Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP vs Really Simple SSL
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP v5.3.5 · 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 | 90,000+ | 3M+ |
| Last updated | September 4, 2026 | September 15, 2026 |
| Editions | Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP · Shield (paid add-on) ($) | Really Simple Security · Really Simple Security Pro ($) |
| Pros | Sends HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options and Permissions-Policy from one settings page; Can write headers to Apache or LiteSpeed configuration; Self-check confirms the headers reach the browser | 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 | Strict CSP or frame rules can break third-party scripts and embeds; Paid Shield add-on tabs are shown as locked in the free code; Writing server config files needs care on shared hosting | 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 |
| Features (Security plugins checklist) | ||
| Firewall | — | Paid |
| Malware scan | — | No |
| Login protection | — | Yes |
| Two-factor login | — | Yes |
| Activity log | — | No |
| Free version | — | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | HSTS header, Content-Security-Policy header, Permissions-Policy header, X-Frame-Options header, Write headers to Apache or LiteSpeed config, Self-check of headers after changes, Shield add-on tabs shown as locked ($) | One-click HTTPS migration and redirects, Vulnerability detection for plugins, themes and core, Email two-factor login for roles, WordPress hardening options, Authenticator app two-factor login ($), Captcha on login (reCAPTCHA or hCaptcha) ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | LemonSqueezy licence API ($) | — |
| Marketing | — | Really Simple Security mailing list |
| Other | — | Cloudways API, SSL Labs, Really Simple Security vulnerability service, Google reCAPTCHA ($), hCaptcha ($) |
| Requires WordPress | 4.7 | 6.6 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.0 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | api.lemonsqueezy.com | api.cloudways.com, api.ssllabs.com |