Defender Security vs WP Cerber Security
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 26 features compared side by side.
WPMU DEV's WordPress security plugin with malware scanning, AntiBot firewall, 2FA with passkeys, hardening and audit logs; Pro adds scheduled scans.
Self-distributed WordPress security plugin with firewall, anti-spam, malware scanner, 2FA and custom login URL; PRO adds GEO rules and scheduled scans.
Choose Defender Security if…
- You want the more complete feature set (79/100 vs 69/100)
- You want the lower entry price ($60/yr vs $99/yr)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose WP Cerber Security if…
- Experienced admins who want detailed firewall, anti-spam and access-control rules and are comfortable installing outside WordPress.org
Where we have verified data for both, Defender Security and WP Cerber Security match on every feature we track (17 in common). 8 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Defender Security WP Cerber SecurityFirewall & blocking6/76/7
Plugin offers lockouts, bot and UA blocking; the request-filtering WAF is for WPMU DEV-hosted sites only.
Traffic Inspector screens suspicious requests and code injection attempts.
No proxy in front of the site; the hosted WAF is limited to WPMU DEV hosting.
Configurable lockouts after failed logins (default 5 in 300 seconds).
Limits login attempts by IP address or Class C subnet.
reCAPTCHA or Cloudflare Turnstile for login, registration and reset forms.
reCAPTCHA for WordPress and WooCommerce forms.
404 detection, malicious bot trap and user-agent banning throttle abusive crawlers.
Bot detection with traps and honeypots blocks automated and hacker activity.
Location banning using the free MaxMind GeoLite2 database.
Rich GEO country rules are listed as a Professional version feature.
AntiBot Global Firewall blocks IPs from data across 750K+ sites; needs a WPMU DEV connection.
Cloud Global Black List maintained by Cerber Lab is a PRO feature.
Scanning & cleanup5/64/6
Free scan for suspicious code, injections and backdoors.
Malware scanner checks files for trojans and injected code.
Compares core, plugin and theme files with WordPress.org originals.
Integrity checker compares WordPress files with originals.
Checks active plugins, themes and core against known vulnerability registries.
Scheduled scans with reports are Pro-only; free scans are manual.
Automated hourly and daily scans with email alerts are PRO.
Scans run on the site's own server (with a 3-hour timeout).
Safe Repair and quarantine of infected files are Pro; no free cleanup service.
Scanner can clean up malware and suspicious files; no expert cleanup service.
Login security5/53/5
Authenticator app, backup codes and email fallback; can be enforced per role.
Two-factor authentication for WordPress accounts.
WebAuthn login with biometrics or USB hardware security keys.
Blocks pwned passwords and can force a site-wide password reset.
Mask Login Area replaces wp-login.php and wp-admin with a custom slug.
Custom login URL that renames wp-login.php.
Session-hijack protection and login duration control, but no active-session list.
Console to monitor and terminate active user sessions in the PRO version.
Hardening2/51/5
One-click tweaks: disable XML-RPC and file editor, stop user enumeration, block PHP in uploads.
Disable XML-RPC, role-based REST API access, stop user enumeration.
No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools in the hardening list.
Hardening includes adding headers such as HSTS and XSS protection.
No virtual patching rules are offered.
No virtual patching for specific plugin vulnerabilities is described.
Flags outdated or vulnerable plugins with manual update buttons only.
Monitoring & management3/33/3
Audit log of logins, users, content, plugins and settings; CSV export.
Logs logins, logouts and other user activity.
Lockout and scan notifications by email; automated scheduled reports with Pro.
Email notifications plus weekly or monthly reports.
The Hub manages IP lists across sites with a free account; full reports and management with Pro.
Manage multiple WP Cerber installations from one dashboard.
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 |
WP Cerber Security Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Single | $99 per year, 1 site |
| 5 Value Pack | $399 per year, 5 sites |
Downloads trend
Defender Security
4,467 downloads last week
WP Cerber Security
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
Defender Security scores higher on our feature checklist (79/100 against 69/100). Paid plans start at $60/yr for Defender Security and $99/yr for WP Cerber Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Defender Security or WP Cerber Security?
Defender Security scores higher on our feature checklist (79/100 against 69/100). Paid plans start at $60/yr for Defender Security and $99/yr for WP Cerber Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Defender Security includes 21 of the 26 features we track, against 17 for WP Cerber Security. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Defender Security free?
Defender Security has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.
Is WP Cerber Security free?
WP Cerber Security has a free version. Paid plans start at $99/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Defender Security or WP Cerber Security. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.