pro from €59 excl. tax/year - Free version Masquerade Security, on our site - Pro licenses €59 excl. tax/year (1 site), €149 (10), €399 (100) - Lifetime €990 excl. tax, unlimited sites **Conflict of interest:** WP Masquerade is made by the publisher of this page. It does not do the same job as the others: it removes the clues that identify your site as WordPress and closes known entry points. The free version, Masquerade Security (not yet published on wordpress.org, [download it from our site](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/download/)), presents your site as Joomla!, Drupal, PrestaShop, TYPO3 or MediaWiki instead of WordPress, removes technical links, [moves the login page](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/custom-login-page/), blocks [XML-RPC](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/xml-rpc/) and pingbacks, and counts bots probing for vulnerabilities. WP Masquerade Pro adds 41 [other-CMS imitation](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/cms-imitation/) profiles, file path aliases, [login limits](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/login-attempt-limiting/), mandatory two-factor authentication by role, security headers, core integrity checks, vulnerable plugin alerts, an admin activity log and banning of trapped bots. It is neither a web application firewall (it does not filter SQL injection or XSS) nor a malware scanner: keep one of the suites above. Strengths - The only one here that hides the traces of WordPress - Free version sends nothing to a third-party service - 10-site, 100-site and lifetime licenses Limits - No firewall, no malware scanning - Free version not yet on wordpress.org - Overlapping features to disable in your suite **Who it is for:** any site that already has a suite or firewall and wants to be less visible to bots; with Pro, stores and agencies that want two-factor authentication, alerts and a log. **Our take:** a complement, not a suite: judge it on what it hides from bots, not on a firewall it does not have. ## Where your data goes: cloud, GDPR and support All these plugins are sold worldwide; what changes from one developer to the next is where your traffic and files are processed. For a site subject to the GDPR, ask these four questions before choosing. - **Does traffic go through a provider?** With the Sucuri firewall, yes: every visitor, and so their IP address, passes through its network. Sucuri is operated by GoDaddy Media Temple, Inc., part of the US-based GoDaddy group, whose privacy policy and Data Privacy Framework participation govern transfers from Europe. - **Are files scanned elsewhere?** MalCare scans the site on its servers, Wordfence on yours (it only receives its rules and signatures). A service that receives your files or logs is a processor to mention in your privacy policy. - **Where is the developer based?** Patchstack is developed by Patchstack OÜ, an Estonian company subject to EU law; its policy states that it may use providers outside the European Economic Area, covered by standard contractual clauses or the Data Privacy Framework. Read this document for each developer: it sets the safeguards more than the country of the head office does. - **Does support speak your language?** If you are counting on cleanup by humans (Sucuri, Wordfence Care and Response plans, MalCare Repair plans), check support languages and hours before you buy: in the middle of a crisis, a laborious exchange costs hours. For WP Masquerade (our product): the free version sends nothing to any third-party service. Pro contacts the developer’s license server, sends plugin names to WPVulnerability.net for vulnerability checks, the WordPress version to wordpress.org for integrity checks and, if the option stays on, update status to your member area; no content or users. ## How the protections fit together No plugin covers every layer. The diagram places each plugin according to the features its developer advertises; click a name to open its profile. *The protection layers of a WordPress site Complementary layers, from the outside in. Placement based on the features each developer advertises (comparison table).* On the path of every request 1. **1. Cloud firewall and CDN** In front of the server, enabled through DNS: filters traffic before it reaches you. - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/sucuri-40.webp) Sucuri *paid* Also: CDN and the firewall of your host or Cloudflare. 2. **2. Server and hosting** Server firewall, up-to-date PHP and web server: your host’s job. Your host’s job: none of the plugins compared here. 3. **3. Firewall inside WordPress** Rules running inside the site: blocks dangerous requests (injections, known vulnerabilities). - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/wordfence-40.webp) Wordfence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/aios-40.webp) AIOS - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/shield-40.webp) Shield - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/defender-40.webp) Defender - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/malcare-40.webp) MalCare - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/kadence-40.webp) Kadence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/cerber-40.webp) Cerber - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/patchstack-40.webp) Patchstack *paid* - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/jetpack-40.webp) Jetpack *paid* 4. **4. Login protection** Login attempt limits, two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA. - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/wordfence-40.webp) Wordfence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/kadence-40.webp) Kadence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/aios-40.webp) AIOS - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/jetpack-40.webp) Jetpack - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/malcare-40.webp) MalCare - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/shield-40.webp) Shield - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/cerber-40.webp) Cerber - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/defender-40.webp) Defender - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/brand/app-icon.svg) WP Masquerade *Pro* - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/patchstack-40.webp) Patchstack *paid* - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/sucuri-40.webp) Sucuri *paid* 5. **5. Hardening and attack surface** Fewer clues and entry points: WordPress traces, login address, XML-RPC. - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/brand/app-icon.svg) WP Masquerade - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/kadence-40.webp) Kadence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/aios-40.webp) AIOS - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/shield-40.webp) Shield - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/cerber-40.webp) Cerber - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/defender-40.webp) Defender - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/sucuri-40.webp) Sucuri Monitoring and recovery 6. **6. Malware scanning** Detects modified or infected files after the fact. - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/wordfence-40.webp) Wordfence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/sucuri-40.webp) Sucuri - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/malcare-40.webp) MalCare - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/shield-40.webp) Shield - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/defender-40.webp) Defender - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/cerber-40.webp) Cerber - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/aios-40.webp) AIOS *paid* - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/jetpack-40.webp) Jetpack *paid* 7. **7. Vulnerability monitoring** Flags installed plugins and themes with a known vulnerability. - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/patchstack-40.webp) Patchstack - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/jetpack-40.webp) Jetpack - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/wordfence-40.webp) Wordfence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/kadence-40.webp) Kadence - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/malcare-40.webp) MalCare - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/defender-40.webp) Defender - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/shield-40.webp) Shield *paid* - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/img/plugins/sucuri-40.webp) Sucuri *paid* - ![](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/themes/sei5s3/assets/brand/app-icon.svg) WP Masquerade *Pro* 8. **8. Backups** Off-server copies to restore the site. Outside this comparison: a backup plugin or your host’s service. “paid”: only in a paid plan; “Pro”: WP Masquerade Pro. Each name links to the plugin’s profile. The animation shows the principle of defense in depth: each automated attempt is stopped, or detected, by a different layer. *The path of a bot attack Five automated attempts, stopped or detected at different layers. Animation: no real data.* 1. **Malicious traffic in bulk** Blocked: Cloud firewall and CDN. Stopped upstream by a cloud firewall. 2. **SQL injection in a form** Blocked: Firewall inside WordPress. Blocked by the firewall inside WordPress. 3. **Password guessing** Blocked: Login protection. Blocked by login limits and two-factor authentication. 4. **Detecting WordPress and its plugins** Blocked: Hardening and attack surface. Few clues to find: WordPress traces hidden, login address moved. 5. **Vulnerability not yet patched** Detected: Malware scanning. Gets through the filters: the scan detects the modified files, the backup lets you restore the site. In practice, a solid setup has three building blocks: a suite or cloud firewall to filter and scan, vulnerability monitoring if your suite lacks it, and a tool that reduces the attack surface. Add off-site backups: none of the plugins in this comparison makes them. ## How to choose Start from your situation, not from the feature list: - **You want everything for free:** Wordfence if your hosting can handle local scans, otherwise MalCare, because file scanning is the heaviest feature. - **Your site takes payments:** Wordfence Premium, the Sucuri firewall or Patchstack patches, because a 30-day delay on free rules is too long against an exploited vulnerability. - **You manage ten sites or more:** Defender with WPMU DEV or the Patchstack Developer plan, because central management and cost per site matter more than features. - **Several people log in:** Kadence Security or your suite’s two-factor authentication, because one reused password is enough to open the admin area. - **You get comment spam:** Shield, because its silentCAPTCHA also protects comments. - **Your suite does not advertise vulnerability alerts:** Jetpack Protect or free Patchstack, because monitoring fills that gap without conflict. - **You no longer want bots to spot WordPress:** WP Masquerade alongside your suite (our product), because no other plugin in this comparison hides the traces of WordPress. ### Mistakes that cancel out your protection - **Two firewalls or two login limiters.** One plugin per feature: disable the login address, attempt limits and two-factor authentication in one of the two. - **Thinking the free Sucuri plugin includes the firewall.** You need the subscription and a DNS change. - **Enabling two security plugins straight on production.** Test on a staging site first. - **Relying on the plugin alone.** Updates, unique passwords and off-site backups remain essential; also learn to recognize [the signs of a hacked site](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/wordpress-site-hacked-signs/) so you can react fast. ## What WP Masquerade adds to a security plugin WP Masquerade is our product. Here is, without overselling, what it brings alongside the plugins compared, and what it does not. ### Security Automated attacks start with reconnaissance: WordPress version, plugins, login page (see [WordPress fingerprinting](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/wordpress-fingerprinting-detection/)). WP Masquerade removes those clues, [presents your site as another CMS](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/cms-imitation/), [moves wp-login.php](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/change-wp-login-url/) and, with Pro, [limits login attempts](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/limit-login-attempts-wordpress/) and enforces [two-factor