Wordfence, Sucuri or Solid Security: which to choose (and when it isn't enough)
In short
For most small sites, free Wordfence or free Solid Security (now Kadence Security) with two-factor authentication is enough; free Wordfence gets new firewall rules and malware signatures 30 days late. Sucuri stands out for its paid cloud firewall and MalCare for scanning on its own servers. No plugin updates your site for you, stops someone logging in with a stolen password or tells you how they got in.
I see these plugins installed every day on the sites I review, including the hacked ones. This comparison explains what each one really does, how the free version differs from the paid one and, above all, what none of them does. The features were checked on their official pages as of October 2026.
By Jose SorianoLast updated: 7 min read
Before comparing: three kinds of protection
Security plugins mix very different functions. It is worth separating them, because they are not all worth the same:
- Firewall (WAF): blocks attack requests before they reach the vulnerable code. It can live inside WordPress (the plugin itself loads it on the server) or in the cloud (traffic goes through the provider's servers first, by changing the DNS). The cloud one stops the attack before it touches your server; the inside one understands WordPress better, but runs in the same place it is trying to protect.
- Scanner: looks for malware and changes to files. It can run on your server or on the provider's. It detects what has already happened; it does not prevent it.
- Login hardening: two-factor authentication, login attempt limits, bot blocking. Simple and very effective against stolen passwords.
Wordfence
The most installed one. The free version already includes a firewall inside WordPress, a malware scanner for core, themes and plugins, and two-factor authentication. The key difference from the paid version: in the free one, new firewall rules and malware signatures arrive 30 days late. Premium gets them in real time, adds a malicious IP list updated on the spot and country blocking.
The Care and Response plans add people: setup, a yearly audit, monitoring and cleanup if you get hacked. Premium does not include cleanup: it tells you what it found and how to remove it.
The good: the free version is very complete. Watch out: it uses server resources (scans run on your hosting), and 30 days late is a long time against flaws that are exploited within hours.
Sucuri
Here you have to tell the plugin apart from the service. The free plugin (Sucuri Security) does activity auditing, file integrity monitoring, remote malware scanning with SiteCheck, blacklist checks, hardening and post-hack actions. It does not include a firewall.
Sucuri's firewall is a paid cloud service: your site's traffic goes through its servers, which filter attacks and mitigate DDoS without installing anything in WordPress. Its key unlocks vulnerability scanning and brute-force protection in the plugin.
The good: the cloud WAF puts no load on your server and stops the attack before it arrives. Watch out: the free plugin only monitors, it does not protect; and the WAF has to be set up properly in the DNS and on the server, or it can be bypassed by attacking the hosting IP directly.
Solid Security (now Kadence Security)
This is the former iThemes Security, which was renamed Solid Security and, since version 10, appears on WordPress.org as Kadence Security. It is the same plugin, and many people still search for it by the old name.
The free version focuses on access: local and network brute-force protection, two-factor authentication (app, email, backup codes) and a vulnerability scanner that checks core, plugins and themes four times a day. The paid version adds virtual patching of vulnerabilities with Patchstack (it protects a known flaw even when the affected plugin has no update yet), automatic update management, a user activity log and hourly scans.
The good: very strong at hardening access, and the Pro version's virtual patching is exactly what the others lack. Watch out: the free version has no malware scanner on Wordfence's level.
MalCare
What sets it apart is that it scans on its own servers, not yours, so it does not slow the site down. The free plan includes file and database scanning, a firewall whose rules update every 7 days (much more often on paid plans), bot protection and login protection. Automatic cleanup, seeing the details of the infected files, country blocking and hardening are paid.
The good: the external scan is light and hard to switch off from the infected site. Watch out: the free version warns you, but you have to pay to clean.
Jetpack (Protect and Scan)
Free Jetpack Protect checks the versions of WordPress, plugins and themes daily against the WPScan vulnerability database (from Automattic, the company behind Jetpack). Upgrading adds malware scanning with one-click fixes and a firewall with automatic rules. Brute-force attack protection is a separate Jetpack feature.
The good: if you already use Jetpack or WordPress.com, it fits right in. Watch out: the free version only tells you what is vulnerable; it does not block or clean.
