Best WordPress Security Plugins 2027: Ten Options Compared
plugin guide, checked 11 nov 2026Good to see you, my friend. This guide to the best WordPress security plugins compares ten of them on vendor-stated price, scanning, firewall, cleanup and refund terms. It is based on the vendors’ own pages, not on hands-on tests, and every fact is dated 11 Nov 2026.
// I sell SEO services. No vendor pays for a place on this list.
- ten plugins compared
- checked 11 Nov 2026
- scores are opinion
[ ] core, plugins and themes on the latest version
[ ] strong, unique passwords plus two-step login
[ ] SFTP instead of plain FTP
[ ] file permissions: files 644, folders 755
[ ] regular backups with a tested restore
# then, and only then, the plugin
[ ] one security plugin, not three
// a plugin adds a layer on top of these basics. It does not replace them.
The Short Answer: Pick Cleanup or Prevention First
The best WordPress security plugin depends on whether you want a team to clean a hacked site or a tool to stop one.
MalCare
Prints four plans with scan frequency per plan, from weekly on Free to hourly on Fortify, and a 14-day refund window. Automated cleanup starts on the $299 Repair plan. Refunds are not available if it has already cleaned malware from your site.
Sucuri
Prints prices, scan intervals and response times per plan, with unlimited cleanups on paid platform plans and a 30-day refund per its terms. Entry price is $229 a year for one site, the highest of the top three.
Jetpack
Real-time malware scanning and automatic firewall rules sit inside its Pro and Complete bundles, with a 14-day refund on yearly plans. The page says Scan is not designed to fully clean a site infected before it was active.
The rule: security plugins reduce risk, they do not remove it. Keep software updated and keep a tested backup, as my backup plugin comparison explains. Your host sets the base layer too, so see my managed hosting guide.
What a Security Plugin Actually Does
Most security plugins combine a firewall, a scanner and login protection, and the paid tiers add cleanup.
A firewall filters requests before they do damage. Some run on your server as a plugin. Others, like a cloud firewall, sit in front of your site and filter traffic first. A scanner compares your files against known bad code and flags changes. Login protection limits failed logins and adds a second step with two-factor authentication. Cleanup means a person or an automated tool removes the malware after an infection.
The WordPress developer documentation sets the order of work. It says to keep WordPress up to date, because older versions are not maintained with security updates. It advises strong passwords with two-step authentication, SFTP rather than plain FTP, and tight file permissions. It also says to back up your data regularly and to test restores. None of that needs a paid plugin.
What plugins add is speed. A paid scanner checks more often than you will, and a cleanup service saves a weekend of work. That is the real trade: you pay for speed and for someone else’s hours.
before_you_buy
- Do you need prevention, cleanup, or both?
- How often does it scan, in hours or days?
- Does the price cover one site or several?
- Is cleanup included or an extra?
after_you_buy
- Install only one security plugin
- Turn on two-factor for every admin
- Read the first scan report
- Keep a backup away from the server
Every security vendor promises to stop all threats, and I have yet to see a page that prints how many it missed. That is the one line of humor I will allow. Speed also matters for ranking, so see my notes on technical SEO and the CDN comparison, since some firewalls double as a CDN.
All Ten Plugins, Ranked by Score
Scores add four ratings of 1 to 5 each, so 20 is the top. They are editorial opinion based on published information, not a measure of how well a plugin protects a site.
// editorial scores from published information, checked 11 Nov 2026. They are not test results. A low score means the page I could read gave little detail, not that the plugin is poor. Ties are broken by feature coverage, then price clarity.
How I Scored the Ten Plugins
I read each vendor’s own page, scored four things from 1 to 5, and added them up. I did not install or test any plugin.
Price Clarity
Is the price printed per plan, with the number of sites and billing period? Missing prices and price tables that do not say which row is which lose points.
Protection Features
Does the page name a firewall, a malware scanner, login protection and vulnerability checks? More named features score higher.
Scan and Response Stated
Does the page state how often it scans and how fast a human responds? Printed intervals and response times score higher than adjectives.
