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Best Free WordPress Plugins for Wordpress Security

15 plugins compared · Updated August 2026 · Wordpress Security

All 15 Free only Premium only

Choosing a WordPress plugin for wordpress security 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. Loginizer Best overall 93/100
  2. 2. Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 89/100
  3. 3. Defender Security 89/100
  4. 4. Sucuri Security 88/100
  5. 5. Jetpack Protect 88/100
  6. 6. MalCare WordPress Security Plugin 87/100
  7. 7. BulletProof Security 87/100
  8. 8. Shield Security 86/100
  9. 9. Blackhole for Bad Bots 86/100
  10. 10. Vigilant 85/100
  11. 11. Security Ninja 84/100
  12. 12. Advanced IP Blocker 84/100
  13. 13. SecuPress with Simple SSL 83/100
  14. 14. Quttera ThreatSign 81/100
  15. 15. NETSENSAI Shield 80/100
1 Loginizer
Best overall Free by Softaculous

Loginizer

Loginizer is a WordPress security plugin which helps you fight against bruteforce attacks.

4.8★
from 1,030 ratings
1M+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
93

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
2 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP
Free by Andrea Ferro

Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP

Best all-in-one WordPress security plugin, uses HTTP & HSTS response headers to avoid vulnerabilities: XSS, injection, clickjacking. Force HTTP/HTTPS.

4.9★
from 79 ratings
90k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
89

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
4 Sucuri Security
Free by Sucuri

Sucuri Security

The Sucuri WordPress Security plugin is a security toolset for security integrity monitoring, malware detection and security hardening.

4.2★
from 384 ratings
600k+
active installs
Updated
Jul 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
88

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
5 Jetpack Protect
Free by Automattic

Jetpack Protect

Free daily vulnerability scans & WordPress security, powered by WPScan (an Automattic brand) and its 60,000+ vulnerability database. No setup needed!

4.6★
from 123 ratings
100k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
88

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
8 Shield Security
Free by Paul

Shield Security

Smart WordPress security that blocks bots automatically, guides you to what matters, and repairs problems — without drowning you in noise.

4.8★
from 1,038 ratings
30k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
86

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
9 Blackhole for Bad Bots
Free by Jeff Starr

Blackhole for Bad Bots

Blackhole is a WordPress security plugin that detects and traps bad bots in a virtual black hole, where they are denied access to your entire site.

4.7★
from 148 ratings
30k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
86

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
10 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
11 Security Ninja
Free by cleverplugins

Security Ninja

WordPress security plugin: free 8G firewall/WAF, 50+ tests, vulnerability/core scanning, events logging, AI reports.

4.7★
from 101 ratings
7k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
84

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
12 Advanced IP Blocker
Free by IniLerm

Advanced IP Blocker

A complete WordPress security firewall: blocks IPs, bots, countries & ASN. Includes an intelligent WAF, Threat Scoring, Geo-Challenge, and 2FA.

4.8★
from 24 ratings
2k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
84

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
14 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
15 NETSENSAI Shield
Free by Rafal Gierlicki

NETSENSAI Shield

Hardens and protects your site by locking down login, REST API, XML‑RPC, file editor, and applying HTTP security headers.

5★
from 5 ratings
1k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
80

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org