Summary
| Plugin | Free version | What paying adds |
|---|---|---|
| Wordfence | Firewall inside WordPress, malware scanner, 2FA. Rules and signatures 30 days late | Real-time rules and signatures, IP list, country blocking. Cleanup only in Care and Response |
| Sucuri | Auditing, file integrity, remote scanning with SiteCheck, blacklists, hardening | Cloud firewall, DDoS mitigation, brute force, vulnerability scanning |
| Solid Security (Kadence Security) | Brute force, 2FA, vulnerability scanner four times a day | Virtual patching with Patchstack, automatic updates, user log, hourly scans |
| MalCare | Scanning on its servers (files and database), firewall with rules every 7 days, login protection | Cleanup, infected file details, country blocking, hardening |
| Jetpack Protect | Daily check for vulnerable versions (WPScan) | Malware scanning with one-click fixes, firewall with automatic rules |
Based on each plugin's official WordPress.org page and website, checked on October 8, 2026. I do not include prices because they change often: check them on each site.
What no plugin does
This is what I see on hacked sites that had a security plugin installed:
- They do not fix the vulnerable plugin. If a plugin has a flaw and you do not update it, the scanner warns you and the firewall may stop some attacks, but the flaw is still there. Only virtual patching comes close, and only for known flaws. How to check your plugins yourself is in vulnerable WordPress plugins.
- They do not protect against stolen credentials. If someone gets in over FTP, through the hosting panel or with an admin's password, the plugin sees nothing unusual. What does protect logins (passwords, two-factor authentication and
xmlrpc.php) is in WordPress brute force. - The malware itself can disable them. A scanner that runs inside the infected site depends on the attacker not having touched it. I have seen it: plugin active, dashboard all green, site infected.
- They do not review the database in depth, nor a store's logic (a skimmer stored in a theme or checkout option often goes unnoticed).
- They do not make off-server backups (except separate services) or check that they can be restored.
- They do not tell you how they got in. They detect symptoms, not causes.
Which to choose for your site
- Small business website, no store or registered users: free Wordfence or free Solid/Kadence Security, with two-factor authentication for every admin. And weekly updates: that matters more than the plugin.
- High-traffic site or tight hosting resources: something that does not scan on your server (MalCare) or a cloud WAF (Sucuri), so the hosting is not overloaded.
- WooCommerce or a customer area: a firewall with up-to-date rules (Wordfence Premium or a cloud WAF), mandatory two-factor authentication and, if you can, virtual patching. And something watching the checkout, which no plugin fully covers.
- Agencies with many sites: whatever you can manage centrally. The best plugin is the one somebody actually reviews.
For the basic WordPress setup (users, permissions, wp-config.php, headers), the details are in WordPress security. If you want to see how your site looks from the outside (versions with published flaws, exposed files, headers), run the free scan. And if the site already shows symptoms, start with the 10 signs of a hacked WordPress and continue with how to recover a hacked website: installing a security plugin after the hack does not clean what is already inside.
If you are torn between a free plugin, a paid service like Wordfence Care or Sucuri, or having a person look after it, the data on each option, with sources and the date checked, is in the comparison: Wordfence, Sucuri or a technician.
When it isn't enough
A plugin is one more layer, not someone in charge. If nobody updates, nobody reads the alerts and nobody checks that the backups work, the plugin ends up as a green icon on the dashboard. That is why my maintenance plan for business websites (€35/month excluding VAT) is mostly that: supervised updates with a backup first, a daily backup off the server, a weekly scan and an alert if the site goes down. Details in WordPress maintenance.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free WordPress security plugin?
For most small sites, free Wordfence or free Solid Security (now Kadence Security), with two-factor authentication turned on. Keep in mind that free Wordfence gets rules and signatures 30 days late.
Wordfence or Sucuri?
Wordfence protects from inside WordPress, and its free version already comes with a firewall and a scanner. Sucuri shines with its paid cloud firewall, which filters traffic before it reaches your server; its free plugin only monitors.
Do I need a WordPress security plugin?
One well-configured plugin with two-factor authentication is a useful layer, but it does not replace updates, off-server backups and someone checking the alerts. On its own it does not fix vulnerable plugins or stop logins with stolen passwords.
What happened to iThemes Security and Solid Security?
iThemes Security was renamed Solid Security and, since version 10, appears on WordPress.org as Kadence Security. It is the same plugin.
Does a security plugin clean a hacked website?
Some paid plans include cleanup (Wordfence Care and Response, paid MalCare, Jetpack Scan with one-click fixes). The free ones detect, but they do not look for the way in or review the database in depth.
Can I use two security plugins at once?
Not a good idea if both have a firewall: they step on each other and slow the site down. At most, one with a firewall plus an external scanner that does not run on your server.