6 best WordPress security plugins for complete site security

WordPress security and plugins go together like bread and butter. Security plugins offer essential features that are not available out of the box – helping you improve the security of your site.

When it comes to choosing the best plugins, however, you’ve got to keep in mind that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Securing your website is much more than installing one firewall or plugin. Instead, you need a well-rounded suite of security plugins that meet the needs of your specific website.

In this article, we’ll outline the best security plugins you should consider for your WordPress sites for different categories so that you can choose the best solution for your requirements.

Using multiple plugins to ensure the security of your WordPress site

WordPress threats can come from different directions, and they are continually evolving. Thus, security must take a multi-layered approach that evolves with these threats. This makes WordPress security a somewhat complex problem to solve.

Unfortunately, many security plugins are marketed as a ‘silver bullet’ to your WordPress security concerns. But when you look at the number of methods malicious users can utilize to compromise the security of WordPress sites, it’s clear that you need several distinct plugins. Each of these is designed to tackle specific threats.

Geek note: Even if there were a single plugin that covers all of your WordPress security needs, you should probably get different plugins for different security functions. The thinking behind this is simple: If something were to happen to that plugin and it needed to be deactivated or became inoperable due to an update or a conflict, at that point, you’d be left with no security at all.

As the adage goes, never put all your eggs in one basket – it’s always better to have multiple security plugins covering different functions.

This multi-layered approach to WordPress security requires six critical pillars:

1. A plugin for login security

2. A firewall/malware scanner plugin

3. An activity logging plugin

4. A plugin to enable two-factor authentication

5. A file changes monitor plugin

6. A CAPTCHA plugin

As you can see, each plugin addresses a different security concern. We will now look at each one in detail, along with other best and most popular WordPress security plugins for each job.

Geek note 2: WordPress plugins often come in two editions: free and premium. Is there a better choice? Well, it depends.

Let me explain.

Free WordPress security plugins often include all of the basic functionality required to achieve the desired results. Most small websites will find the included functionality more than enough for their requirements.

Premium editions, on the other hand, include additional features that build on the free editions’ offerings. Whether you need these additional features will largely depend on your setup, requirements, and risk profile. 

Another thing to consider is support. Premium plugins often include email support directly from the vendor, while free plugins rely on the community’s generosity (and they are very generous).

A plugin for login security

The WordPress login page often suffers the brunt of attacks, including brute-force attacks. Threats such as enumeration also make securing the login page a top priority.

The login page can be secured in several ways. Limiting login attempts is one popular method; however, it is not the only one. Because threats can evolve fast, having multiple security measures enables us to keep our login page protected as much as possible. Measures we can take include:

• Strong passwords: Enforce the use of strong passwords, limit password recycling, and set password expiration.

• Limiting login attempts: Block user accounts when they supply the wrong password a number of times.

• Geo-blocking: Block IPs from certain countries from accessing the login page

• Change login page URL: Obscure the login page URL to make it harder to find

• Restrict login times: Restrict when users are able to log in to your WordPress site.

• IP address limitations: Limit access to known IPs

While it is not necessary to implement each security measure, the more we have in place, the more secure our login protection will be.

Best login security plugin for websites with many users: Melapress Login Security

Melapress Login Security is our own plugin packed with security features, designed to protect your WordPress website login. It allows you to enforce a password policy on users that ensures:

• Minimum password lengths

• Mandatory use of both uppercase and lowercase letters

• The requirement to use numbers

• Compulsory use of special characters

• Frequent changing of passwords

• Prevention of reused passwords

The plugin’s extensive list of login security policies, which can be applied by role, ensures it’s a great fit for WordPress sites with many users.

You can also configure the plugin to set password policies based on user roles or to lock out dormant users who present the highest risk to your WordPress security.

In addition to password policies, you can also limit login attempts, hide the login URL, set login time policies, and limit IP addresses or locations.

Lastly, in the unfortunate event of a hack, you can use this plugin to perform a one-click reset of all passwords.

The plugin comes in both free and premium editions, enabling you to get started with login security without financial investment. 

