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Defender Security vs Shield Security

Updated 5 Oct 2026. 26 features compared side by side.

Defender Security

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 (334)

WPMU DEV's WordPress security plugin with malware scanning, AntiBot firewall, 2FA with passkeys, hardening and audit logs; Pro adds scheduled scans.

Free installs80K+
From$60/yr
UpdatedSep 2026
Visit site Full profile
VS

Shield Security

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 (1,039)

Automated WordPress security plugin with firewall, silentCAPTCHA bot detection, 2FA and audit log; ShieldPRO adds malware and vulnerability scanning.

Free installs30K+
From$149/yr
UpdatedOct 2026
Visit site Full profile

Choose Defender Security if…

  • You need country blocking
  • You want the lower entry price ($60/yr vs $149/yr)
  • You prefer the more widely used option

Choose Shield Security if…

  • You need auto-update vulnerable plugins
  • You want the more complete feature set (84/100 vs 79/100)

Defender Security includes 1 feature that Shield Security lacks, including Country blocking; Shield Security has 1 that Defender Security lacks, including Auto-update vulnerable plugins. Both include 20 of the 26 features we track.

At a glance

Defender Security
Shield Security
79/100
Feature score
84/100
21 of 26
Features included
21 of 26
4.8/5
WordPress.org rating
4.8/5
80K+
Active installs
30K+
100%
Support threads resolved
100%

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
Defender Security
Shield Security
Firewall & blocking6/75/7
Web application firewall KeyFilters malicious requests (SQL injection, XSS and similar) before they reach WordPress.
Defender Security Partial

Plugin offers lockouts, bot and UA blocking; the request-filtering WAF is for WPMU DEV-hosted sites only.

Shield Security Included

Firewall rules block malicious requests in the free plugin.

Cloud / DNS-level firewallFirewall runs on the vendor's network in front of your server, not inside WordPress.
Defender Security Not included

No proxy in front of the site; the hosted WAF is limited to WPMU DEV hosting.

Shield Security Not included

All protection runs on your own server; no vendor proxy.

Brute-force protection KeyLimits failed logins and locks out attackers guessing passwords.
Defender Security Included

Configurable lockouts after failed logins (default 5 in 300 seconds).

Shield Security Included

Failed logins add offense points and trigger automatic IP blocks.

Login CAPTCHACAPTCHA or Turnstile on login, registration and password reset forms.
Defender Security Included

reCAPTCHA or Cloudflare Turnstile for login, registration and reset forms.

Shield Security Included

Invisible silentCAPTCHA protects login and registration without a puzzle.

Rate limiting & bot blockingThrottles or blocks aggressive crawlers and bad bots.
Defender Security Included

404 detection, malicious bot trap and user-agent banning throttle abusive crawlers.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Per-IP traffic rate limiting and DoS protection are ShieldPRO features.

Country blockingBlock or allow traffic by country.
Defender Security Included

Location banning using the free MaxMind GeoLite2 database.

Shield Security Not included

Shield has no geo-blocking; its blog recommends a separate plugin.

Real-time IP blocklistBlocks IPs known for attacks using shared threat intelligence.
Defender Security Included

AntiBot Global Firewall blocks IPs from data across 750K+ sites; needs a WPMU DEV connection.

Shield Security Included

Daily CrowdSec-backed IP blocklists in free; advanced CrowdSec intelligence on Plus.

Scanning & cleanup5/65/6
Malware scanner KeyScans files and database for malware, backdoors and injected code.
Defender Security Included

Free scan for suspicious code, injections and backdoors.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

AI-based scanner for known and unknown PHP malware requires ShieldPRO.

File change detectionCompares core, plugin and theme files with originals and flags changes.
Defender Security Included

Compares core, plugin and theme files with WordPress.org originals.

Shield Security Included

Core files checked against official checksums free; plugin/theme file checks need PRO.

Vulnerability alerts KeyWarns when installed plugins, themes or core have known vulnerabilities.
Defender Security Included

Checks active plugins, themes and core against known vulnerability registries.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Vulnerability scanning of installed plugins and themes is a ShieldPRO feature.

Scheduled scansRuns scans automatically on a schedule.
Defender Security Paid version Pro

Scheduled scans with reports are Pro-only; free scans are manual.

Shield Security Included

Scans run automatically in the background; PRO allows more frequent scans.

Off-site scanningScans run on the vendor's servers so they don't slow your site.
Defender Security Not included

Scans run on the site's own server (with a 3-hour timeout).

Shield Security Not included

Scans run on the site's own server.

Malware removalOne-click or expert cleanup of infected sites.
Defender Security Paid version Pro

Safe Repair and quarantine of infected files are Pro; no free cleanup service.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Free auto-repairs core files; PRO repairs plugins/themes and deletes malware. No expert cleanup.

