Wordfence Security vs WP fail2ban
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Wordfence Security v9.0.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details | WP fail2ban v5.5.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.2/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 5M+ | 60,000+ |
| Last updated | September 30, 2026 | October 20, 2026 |
| Editions | Wordfence Security · Wordfence Premium ($) | WP fail2ban · WP fail2ban Premium ($) |
| Pros | 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 | Turns failed logins and user enumeration into fail2ban signals; Blocks user enumeration through the REST API, sitemaps and oEmbed; Logs spam comments and XML-RPC abuse for fail2ban; Free edition covers the common attacks |
| Cons | 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 | Needs a fail2ban service and syslog access on the server; Shows no activity log inside WordPress; events go to syslog; Premium adds more protection, sold separately |
| Mentioned in our posts | 3 | 1 |
| Features (Security plugins checklist) | ||
| Firewall | Yes | Yes |
| Malware scan | Yes | No |
| Login protection | Yes | Yes |
| Two-factor login | Yes | No |
| Activity log | Paid | No |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Real-time malware signature and scan frequency options ($), Passkey sign-in, Security audit log ($), WooCommerce customer registration filter | Failed login logging to syslog, Block user enumeration, Spam comment logging, XML-RPC login and pingback handling, Password reset logging, Premium features gate ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | — |
| Requires WordPress | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | Only if you agree |
| External services | noc1.wordfence.com, noc3.wordfence.com, www.wordfence.com, noc4.wordfence.com | api.freemius.com, checkout.freemius.com |