Best plugin for blogs and personal websites: Wordfence Login Security

Wordfence Login Security is a login security plugin from the popular developer Wordfence. It offers two-factor authentication, login CAPTCHA, and XML-RPC protection. This makes it an excellent choice for personal websites and blogs that need a good all-rounder plugin.

With ReCAPTCHA V3 being Google’s latest CAPTCHA, you can put your mind at ease that you’re getting some of the best spam protection around. And while 2FA is limited to TOTP, 2FA Authentication apps are by far the most preferred 2FA method, ensuring most of your users will have no issues getting onboard.

The plugin also offers two different XML-RPC protection methods: disabling it completely or protecting it with 2FA. Do keep in mind that XML-RPC (eXtensible Markup Language – Remote Procedure Call) is used for several purposes including remote publishing and pingbacks.

You can download Wordfence Login Security for free, with additional protections available when upgrading to Wordfence Security.

A firewall/malware scanner plugin

Firewalls have existed for decades. At their basic level, firewalls are security software that works as a barrier between a trusted and untrusted network. While they come in different shapes and sizes, WordPress admins often use web application firewalls (WAF). This specific type of firewall protects web applications, such as WordPress.

A WordPress firewall is a web application firewall specifically configured to protect WordPress sites. Every request made to access a site is checked to ensure it’s not malicious or dangerous. The firewall does this by checking the request’s signature to ensure it doesn’t match those known to be associated with harmful activities.

Imagine for a second that your website is a nightclub. The firewall plays the part of the bouncer on the door. They keep a list of names (signatures) associated with problematic behavior, and these individuals are not allowed entry under any circumstances.

When someone presents an ID, the bouncer cross-references the name of the ID with their list of banned individuals. If the ID matches one of the names on the list, they’re rejected, thus protecting the nightclub (your website). The list of names (signatures) is updated regularly to protect the nightclub (your website) from new troublemakers.

By contrast, malware scanners can help you check your website for other common security risks. For example, they can look for malicious code, suspicious links, suspicious redirects, and old WordPress versions, to name a few. Many WordPress plugins combine firewall and malware-scanning capabilities.

Best firewall plugin for websites on shared hosting: Sucuri online WordPress firewall and security platform

Already an established industry name, Sucuri’s Firewall is widely regarded as one of the best. Not only does it work as a web application firewall to stop hackers and DDoS attacks, but the full Sucuri security platform also offers thorough malware scans of your website, looking for items such as malicious code.

It also checks your website on several domain name blacklist tools (including Google Safe Browsing) and tidies up any actions taken by hackers that have managed to breach your defenses.

Best firewall plugin for websites on dedicated servers: Malcare WordPress firewall and malware scanner plugin

Another industry leader is Malcare. Developed primarily as a malware scanning plugin, Malcare continuously scans and cleans your website automatically. Better yet, that auto-cleaning process occurs on their servers to prevent interference with your site’s load speeds.

Everything with Malcare occurs in real-time. Attack signatures are updated regularly to protect against rapidly evolving attacks and zero-day vulnerabilities. Malcare’s algorithms also penetrate deeper than the signatures alone to unearth even the most complex hacks, eradicating them within 60 seconds.

An activity log plugin

When considering security plugins for WordPress, an activity log plugin probably doesn’t feature high on your list. Yet, having one is important. It provides protection from internal and external security threats, which not many plugins offer. It enables you to monitor user and system activity across your website, helping you improve security, user management, compliance, and troubleshooting.

WordPress users are an important part of the ecosystem. They are responsible for maintaining and keeping the site alive, whether they are the admin, writers, shop managers, customers, or anyone else in between.

Keeping an eye on these activities is essential for several reasons. First, it allows you to identify risky behavior. For example, a user might delete an important post or change the settings of an offer on your WooCommerce site. Keeping a record of what each user did and when, enables you to track vital changes made to your website before it’s too late. To this end, you need to install an activity-tracking plugin.

