Simple History vs Wordfence Security
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Simple History v5.36.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 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 | October 17, 2026 | September 30, 2026 |
| Editions | Simple History · Simple History add-ons ($) | Wordfence Security · Wordfence Premium ($) |
| Pros | Activity log for logins, edits and changes; Email reports and alerts; REST API for the event view | 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 | Log grows with activity and needs housekeeping; Some logs and features need paid add-ons with a licence key | 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 | Email reports, REST endpoint for the events view, Add-on licence activation ($), Advanced Custom Fields change logger | Real-time malware signature and scan frequency options ($), Passkey sign-in, Security audit log ($), WooCommerce customer registration filter |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | Simple History licence server ($), Lemon Squeezy billing ($) | — |
| E-commerce | — | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | Advanced Custom Fields | — |
| Requires WordPress | 6.3 | 4.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | simple-history.com, simple-history.lemonsqueezy.com | noc1.wordfence.com, noc3.wordfence.com, www.wordfence.com, noc4.wordfence.com |