Patchstack vs Shield Security
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 26 features compared side by side.
Vulnerability intelligence and virtual patching for WordPress: free alerts for up to 3 sites, paid firewall rules that block exploits before you update.
Automated WordPress security plugin with firewall, silentCAPTCHA bot detection, 2FA and audit log; ShieldPRO adds malware and vulnerability scanning.
Choose Patchstack if…
- You need virtual patching and off-site scanning
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Shield Security if…
- You need malware scanner and file change detection
- You also want malware removal
- You want the more complete feature set (84/100 vs 60/100)
Patchstack includes 2 features that Shield Security lacks, including Off-site scanning and Virtual patching; Shield Security has 3 that Patchstack lacks, including Malware scanner, File change detection and Malware removal. Both include 14 of the 26 features we track. 6 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.
Patchstack Shield SecurityFirewall & blocking4/75/7
Paid plans filter requests with vPatch rules and unlimited custom firewall rules; free has no firewall.
Firewall rules block malicious requests in the free plugin.
Rules are enforced by the plugin on each page load, not on a vendor proxy.
All protection runs on your own server; no vendor proxy.
Paid login protection blocks wp-login.php except via a secret allowlisting link; rate limiting in hardening.
Failed logins add offense points and trigger automatic IP blocks.
reCAPTCHA is part of the paid remote hardening settings.
Invisible silentCAPTCHA protects login and registration without a puzzle.
Per-IP traffic rate limiting and DoS protection are ShieldPRO features.
Shield has no geo-blocking; its blog recommends a separate plugin.
Community IP blocklist of known attacker addresses on paid plans.
Daily CrowdSec-backed IP blocklists in free; advanced CrowdSec intelligence on Plus.
Scanning & cleanup3/65/6
Vendor states the product focuses on prevention rather than malware scanning.
AI-based scanner for known and unknown PHP malware requires ShieldPRO.
No file comparison or integrity checking is offered.
Core files checked against official checksums free; plugin/theme file checks need PRO.
Free detection of vulnerable plugins, themes and core using Patchstack's database.
Vulnerability scanning of installed plugins and themes is a ShieldPRO feature.
Software versions are checked automatically by scheduled tasks; there are no malware scans.
Scans run automatically in the background; PRO allows more frequent scans.
Vulnerability matching happens against Patchstack's cloud database; no offsite malware scanning.
Scans run on the site's own server.
No cleanup service; Patchstack positions itself as prevention.
Free auto-repairs core files; PRO repairs plugins/themes and deletes malware. No expert cleanup.
Login security2/55/5
Two-factor authentication is included with paid protection.
Email codes, authenticator apps and YubiKey OTP in the free plugin.
Passkey and WebAuthn login plus backup codes are ShieldPRO features.
Password policies are listed in the free tier.
Paid option blocks wp-login.php entirely and opens it via a secret link instead of renaming it.
Free option to hide the WordPress login URL.
User session management is available free; user suspension is PRO.
Hardening4/53/5
Disable theme editor, block user enumeration, restrict XML-RPC/REST API, hide WP version.
Locks down XML-RPC and REST API and blocks user enumeration.
No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools in the feature list.
Hardening toggle adds a standard set of security headers via .htaccess.
Security headers and Content Security Policy are PRO features.
Core paid feature: 12,000+ targeted mitigation rules blocking known exploits.
No virtual patching rules for specific plugin vulnerabilities are offered.
Free option to auto-update only plugins with known vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability scanner can auto-upgrade affected plugins once a fix is released.
Monitoring & management3/33/3
Logs and analytics are included in the free plan as well.
Full activity log and traffic monitoring free; third-party plugin logging on Enterprise.
Real-time email alerts for new vulnerabilities; Slack and custom alerts on paid plans.
Security reports in free; instant vulnerability alerts with PRO.
Patchstack app shows security status for up to 3 sites free, more on paid plans.
Multi-site management via MainWP integration and settings sync is PRO.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Patchstack Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Personal protection | $5 per month, 1 site |
| Developer | $828 per year, 25 sites |
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
Patchstack
6,615 downloads last week
Shield Security
16,256 downloads last week
Verdict
Shield Security scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 60/100) and includes malware scanner, file change detection and malware removal that Patchstack does not. Patchstack still has the edge on virtual patching and off-site scanning. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Patchstack: not included. Shield Security: paid version (Plus). AI-based scanner for known and unknown PHP malware requires ShieldPRO.
Patchstack: not included. Shield Security: included. Core files checked against official checksums free; plugin/theme file checks need PRO.
Patchstack: not included. Shield Security: paid version (Plus). Free auto-repairs core files; PRO repairs plugins/themes and deletes malware. No expert cleanup.
Patchstack: paid version (Personal protection). Shield Security: not included. Core paid feature: 12,000+ targeted mitigation rules blocking known exploits.
Patchstack: partial. Shield Security: not included. Vulnerability matching happens against Patchstack's cloud database; no offsite malware scanning.
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, Patchstack or Shield Security?
Shield Security scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 60/100) and includes malware scanner, file change detection and malware removal that Patchstack does not. Patchstack still has the edge on virtual patching and off-site scanning. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Shield Security includes 21 of the 26 features we track, against 16 for Patchstack. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Patchstack free?
Patchstack has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $5/mo.
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 Patchstack 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.