Refund and Renewal Terms
Is a refund window printed, and are its exceptions stated? Silence scores low.
One firm rule: a plugin whose own page I could not read, or whose price I could not verify, is never in my top three. Wordfence’s pages came back empty, Solid Security’s pages failed to load or redirected to an unrelated page, and Defender’s page failed to load. They stay in the list so you can see the gap, but they rank low because I verified almost nothing about them.
Ten Security Plugins Reviewed in Order
Each card says what the plugin is, who it fits, when to skip it, the vendor-stated price and one flag.
MalCare
MalCare lists four plans and prints scan frequency for each: the Free plan scans every 7 days and detects only, Protect scans every 24 hours with an advanced firewall, Repair scans every 12 hours and adds automated cleanup plus a report, and Fortify scans hourly with cleanup and unlimited manual fixes. Both Repair and Fortify list a real-time firewall.
Fits: owners who want a cleanup path priced in advance. Skip it if: you want one price for many sites, because prices are for 1 or 5 sites only.
Price: Protect from $99 a year for 1 site, Repair from $299, Fortify from $499, vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. Five-site plans cost $299, $899 and $1,499. Flag: a 14-day refund window applies, but refunds are not available on Repair or Fortify if MalCare has already cleaned malware from your site within that window. A trial is not stated, and local currency prices may differ at checkout.
Sucuri
Sucuri sells two kinds of plans. The Security Platform has Basic at $229 a year with scans every 12 hours and a 30-hour response time, Pro at $339 with scans every 6 hours and 12 hours, and Business at $549 with scans every 30 minutes and 6 hours. All list unlimited manual cleanups, a firewall and a CDN. The separate CloudProxy firewall plans run $9.99 and $19.98 a month for 1 site.
Fits: owners who want a named response time written down. Skip it if: you manage several small sites, since each platform plan covers 1 site and the 5-site Junior Dev plan costs $999.98 a year.
Price: from $229 a year, vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. A 30-day refund applies per its terms of service, and the page offers up to 30 percent off for multi-year signups. Flag: many feature cells did not render as text, so I could not confirm every inclusion, and the CDN claims quote both 60 and 80 percent server-load reduction.
Jetpack
Jetpack puts security inside bundles. Free gives manual firewall rules and no malware scanning. Pro and Complete give real-time malware scanning of core, themes and plugins, an automatic-rule firewall that blocks known attack patterns, and one-click fixes. The FAQ states that Scan is not designed to fully clean up sites infected before it was active.
Fits: people who already want backups and other tools in one bundle. Skip it if: you want a standalone scanner price, because none is stated.
Price: Pro $348 a year or $29 a month, Complete $588 a year or $49 a month, vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. Two-year billing is $23 and $39 a month. Refunds are full within 14 days on yearly plans and 7 days on monthly plans. Flag: vulnerability checks are not described as a separate feature, and the bundle price covers more than security.
Shield Security
Shield has a free plan with core file scanning, bot and spam protection, email and authenticator two-factor, and a vulnerability scan. Plus adds AI-powered malware detection, traffic rate limiting, CrowdSec intelligence, passkeys, premium plugin and theme checks, and ShieldBACKUPS with 7-day plus 12-week retention. A higher tier for agencies is marked as coming soon.
Fits: owners who want a free start and a clear upgrade path. Skip it if: you need a firewall named as its own feature, since the page does not name one.
Price: Plus lists seven pairs from $29 a month or $149 a year. The page offers site counts from 1 to 100 but does not label which price belongs to which count, so reading $149 as the 1-site price is my inference, checked 11 Nov 2026. Flag: the money-back guarantee has no stated number of days, and the free plan’s site limit is not stated.
NinjaFirewall
NinjaFirewall is a web application firewall that runs in front of WordPress and filters requests before they reach WordPress or its plugins. The page lists brute-force protection, rate limiting, IP, country and bot controls, file integrity scanning, real-time file detection and multisite support. A free edition comes from WordPress.org with support through the forum.
Fits: technical owners who like control over filtering. Skip it if: you want a service that cleans a hacked site, since none is described.
