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Best Free WordPress Plugins for Scanner

15 plugins compared · Updated August 2026 · Scanner

All 15 Free only Premium only

Choosing a WordPress plugin for scanner comes down to a few things: whether it is still actively maintained, whether real users rate it well, and whether it does the specific job you need without dragging the rest of the site down.

We ranked 15 plugins using our WPScore, which weighs the user rating (adjusted for how many people actually rated it), how many sites run it, how recently it was updated, and which WordPress version it is tested against. 15 of them have enough public data to be scored; the rest are listed below the ranked block, clearly marked, rather than being given a number we cannot justify.

How this list is funded. Some links here earn us a commission if you buy. It costs you nothing extra, and it does not move anything up the list — the order comes from the WPScore, which is calculated from public ratings, install counts and update history. See the method.

At a glance

  1. 1. Wordfence Security Best overall 95/100
  2. 2. Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 90/100
  3. 3. Defender Security 89/100
  4. 4. MalCare WordPress Security Plugin 87/100
  5. 5. BulletProof Security 87/100
  6. 6. Vigilant 85/100
  7. 7. NinjaScanner 83/100
  8. 8. Quttera ThreatSign 81/100
  9. 9. Compromise Scanner for wp2shell 81/100
  10. 10. FZ-152 RF 80/100
  11. 11. Atomic Edge Security 80/100
  12. 12. AntiVirus 77/100
  13. 13. SiteFort Security 76/100
  14. 14. WPScan 74/100
  15. 15. WebDefender Security 72/100
1 Wordfence Security
Best overall Free by Mark Maunder

Wordfence Security

Firewall, Malware Scanner, Two Factor Auth, and Comprehensive Security Features, powered by our 24-hour team. Make security a priority with Wordfence.

4.7★
from 4,983 ratings
5M+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
95

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
3 Defender Security
Free by WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform

Defender Security

WordPress security plugin with malware scanner, IP blocking, audit logs, antivirus scans, firewall, 2FA, brute force login security, and more.

4.8★
from 334 ratings
80k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
89

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
6 Vigilant
Free by Fernando Tellado

Vigilant

Premium WordPress Security - 100% FREE: Firewall, 2FA, Security Headers, Login and Malware Protection, File Monitor, Security Audit & more

5★
from 18 ratings
2k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
85

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
8 Quttera ThreatSign
Free by quttera

Quttera ThreatSign

WordPress multi-level security scanner detecting malware, 0-day threats, brute-force attacks, bot attacks, and unauthorized admin changes.

3.9★
from 47 ratings
10k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
81

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
9 Compromise Scanner for wp2shell
Free by eyesecurity

Compromise Scanner for wp2shell

Read-only forensic scanner for the WordPress core exploit chain CVE-2026-63030 / CVE-2026-60137 (wp2shell). Reports a scored verdict; changes nothing.

5★
from 2 ratings
2k+
active installs
Updated
Jul 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
81

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
10 FZ-152 RF
Free by Kotik

FZ-152 RF

Cookie banner. Consent checkboxes in forms and WooCommerce. Consent logging. Tracker scanner and Metrika control. Text templates.

5★
from 2 ratings
900+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
80

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
11 Atomic Edge Security
Free by shift8

Atomic Edge Security

WordPress firewall with cloud WAF rules, malware scanning, 2FA, vulnerability checks, IP blocking, and real-time security logs.

5★
from 5 ratings
700+
active installs
Updated
Jun 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
80

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
12 AntiVirus
Free by pluginkollektiv

AntiVirus

Security plugin to protect your blog or website against exploits and spam injections.

4.1★
from 23 ratings
30k+
active installs
Updated
Dec 2025
Tested to
WP 6.9.7
77

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
13 SiteFort Security
Free by securewpteam

SiteFort Security

Prevention-first WordPress security with malware scanning, firewall, bot protection, 2FA, vulnerability scanning, and security hardening.

5★
from 5 ratings
70+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
76

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
14 WPScan
Free by ethicalhack3r

WPScan

WPScan WordPress Security Scanner - Scans your system for security vulnerabilities listed in the WPScan Vulnerability Database.

3.8★
from 28 ratings
8k+
active installs
Updated
Jan 2026
Tested to
WP 6.9.7
74

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
15 WebDefender Security
Free by CobWeb Security Ltd.

WebDefender Security

PRO Security – Antivirus Scanner, 2-Layer Protection Hide Security, Brute Force Security & Antispam, Security Website and Security Hardening.

4★
from 18 ratings
1k+
active installs
Updated
Jan 2026
Tested to
WP 6.9.7
72

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org