Recommended WordPress Security plugins

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Security is one of the top priorities for website owners, and there are many different plugins available for WordPress to cover this need. Below are our recommended WordPress security plugins with the reasons that make them great. 

Wordfence 

As one of the most popular plugins in WordPress, Wordfence provides firewall protection and security scanning for your website.

Wordfence allows users to set up 2FA and reCaptcha, scan for possible malware and malicious codes, and brute force attack protection. A premium version is available with advanced tools, for users interested in real-time updates on their website’s security as well as country blocking for IPs.

Wordfence plugin settings

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 4m active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.0.3
  • Security dashboard
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

Read our Wordfence installation guide.

Sucuri

Sucuri as a company has multiple cyber security services and one of their specializations is WordPress. With the Sucuri plugin, you can scan for malware, monitor your files, review activity logs, and more. 

Their website firewall is a premium feature that can be connected to your Sucuri account; however, a sizeable portion of their settings are free to use.

Sucuri Plugin Settings

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 800k active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.0.3
  • Website Firewall available at a premium price 
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

Read our installation guide.

Total Upkeep

Total Upkeep, developed by BoldGrid, is a secure backup plugin that creates automatic backups before WordPress updates and rolls back to them if anything goes wrong. Amongst its other settings, Total Upkeep allows you to protect your website from data loss. 

Total Upkeep plugin settings

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 90k active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.0.3
  • Monitors your website for errors and prevents crashes 
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

Read our Total Upkeep guide.

Jetpack

Jetpack can help you create and design your site, optimize it for mobile customers, and keep it secure. On the security end, Jetpack is great for stopping brute force attacks and will also inform you of website downtime which you can then monitor to see if it is because of server issues or an actual hack.

Jetpack Security Settings

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 5m active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.0.3
  • A wide range of non-security options are available
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

Read our Jetpack Security Features article.

iThemes Security

With their Security Dashboard, iThemes Security offers protection features such as 2FA setup, enforced password requirements, user bans, brute force protection, and a site scan. It also allows you to craft a security profile depending on your website’s focus. 

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 1m active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.0.3
  • Security dashboard
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

Read our iThemes Installation guide

All-In-One Security and Firewall

Also known as AIOS, is a user friendly plugin that builds on WordPress security settings. With vulnerability scans, recommendations for security practices, and their firewall, AIOS is another great option for users. 

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 1m active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.1
  • User friendly
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

BBQ Firewall

Formerly known as “Block Bad Queries,” BBQ Firewall simply blocks malicious requests such as URLs including SQL injections and executables (.exe). It works well with other security suites but may be unnecessary depending on your primary security plugin.

Why choose this plugin?

  • Over 100k active installations in WordPress
  • Tested up to WordPress version 6.1
  • User friendly
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars rating per WordPress.org

Read our BBQ Firewall guide.

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John-Paul Briones Content Writer II

John-Paul is an Electronics Engineer that spent most of his career in IT. He has been a Technical Writer for InMotion since 2013.

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14 thoughts on “Recommended WordPress Security plugins

  1. I liked this article, thanks guys! It is written in simple terms for beginners. Now I know which security plugin I need.

  2. A very useful article written in simple terms for beginners. I’m making my first site, it’s hard for me, but I hope I made the right choice of a security plugin. Thank you!

  3. Do you recommend the in the order in which you listed them? — i.e. WordFence is no. 1 on your list? Are there any that you think are simpler for “regular people” to manage, but still give good protection. I know that for some of these plugins, there are some dangerous settings! Thanks.

    1. Hello Susan,

      They are not listed in order of preference, but WordFence was one of the better ones. As for which one is easier to use, that is entirely up to the individual so feel free to see which one you are more comfortable with.

      Kindest Regards,
      Scott M

  4. Do you need to install more than one? I was thinking of installing the All In One WP with the  Wordfence security plugins. Bad Idea?

    1. It is typically a good idea to only install one of these as multiple installations of different security plugins can cause unexpected results.

  5. Hi,

    Is there any chance that you could please include the All In One WP Security & Firewall plugin on your “recommended-security-plugins” page?

    https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/

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