Price: WP+ is $99 per domain a year, $79 for 2 to 5 domains, $69 for 6 to 15, and $59 for more than 15. Vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. The page says there is no subscription or automatic renewal. Flag: the refund policy text was not available to me, and I could not tell which listed features are premium only because the checkmarks did not survive extraction.
Patchstack
Patchstack is built around vulnerabilities in plugins, themes and core. Its Developer plan lists protection up to 48 hours ahead of competitors, API integrations, white-label reports and rapid mitigation without changing code, and it cites exclusive vulnerability intelligence for 944 WordPress plugins. It also has plans for agencies and web hosts, priced on request.
Fits: agencies that need reports for clients. Skip it if: you want a malware scanner, because none is described on the pricing page.
Price: Developer is $69 a month billed annually, $828 a year, with 3 seats included, vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. Extra sites cost $12.50 a month per block of 5, and extra seats $24 a month. Flag: the base site count, firewall details and auto-update features are not stated, and the 30-day money-back line sits in a general payment section, not under the plan.
All-in-One Security
All-in-One Security is free on WordPress.org with more than 1 million active installations. The free version has login lockout, free two-factor authentication, firewall rules, file and database protection, an audit log, and a file-change scanner. Malware scanning, uptime monitoring, country blocking and advanced two-factor options are Premium only.
Fits: small sites that want a free, popular option. Skip it if: you run NGINX or Windows IIS, since .htaccess-based features do not apply there.
Price: free, with Premium from about $70 a year, vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. It shows 4.7 of 5 stars across 1,720 reviews, and the latest version listed is 5.5.1 from 30 Oct 2026. Flag: Premium sites each need their own licence, free support is the WordPress.org forum with a 24-hour target on working days, and refund terms are not stated.
Wordfence
Wordfence is one of the best-known WordPress security plugins, but both of its own pages I tried came back empty to my reader. I cannot tell you its plans, firewall rule timing, scanner details or refund terms from what I read.
Fits: I cannot judge from what I read. Skip it if: you want to compare printed plans, because I could not read them.
Price: not verified, checked 11 Nov 2026. Flag: that gap is why it ranks eighth, and the rank says nothing about the plugin itself. Plans, prices, update timing for free versus paid, sites covered and refunds are all not verified here. Open the vendor’s own pricing page and compare it with the cards above before you decide.
Solid Security
Solid Security, from SolidWP, is the plugin formerly sold as iThemes Security. Its pricing page failed to load, and its main addresses redirected to an unrelated Kadence add-ons page that I did not follow. I read nothing about its features or plans.
Fits: I cannot judge from what I read. Skip it if: you want a verified price from this guide.
Price: not verified, checked 11 Nov 2026. Flag: the redirect is odd, and I have no explanation for it. Plans, sites, features, refund and renewal terms are all not verified. This is a gap in what I could read and not a verdict on the plugin.
Defender
Defender is the security plugin from WPMU DEV. Its product page failed to load for my reader, so I have no verified facts about its scanning, firewall, login protection or plans.
Fits: I cannot judge from what I read. Skip it if: you want a verified price from this guide.
Price: not verified, checked 11 Nov 2026. Flag: WPMU DEV bundles several tools in memberships, so compare its own plan page against the other cards. Sites covered, features, refund and renewal terms are all not verified, and the low rank reflects my reading gap, not the product.
// every fact on these cards is vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. I did not install or test any of these plugins.
Side by Side: Price, Scanning and Terms
The table repeats the cards in one place. My top pick sits in the highlighted cells.
| Plugin | Entry paid price | Scan interval | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| MalCare | $99 a year (1 site) | 24 h, hourly on Fortify | 14 days, with exception |
| Sucuri | $229 a year (1 site) | 12 h, 30 min on Business | 30 days |
| Jetpack | $348 a year (Pro bundle) | Real-time | 14 days yearly, 7 monthly |
| Shield Security | $149 a year (inferred) | Not stated | Days not stated |
| NinjaFirewall | $99 a year per domain | Not stated | Not stated |
| Patchstack | $828 a year | Not stated | 30 days, placement unclear |
| All-in-One Security | About $70 a year | Not stated | Not stated |
| Wordfence | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Solid Security | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Defender | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
// vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. Prices are in US dollars as printed. Units differ, so read the row.