Best activity logging plugin for multi-user sites, agencies, and e-commerce websites: WP Activity Log

Our very own WP Activity Log takes the best activity log plugin spot for larger websites, including agencies and e-commerce sites. It comes with a slew of features designed to help you improve website security and administration. It’s compatible with plugins such as MainWP, WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and many others. Premium features such as user session management make it the ideal choice for agencies and e-commerce websites.

Brute force protection: Because WP Activity Log keeps a record of failed login attempts and can even alert you in real-time, it enables you to take action before it’s too late.

Fraud prevention: Fraud can be as devastating as a security breach and can come from internal and external sources. As WP Activity Log logs everyone’s activity, suspicious behavior suddenly becomes easier to spot and investigate.

Repudiation: Users denying they performed specific actions undermines accountability and traceability, which in turn undermines website security. Activity logging offers undeniable proof of who did what and when, ensuring full accountability all around.

Furthermore, with WP Activity Log, you can:

• Get instantly notified of critical changes to your website via SMS or email

• Generate any user and site activity report for increased accountability

• See who is logged in, along with their latest actions, in real-time

• Search for a specific activity to uncover who carried it out and when

• Store the activity log in an external database

Best plugin for small/local businesses: Simple History

Simple History is a popular activity log plugin that’s well-reviewed by the WordPress community. While it does not have the extensive list of features that WP Activity Log offers, its simple approach to activity logging does have its benefits in environments where detailed activity logs are not required. This makes it ideal for small and local businesses that need a straightforward activity log without additional features.

The plugin can log several WordPress native activities and also supports a number of third-party plugins, including Jetpack, ACF, WP Crontrol, and others. Do keep in mind that WooCommerce tracking requires a separate premium add-on. Other features worth knowing about include:

• Password-protected RSS feed

• WP-CLI commands for task automation

• Stealth mode

• API to add custom events

While the base plugin can be installed for free, additional add-ons are available for purchase should you need to extend its functionality. Upgrading to Premium adds log retention, failed user logins, and a number of other features.

A plugin to enable two-factor authentication

While strong passwords go a long way in helping you keep your WordPress websites secure, they are not a silver bullet. Users could be using the same password on multiple sites and if any one of them gets hacked, that strong password might suddenly find itself for sale on the dark web.

Bad actors buy these lists and attempt to use those credentials on other websites, knowing many people use the same password across different websites. And in the blink of an eye, all those months and years of work to rank articles and build out your website could go to waste. This is where 2FA comes in.

When enabling 2FA on your website, you can force users to identify themselves by asking for something only the user knows or has in their possession. By asking for an additional PIN or a code from another device or app, you can stop hackers and bots from attempting to use one of your users’ login credentials.

Best 2FA plugin for larger websites: WP 2FA

WP 2FA is our WordPress 2FA plugin, designed with security and ease of use at its core. User-friendly wizards make setup and configuration easy for both administrators and users, ensuring usability does not compromise security.

The free edition of WP 2FA plugin allows WordPress webmasters to add two-factor authentication to their site logins with no limitations on the number of users. It supports both 2FA authenticator apps and email login codes, with optional backup codes ensuring users do not lock themselves out.

You can upgrade to the premium edition for even more ways to protect your site. Here, you’ll find additional 2FA methods, configurable policies, and much more.

Best 2FA plugin for single-user websites: Solid Security

Solid Security offers several security features to improve your login security, including 2FA. It includes authenticator apps, email, and backup codes out of the box. You can choose from different security site templates to make sure the security offered by the plugin matches your WordPress security requirements.

You’ll also get access to a real-time security dashboard where you can see activities related to your site’s security. Some features, such as user security status are only available with the pro edition. However, the free edition includes a lot of useful data in real-time.

If Solid Security doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll be interested to know it’s the rebranded version of iThemes security – a rather popular plugin. Upgrading to the Pro edition adds additional security features such as automated vulnerability patching, passwordless logins, and more.

A file changes plugin

Regardless of the type of website you operate, you need to know if any changes have been made to WordPress files, including the WordPress core. This is important as changes can have severe repercussions. While most file changes are harmless or desired improvements. However, in some instances, they could open up your website’s defenses, unintentionally or otherwise.

