Password Protected vs Wordfence Security
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Password Protected v2.8.4 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.4/5 Visit Details | Wordfence Security v9.0.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 300,000+ | 5M+ |
| Last updated | July 30, 2026 | September 30, 2026 |
| Editions | Password Protected · Password Protected Pro ($) | Wordfence Security · Wordfence Premium ($) |
| Pros | Simple whole-site lock with one password; Throttles failed login attempts and allows IP addresses; Optional Google reCAPTCHA on the login form | 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 | Free version locks the whole site only; Per-page, post and category protection need the paid Pro tier; Upgrade prompts appear in the admin and email templates | 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 | Whole-site password lock, Throttles failed login attempts, Allowed IP addresses bypass the lock, Administrators can bypass the lock, Feeds and REST API closed while locked, Google reCAPTCHA on the login form, Scheduled activity report email, Multiple passwords through a Pro filter ($), hCaptcha and Cloudflare Turnstile on the login form ($) | Real-time malware signature and scan frequency options ($), Passkey sign-in, Security audit log ($), WooCommerce customer registration filter |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | — | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | Elementor | — |
| Other | Google reCAPTCHA | — |
| Requires WordPress | 4.9.6 | 4.7 |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 7.0 |
| Tested up to | 7.0 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| External services | www.google.com | noc1.wordfence.com, noc3.wordfence.com, www.wordfence.com, noc4.wordfence.com |
| Shortcodes | 1 | — |