Defender vs Really Simple SSL
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Defender v6.3.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.8/5 Visit Details | Really Simple SSL v9.8.3 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 80,000+ | 3M+ |
| Last updated | September 29, 2026 | September 15, 2026 |
| Editions | Defender · Defender Pro ($) | Really Simple Security · Really Simple Security Pro ($) |
| Pros | Malware scanner, firewall, login lockout and 2FA in the free version; Local audit log is free; Many hardening settings can be applied from one screen | One-click HTTPS migration with 301 redirects; Hardening options such as XML-RPC and user enumeration; Email two-factor login for chosen roles in the free version |
| Cons | Scheduled scans and email reports need Pro; Several features send data to WPMU DEV or third-party services | Captcha, authenticator 2FA, passkeys and firewall need Pro; Vulnerability checks send plugin and theme names to a remote service; Many settings screens to review after setup |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 1 |
| Features (Security plugins checklist) | ||
| Firewall | Yes | Paid |
| Malware scan | Yes | No |
| Login protection | Yes | Yes |
| Two-factor login | Yes | Yes |
| Activity log | Yes | No |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Scheduled malware scans ($), Email reports ($), AntiBot Global Firewall from shared threat data, IP blocklist and lockout, Captcha on login and forms, Strong password enforcement, One-click security hardening settings, Custom login URL | One-click HTTPS migration and redirects, Vulnerability detection for plugins, themes and core, Email two-factor login for roles, WordPress hardening options, Authenticator app two-factor login ($), Captcha on login (reCAPTCHA or hCaptcha) ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Marketing | — | Really Simple Security mailing list |
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | — |
| Plugins | BuddyPress, Akismet | — |
| Other | Google reCAPTCHA, Cloudflare Turnstile, WPMU DEV Hub | Cloudways API, SSL Labs, Really Simple Security vulnerability service, Google reCAPTCHA ($), hCaptcha ($) |
| Requires WordPress | 6.4 | 6.6 |
| Requires PHP | 8.0.0 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| External services | wpmudev.com, gist.githubusercontent.com, api.wordpress.org, api.cloudflare.com, downloads.wordpress.org, www.google.com, challenges.cloudflare.com, api.mixpanel.com | api.cloudways.com, api.ssllabs.com |
| Shortcodes | 1 | — |
| Custom tables | 8 | — |