Cloudflare vs Wordfence Security
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Cloudflare v4.14.5 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 3.5/5 Visit Details | Wordfence Security v9.0.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 200,000+ | 5M+ |
| Last updated | October 5, 2026 | September 30, 2026 |
| Editions | Cloudflare | Wordfence Security · Wordfence Premium ($) |
| Pros | Purges Cloudflare cache when content changes; Free plugin that works with Cloudflare's free plan; Optional APO integration for edge HTML caching | Firewall, malware scanner, 2FA and passkey login in the free version; Scanner checks core, theme and plugin files against WordPress.org; Dashboard for scan results, blocking and login settings |
| Cons | APO HTML caching costs extra beyond the free plan; Useful only when the domain already uses Cloudflare; Only useful for domains served through Cloudflare | Free version receives firewall and malware signature updates 30 days late; Audit log and real-time threat updates need Premium; Scans and firewall add work on the server |
| Mentioned in our posts | — | 3 |
| Features (Security plugins checklist) | ||
| Firewall | — | Yes |
| Malware scan | — | Yes |
| Login protection | — | Yes |
| Two-factor login | — | Yes |
| Activity log | — | Paid |
| Free version | — | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Purge Cloudflare cache when posts or comments change, Automatic Platform Optimization (APO) edge HTML caching ($), HTTP/2 preload and resource hints, Settings page under the Settings menu | Real-time malware signature and scan frequency options ($), Passkey sign-in, Security audit log ($), WooCommerce customer registration filter |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | — | WooCommerce |
| Other | Cloudflare API | — |
| Requires WordPress | 6.7 | 4.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Tested up to | 7.1.2 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | api.cloudflare.com, partners.cloudflare | noc1.wordfence.com, noc3.wordfence.com, www.wordfence.com, noc4.wordfence.com |