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Free Plugin by Patchstack v2.3.7

Patchstack

Patchstack automatically identifies and mitigates security vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins, themes, and core.

Patchstack

The facts

Rating
4.9★ from 61
Active installs
50k+
Price
Free
Last updated
28 Jul 2026
Added
Nov 2021
Requires WP
5.2
Tested up to
WP 7.0.4
Requires PHP
5.6
Downloads
692,693

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Patchstack is a WordPress security plugin designed to identify vulnerabilities in your site's plugins, themes, and core. It leverages a community of ethical hackers to provide early warnings about new vulnerabilities and offers features for managing updates and security status reporting.

This plugin is suitable for website owners, agencies managing multiple sites, and hosting companies looking for targeted vulnerability protection. You do not need extensive technical knowledge to use it, as installation and setup are straightforward.

Best for: Website owners, agencies, and hosting companies needing vulnerability management.

What it does well

  • Identifies vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, and WordPress core
  • Offers early warnings for new vulnerabilities
  • Allows management of updates from a single dashboard
  • Provides snapshot reports on security status
  • Free version available with essential features

Where it falls short

  • Limited features in the free version compared to the paid version
  • No information on the specific capabilities of the paid version

Verdict

Patchstack is a practical solution for those looking to enhance their WordPress site's security without needing advanced technical skills. Its community-driven approach offers timely updates and alerts on vulnerabilities.

From the developer

Patchstack's own description of Patchstack, lightly tidied.

Patchstack is a powerful tool that helps identify security vulnerabilities within your websites’ plugins, themes, and WordPress core. It is powered by the WordPress ecosystem’s most active community of ethical hackers. Patchstack is trusted by leading WordPress experts such as Pagely, Cloudways, GridPane, Plesk, and others!

Patchstack is a security plugin for WordPress that finds WP core, plugin and theme vulnerabilities in your websites.

The free version includes up to 48-hour early warning for new vulnerabilities found by our security research community. It also allows you to automatically update vulnerable software, manage updates remotely, and get snapshot reports on your sites’ security status.

The paid version includes automatic vulnerability protection. Patchstack deploys highly targeted rules on a per-site basis, only when a specific vulnerability is detected on a site.

This prevents vulnerable components from being exploited without modifying website code, or impacting site performance or functionality. Patchstack’s paid version includes access to 12,000+ individual protection rules (vPatches).

Patchstack paid version also includes other preventive security features, such as 2 factor authentication, WordPress specific hardening rules, a Community IP blocklist for malicious IP addresses, advanced security settings, and custom protection rules.

Post-hack cleanups vs attack prevention in WordPress security

Unlike the standard approach to WordPress security (malware scanning and infection cleanups), Patchstack is focused on preventing infections in the first place.

Thanks to its big WordPress security research community and partnerships with nearly one thousand plugin vendors and developers, Patchstack is regularly among the first to identify new vulnerabilities.

Who is Patchstack’s WordPress security plugin for?

Patchstack’s vulnerability management works extremely well for:

  • Agencies with WordPress care/maintenance plans for their customers’ websites
  • WooCommerce websites to protect their revenue and customers from attacks
  • Hosting companies that want to deliver highly targeted vulnerability protection easily and at scale
    Website owners

You don’t have to be highly technical to use it. Install the plugin, connect it with the Patchstack App, and stay safe!

What features are included in the Patchstack Personal (Free) plan?

Patchstack’s Personal plan is a free security service for WordPress that lets you find and manage vulnerabilities in your websites. It includes access to a central security dashboard via the Patchstack web App for more visibility and control over your sites’ security:

  • Be the first to know about new vulnerabilities.
  • Receive notifications if any installed plugins or themes have security issues.
  • Detect the latest security vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins.
  • Detect the latest security vulnerabilities in WordPress themes.
  • Detect the latest security vulnerabilities in WordPress core.
  • Receive real-time alerts via email if any security vulnerabilities are found.
  • Manage core, plugin and theme updates from a single dashboard.
  • [Optional] Enable automatic updates for vulnerable plugins only.
  • Generate snapshot reports about the security status of your website.

Read the full description on the official page →

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