For instance, even routine changes to your .htaccess file could pave the way for hackers to redirect search engines from your site to another URL.

Without an alert system in place, you might not be aware that those changes have been made. The last thing you want to do is give time and scope to those with malicious intentions to uncover weaknesses in your WordPress site’s security.

Best plugin for detailed scans: Melapress File Monitor

Melapress File Monitor is a free security plugin. Using this plugin, you can ensure no harmful file changes slip through the net. It allows you to receive real-time notifications of file changes on your website. You can also use the plugin to search for changes in file permissions alongside file integrity monitoring.

Finally, Melapress File Monitor allows you to scan website code files to uncover any malicious code changes in the event of a suspected hack.

Best plugin for malware scanning: Wordfence Security

Wordfence Security includes a malware scanner that checks for malware as well as backdoors, SEO spam, redirects, and other security risks. The free edition of the plugin has a 30-day delay for updating rules. However, you can upgrade one level up to Premium if you want access to signatures in real time.

While Wordfence Security’s malware scanning is different from Melpress File Monitor’s, the end result achieves the same goal.

A CAPTCHA plugin

Spam is generally seen more as a nuisance than a security threat. While it is not as aggressive as brute force attacks, it can still cause considerable harm to the business. As such, it should be treated as any other threat.

User education goes a long way in combatting spam. However, a spam protection plugin provides a safety net that not only reduces the security risks associated with spam but also frees up resources that would otherwise be spent dealing with spam.

Best CAPTCHA plugin for power users: CAPTCHA 4WP

CAPTCHA 4WP is our CAPTCHA plugin, offering a user-friendly interface with helpful wizards. It supports multiple CAPTCHA providers including all versions of Google ReCAPTCHA, hCAPTCHA, and Cloudflare Turnstile. Its long list of features makes it ideal for power users who want more control over how CAPTCHA works on their WordPress site.

It is also compatible with an extensive list of 3rd party plugins, while features such as ReCAPTCHA V3 failover, geo-blocking, and whitelisting ensure superior spam protection.

Best CAPTCHA plugin for hands-off administrators: Simple Cloudflare Turnstile

Simple Cloudflare Turnstile is a free CAPTCHA plugin for adding Cloudflare Turnstile to WordPress forms. Since it only has one CAPTCHA service available, it makes it ideal for those who want to set up CAPTCHA once and forget about it – with Cloudflare Turnstile being one of the preferred CAPTCHA methods by many administrators.

It is also compatible with several 3rd party plugins and includes features such as theme and language selection, custom error messages, and whitelisting among others.

Best multi-function security plugin: All-In-One Security

While dedicated plugins covering different aspects of WordPress security are encouraged, we also understand that not everyone has the bandwidth or even the need to maintain several plugins. To this end, if you need one plugin to cover as many of your security requirements as possible, you should consider All-In-One Security.

The free edition comes with an impressive list of features, including a firewall, login security features, and content protection.

Upgrading to premium gets you malware scanning, two-factor authentication, smart and country blocking, and premium support. This provides more comprehensive protection across the board, keeping you in line with security best practices

Bonus: Other WordPress security plugins for complete security

If you want to take your WordPress security even further, consider the following plugins:

• W3 Total Cache: Install W3 Total Cache for transparent CDN (Content Delivery Network) management and avoid attacks such as DDoS. It will also make your website load faster for visitors while improving user experience and SEO.

• Really Simple Security: If your website does not have a TLS (SSL) certificate, getting one will drastically improve your overall website security. Don’t know where to start from? Really Simple Security makes the entire process super easy.

As new threats emerge, plugin updates and new plugins will invariably rise to meet the new challenges. This is why WordPress security is a continuous process. Whether you operate a high-traffic blog or a thriving e-commerce store, the threats to your site are constant. That’s why you must keep testing and iterating your defenses to ensure they are up to the task.

It also requires a layered approach, with so many possible angles of attack used by malicious intruders. Rather than implementing one plugin or firewall, it’s better to use multiple overlapping pieces of software to ensure the security of your WordPress website.