Login security5/55/5
Two-factor authentication KeySecond login factor via authenticator app, email or similar.
Defender Security Included

Authenticator app, backup codes and email fallback; can be enforced per role.

Shield Security Included

Email codes, authenticator apps and YubiKey OTP in the free plugin.

Passkeys / WebAuthnPasswordless login with passkeys or hardware security keys.
Defender Security Included

WebAuthn login with biometrics or USB hardware security keys.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Passkey and WebAuthn login plus backup codes are ShieldPRO features.

Password policiesEnforce strong passwords, expiry or breached-password checks.
Defender Security Included

Blocks pwned passwords and can force a site-wide password reset.

Shield Security Included

Password policies are listed in the free tier.

Custom login URLMove or hide the wp-login.php / wp-admin login page.
Defender Security Included

Mask Login Area replaces wp-login.php and wp-admin with a custom slug.

Shield Security Included

Free option to hide the WordPress login URL.

Session managementView and end active user sessions, limit concurrent logins.
Defender Security Partial

Session-hijack protection and login duration control, but no active-session list.

Shield Security Included

User session management is available free; user suspension is PRO.

Hardening2/53/5
One-click hardeningDisable XML-RPC, file editing, user enumeration and similar weak points.
Defender Security Included

One-click tweaks: disable XML-RPC and file editor, stop user enumeration, block PHP in uploads.

Shield Security Included

Locks down XML-RPC and REST API and blocks user enumeration.

SSL / HTTPS toolsEnforce HTTPS, fix mixed content and redirects.
Defender Security Not included

No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools in the hardening list.

Shield Security Not included

No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools in the feature list.

Security headersSet HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options and other HTTP security headers.
Defender Security Included

Hardening includes adding headers such as HSTS and XSS protection.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Security headers and Content Security Policy are PRO features.

Virtual patchingFirewall rules that block exploits for known plugin vulnerabilities before an update is available.
Defender Security Not included

No virtual patching rules are offered.

Shield Security Not included

No virtual patching rules for specific plugin vulnerabilities are offered.

Auto-update vulnerable pluginsAutomatically updates plugins with known vulnerabilities.
Defender Security Not included

Flags outdated or vulnerable plugins with manual update buttons only.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Vulnerability scanner can auto-upgrade affected plugins once a fix is released.

Monitoring & management3/33/3
Activity log KeyRecords logins, changes and admin actions for auditing.
Defender Security Included

Audit log of logins, users, content, plugins and settings; CSV export.

Shield Security Included

Full activity log and traffic monitoring free; third-party plugin logging on Enterprise.

Security alertsEmail or app alerts for attacks, lockouts and scan results.
Defender Security Included

Lockout and scan notifications by email; automated scheduled reports with Pro.

Shield Security Included

Security reports in free; instant vulnerability alerts with PRO.

Multi-site dashboardManage security for many sites from one dashboard.
Defender Security Partial

The Hub manages IP lists across sites with a free account; full reports and management with Pro.

Shield Security Paid version Plus

Multi-site management via MainWP integration and settings sync is PRO.

Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?

Pricing compared

Defender Security Freemium

Free$0
Pro Basic$60 per year, 1 site
Pro Standard$100 per year, 3 sites
Pro Plus$200 per year, 10 sites
WPMU DEV Premium$1,200 per year, Unlimited

Shield Security Freemium

Free$0
Plus$149 per year, 1 site
Plus (10 sites)$399 per year, 10 sites
Enterprise$199 per year, 1 site

Downloads trend

Defender Security

4,662 downloads last week

Shield Security

16,736 downloads last week

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 5 Oct 2026

Shield Security scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 79/100) and includes auto-update vulnerable plugins that Defender Security does not. Defender Security still has the edge on country blocking. Paid plans start at $60/yr for Defender Security and $149/yr for Shield Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Biggest differences

Country blocking

Defender Security: included. Shield Security: not included. Location banning using the free MaxMind GeoLite2 database.

Auto-update vulnerable plugins

Defender Security: not included. Shield Security: paid version (Plus). Vulnerability scanner can auto-upgrade affected plugins once a fix is released.

Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.

Which would you choose?

0 votes so far. Vote to see the results.

FAQ

Which is better, Defender Security or Shield Security?

Shield Security scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 79/100) and includes auto-update vulnerable plugins that Defender Security does not. Defender Security still has the edge on country blocking. Paid plans start at $60/yr for Defender Security and $149/yr for Shield Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Which has more features?

They are level: both include 21 of the 26 security plugins features we track.

Is Defender Security free?

Defender Security has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.

Is Shield Security free?

Shield Security has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $149/yr.

Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Defender Security or Shield Security. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.