The Price Ladder, Cheapest First
Entry prices run from about $70 to $828 a year, and they do not buy the same thing.
// vendor-stated, checked 11 Nov 2026. * Shield’s price-to-site mapping is my inference. Jetpack’s price is a bundle, not security alone. Patchstack’s plan includes seats and agency tools. Wordfence, Solid Security and Defender have no verified price, so they have no bar.
Cheapest is not the same as cheapest per outcome. MalCare’s $99 plan scans daily but does not include cleanup, which starts at $299. Sucuri’s $229 includes unlimited manual cleanups. If you expect to be hacked once, price the cleanup, not the scan.
Six Head-to-Head Duels, Settled in Words
Each duel answers one choice readers ask me about. The answers are opinion from published pages.
MalCare vs Sucuri
MalCare is cheaper to start at $99 a year, with cleanup from $299. Sucuri starts at $229 and lists unlimited manual cleanups plus response times. Pick MalCare for price, Sucuri for a written response time.
Sucuri vs Jetpack
Sucuri is a dedicated security service. Jetpack is a bundle with real-time scanning and a firewall, but its Scan is not designed to clean sites infected earlier. Choose Sucuri if you may need cleanup.
Shield vs All-in-One Security
Both have free plans with two-factor authentication. Shield’s free plan adds a vulnerability scan, and All-in-One has the larger install base. Shield looks richer, and All-in-One looks more familiar.
NinjaFirewall vs Patchstack
NinjaFirewall filters requests in front of WordPress at $99 per domain a year. Patchstack focuses on vulnerabilities and costs $828 a year. They solve different problems, so they are not direct rivals.
MalCare vs Jetpack
MalCare prints scan intervals per plan. Jetpack says real-time but bundles other tools. MalCare is clearer for security alone, and Jetpack suits people who want the whole bundle.
Wordfence vs Solid Security
Both are well known, and I could not read a price for either. Treat my low scores as a reading gap and compare their own pages directly.
Six Steps to Choose and Set Up Security
Follow these in order. Each step ends with something you can check.
step 1 · basics
Fix the Free Basics First
Update WordPress, plugins and themes. Use strong passwords and two-step authentication, and move from plain FTP to SFTP.
step 2 · backup
Set Up a Backup Before Anything Else
If cleanup fails, a clean backup is your way out. Test a restore on a copy of the site.
step 3 · need
Decide Between Prevention and Cleanup
If a hack would cost you a week, price a plan with cleanup included. If you only want alerts, a scanner may do.
step 4 · shortlist
Compare Price per Site and Refund
Divide the price by your sites. Read the refund exceptions, since some plans refuse a refund after cleanup.
step 5 · install
Install One Plugin Only
Two security plugins can clash over the same rules. Run the first scan and read the report slowly.
step 6 · routine
Check Alerts Monthly
Check the alerts, the update list and the login log once a month, and test a restore twice a year.
// a work order for choosing a security plugin, not a promise about any vendor.
Six Common Mistakes, and Their Fixes
Each of these follows from terms the vendors print or from WordPress’s own advice.
Running outdated software
Older WordPress versions are not maintained with security updates. Fix: update, and use automatic updates where you can.
Installing two security plugins
Overlapping firewalls and scanners can clash. Fix: run one and turn off the duplicates.
Expecting a scanner to clean a hack
MalCare’s free and Protect plans do not include cleanup, and Jetpack says Scan is not designed to fully clean sites infected before it was active. Fix: check what is cleaned, and by whom.
Skipping two-factor login
Weak admin logins are an easy way in. Fix: turn on two-step authentication, which several free plugins offer.
Downloading nulled plugins
WordPress’s documentation says never to download WordPress from anywhere but wordpress.org. The same caution applies to plugins. Fix: buy from the vendor.
