WordFence
Website security software
Web security software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$149 USD per site per year
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
Small
Medium
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- Construction
- Real estate and property management
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
What is WordFence
Wordfence is a security plugin for WordPress websites that provides firewall protection, malware scanning, and login security controls. It is used by site owners, administrators, and managed service providers to reduce common web threats such as vulnerable plugins, brute-force attacks, and malicious traffic. The product runs primarily within the WordPress environment and includes a cloud-based threat intelligence feed and optional incident response services. It is typically deployed per site and managed from the WordPress admin dashboard, with options for centralized management across multiple sites.
WordPress-native security controls
Wordfence integrates directly into WordPress and provides controls that map to common WordPress risks, including plugin/theme vulnerability exposure and credential attacks. It includes a web application firewall (WAF), malware scanning, and login hardening features such as rate limiting and two-factor authentication. This WordPress-first approach reduces the need for separate infrastructure changes for many small and mid-sized sites.
Actionable security telemetry
The plugin surfaces security events (blocked requests, scan results, file changes, and login activity) in the WordPress admin interface. It provides alerting and reporting that helps administrators identify suspicious behavior and prioritize remediation steps. For teams managing multiple sites, Wordfence Central supports consolidated visibility and management workflows.
Threat intelligence and updates
Wordfence uses a threat intelligence feed to update firewall rules and malware signatures as new issues emerge. The vendor also publishes vulnerability research and security advisories that inform detection and mitigation guidance. This helps sites stay aligned with evolving WordPress ecosystem threats when updates are applied promptly.
Primarily WordPress-only scope
Wordfence is designed for WordPress and does not function as a general-purpose web security platform for non-WordPress applications. Organizations with heterogeneous stacks may need additional tools for other CMSs, custom apps, or API security. This can increase operational complexity when standardizing security controls across multiple web properties.
Resource and tuning requirements
On-site scanning and detailed logging can add CPU, memory, and storage overhead, especially on shared hosting or high-traffic sites. Administrators may need to tune scan schedules, exclusions, and alert thresholds to balance performance with coverage. Misconfiguration can lead to noisy alerts or inadvertent blocking of legitimate traffic.
Limited edge-network capabilities
As a plugin-based approach, Wordfence does not inherently provide the same level of edge-based traffic scrubbing and globally distributed mitigation that network-layer services can offer. Some protections depend on the site’s hosting environment and PHP/WordPress execution path. For large-scale DDoS resilience or globally optimized security enforcement, additional infrastructure may be required.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wordfence Free | $0 | Basic protection: firewall & malware scanner with 30-day delayed rules/signatures, scheduled scans every 3 days, basic vulnerability monitoring, community support. |
| Wordfence Premium | $149 USD per year (per site) | Real-time firewall rules & malware signature updates, Premium IP blocklist, Country Blocking, Audit Log (30 days), Priority ticket-based support, bulk license discounts available. |
| Wordfence Care | $590 USD per year (per site) | All Premium features plus hands-on service: installation/configuration/optimization, yearly security audit, continuous monitoring, unlimited incident response/cleanups, Audit Log (6 months), priority support. |
| Wordfence Response | $1250 USD per year (per site) | All Care features plus 24/7/365 incident response, 1-hour response time, 24-hour time-to-resolution, up to two annual audits (optional), Audit Log (1 year), mission-critical coverage. |
Seller details
Defiant, Inc.
Seattle, WA, USA
2011
Private
https://www.wordfence.com/
https://x.com/wordfence
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wordfence/