authentication](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/two-factor-authentication/) by role. It does not filter injections: keep your firewall. ### Durability Pro keeps watch over time: [core integrity checks](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/wordpress-integrity-check/), [vulnerable plugin alerts](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/vulnerable-plugin-alerts/) with the fix to apply, an admin activity log, [bot traps](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/bot-traps/) with banning. If the license expires, the free version keeps working and the site does not break. ### SEO A hacked site quickly loses its rankings: injected spam pages, Google warnings, deindexing. Fewer successful attempts means protected SEO equity. Hiding does not touch your content; [security headers](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/features/security-headers/) are set without changing the server. Our article on [the SEO impact of hiding](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/hide-wordpress-seo-impact/) explains what changes for Google. ### GEO Answer engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews) cite reliable, available pages. A healthy site, with no injected spam or malicious redirects, stays citable. WP Masquerade does not directly influence those answers: it helps keep the site clean. To measure your [GEO](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/glossary/generative-engine-optimization/) visibility, see our comparison of [GEO tracking tools](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/best-geo-tracking-tools/). To get started, [download Masquerade Security](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/download/), the free version, then compare [free and Pro](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/free-vs-pro/) or check the [pricing](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/pricing/): €59 excl. tax per year for one site, €149 for 10, €399 for 100, €990 once for unlimited sites. ## Sources and method In accordance with Article L111-7 of the French Consumer Code (Code de la consommation) and Article D111-7, which sets out how it applies, here is how this page is built: - **No score or overall ranking.** Plugins are grouped by type of protection; the order within a group follows relevance to the need described, not a score. “Our picks at a glance” names the best fit for a given profile, based on the criteria below. - **Declared conflict of interest:** this page is published by the developer of WP Masquerade, one of the plugins compared, marked “Our product”. No other plugin mentioned has a contractual relationship, equity link or payment arrangement with us, and the page contains no affiliate links. - **Same criteria for all:** firewall and its type, malware scanning, brute force, two-factor authentication, vulnerability alerts, hiding, activity log, entry price, where data is processed. - **Sources:** information collected from each developer’s official pages (the plugin’s wordpress.org page, pricing, features, and the privacy policy for Sucuri and Patchstack). A feature missing from those pages is marked “No” or “Not advertised”. - **Not measured:** detection rate, performance impact, support quality. So we publish no score. - **Corrections:** spotted an error or a price change? [Write to us](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/contact-us/) and we will fix it. ## Frequently asked questions **What is the best free WordPress security plugin?** Wordfence has the most complete free version (firewall, scanning, two-factor authentication, vulnerability alerts), with rules delayed by 30 days. Defender and AIOS are the closest alternatives; MalCare suits small hosting better, since it scans the site on its own servers. **Can you install two security plugins?** Yes, if they do not do the same thing. Two firewalls, two login limiters or two login address changes get in each other’s way. A suite and a complementary tool (vulnerability monitoring, WP Masquerade) can coexist if each feature is enabled in only one of them. **Does the free Sucuri plugin include a firewall?** No. The Sucuri Security plugin handles activity auditing, file integrity monitoring, external scanning and hardening. The cloud firewall is a subscription (from $9.99 per month) enabled by changing your DNS. **Is free Wordfence enough for a WooCommerce store?** Rarely: its free firewall rules and signatures arrive 30 days late. For a site that takes payments, Wordfence Premium ($149 per year per site), a cloud firewall or Patchstack virtual patches shorten that delay. **What is a virtual patch?** A rule that blocks exploitation of a known plugin vulnerability without changing its code, until the update is installed. Patchstack applies them only to vulnerable plugins it detects; Kadence Security Pro gets them through Patchstack. **Firewall in the plugin or in the cloud?** A plugin firewall (Wordfence, Defender, AIOS, Shield) sees the WordPress context but runs on your server. A cloud firewall (Sucuri, or your host’s or Cloudflare’s) filters before the server but requires a DNS change and routes your traffic through a provider. **Does WP Masquerade replace Wordfence or Sucuri?** No. WP Masquerade (our product) includes neither a web application firewall nor a malware scanner. It reduces what bots see of your site, closes entry points and, with Pro, locks down the login and alerts you. It works alongside a firewall or scanner, not instead of one. **Is a security plugin enough to protect a WordPress site?** No. Updates, unique passwords, two-factor authentication, off-site backups and up-to-date hosting matter just as much. If the damage is done, our guide to [cleaning up a hacked WordPress site](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/clean-hacked-wordpress-site/) walks through the steps. The trademarks and logos mentioned belong to their respective owners; they are used only to identify the products compared. ## Reduce what bots see of your WordPress site Start with the free version of WP Masquerade, alongside your firewall or scanner. Upgrade to Pro for two-factor authentication, login limiting and alerts. [Download the free version](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/download/) [See Pro pricing](https://www.wp-masquerade.com/pricing/)