Assuming a refund covers cleanup
MalCare refuses refunds on Repair and Fortify after it cleans malware. Fix: read the exceptions before paying.
How to Verify Your Site Is Protected
Check the settings and the logs, not only the dashboard’s green badge.
What Good Looks Like
- Core, plugins and themes show no pending updates.
- Every admin account uses two-factor login.
- The last scan ran inside the interval the vendor states.
- A restore from backup opened on a test copy.
What Means Trouble
- Unknown admin users or changed core files.
- The scanner has not run for days.
- Alert emails go to an address nobody reads.
- The same plugin has needed urgent updates repeatedly.
Limits of This Comparison
The scores map published claims. They do not measure how well any plugin stops an attack.
I did not install, use or test any of these plugins, and I ran no attacks. Every fact comes from a vendor page, so it can be out of date, and many pages show sale prices. Scores are my opinion, equal-weighted, and they reward clear pages, not proven protection.
Gaps I could not close: all Wordfence, Solid Security and Defender details; Shield’s price-to-site mapping and refund days; Patchstack’s base site count and firewall; NinjaFirewall’s refund terms and premium-only features; All-in-One Security’s refund terms; Sucuri’s feature cells that did not render; and Jetpack’s standalone price. Those items are marked not stated or not verified above.
Questions People Ask First
Short answers, each based on the vendors’ published pages and checked 11 Nov 2026.
What are the best WordPress security plugins?
On my scoring, MalCare leads with 18 of 20, then Sucuri at 17 and Jetpack at 16. The scores are opinion from published pages, not tests of protection.
Do I need a security plugin?
A plugin is an extra layer. WordPress’s documentation puts updates, strong passwords, two-step authentication, SFTP, file permissions and tested backups first, and none of those needs a paid plugin.
Is there a free WordPress security plugin?
Yes. MalCare, Shield Security, NinjaFirewall and All-in-One Security list free versions, and Jetpack has a free tier with manual firewall rules. Free versions differ in scanning and cleanup.
Which plugin includes malware cleanup?
Sucuri lists unlimited manual cleanups on its paid plans, and MalCare includes cleanup from its Repair plan at $299 a year. Jetpack says Scan is not designed to fully clean a site infected earlier.
How much do security plugins cost?
From the vendors’ pages: All-in-One Premium from about $70 a year, MalCare from $99, NinjaFirewall from $99 per domain, Sucuri from $229, Jetpack’s Pro bundle at $348, and Patchstack at $828 a year.
Which plugin has the best refund terms?
Sucuri states 30 days per its terms, Jetpack 14 days on yearly plans, and MalCare 14 days, except after it has cleaned malware. Others did not state days on the pages I read.
Should I run two security plugins?
I would not. Overlapping firewalls and scanners can conflict, so run one and keep the rest of your stack simple.
Is a backup plugin enough for security?
No. A backup lets you recover but does not stop an attack. Use both, and see my backup plugin guide.
Site Secured? Let’s Check the SEO Side.
A hack can leave spam pages and redirects that hurt your search results. If you want a freelancer to check them afterward, I am a cheap SEO services provider of one, at 25 euros an hour, and I do the work myself. See my notes on WordPress SEO services. If backups are next on your list, read my guide to backup plugins.
// one message with your website address is enough.
Sources, Disclosure and Last Check
I sell SEO services. No vendor pays for a place on this list.
- WordPress developer documentation: Hardening WordPress (updates, passwords, permissions, backups)
- MalCare pricing (plans, scan intervals, refund)
- Sucuri plans (platform and firewall plans)
- Jetpack pricing (Pro and Complete bundles)
- Shield Security pricing (free and Plus plans)
- NinjaFirewall WP Edition (features and prices)
- Patchstack pricing (Developer plan)
- All-in-One Security on WordPress.org (features and installs)
// last checked 11 Nov 2026. Wordfence, Solid Security and Defender could not be read, so they have no source here. Vendor prices and terms change, so confirm them on the vendor’s page before you pay. This guide is based on published information, not on using the products.