Patchstack vs Wordfence 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.
Endpoint firewall, malware scanner and login security plugin for WordPress, with paid tiers for real-time threat data and hands-on incident response.
Choose Patchstack if…
- You need off-site scanning and custom login URL
- You also want security headers and auto-update vulnerable plugins
Choose Wordfence Security if…
- You need malware scanner and file change detection
- You also want malware removal
- You want the more complete feature set (80/100 vs 60/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Patchstack includes 4 features that Wordfence Security lacks, including Off-site scanning, Custom login URL and Security headers; Wordfence Security has 3 that Patchstack lacks, including Malware scanner, File change detection and Malware removal. Both include 12 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 Wordfence SecurityFirewall & blocking4/76/7
Paid plans filter requests with vPatch rules and unlimited custom firewall rules; free has no firewall.
Endpoint WAF in free version; free rules arrive 30 days after Premium.
Rules are enforced by the plugin on each page load, not on a vendor proxy.
Firewall runs on your server inside WordPress, not on a vendor network.
Paid login protection blocks wp-login.php except via a secret allowlisting link; rate limiting in hardening.
Limits login attempts and locks out attackers.
reCAPTCHA is part of the paid remote hardening settings.
reCAPTCHA-based CAPTCHA on the login page in the free plugin.
Can rate-limit or block aggressive crawlers, scrapers and bots.
Country blocking requires Wordfence Premium.
Community IP blocklist of known attacker addresses on paid plans.
Real-time IP blocklist from Wordfence threat intel is Premium-only.
Scanning & cleanup3/65/6
Vendor states the product focuses on prevention rather than malware scanning.
Scans files for malware, backdoors, SEO spam and malicious URLs.
No file comparison or integrity checking is offered.
Compares core, theme and plugin files with WordPress.org copies and can repair them.
Free detection of vulnerable plugins, themes and core using Patchstack's database.
Scan flags plugins and themes with known vulnerabilities or abandoned code.
Software versions are checked automatically by scheduled tasks; there are no malware scans.
Scans run on a schedule; Premium allows more frequent and custom scans.
Vulnerability matching happens against Patchstack's cloud database; no offsite malware scanning.
Scans run on your own server and use its resources.
No cleanup service; Patchstack positions itself as prevention.
Analyst-led malware cleanup included from the Care plan.
Login security2/53/5
Two-factor authentication is included with paid protection.
TOTP authenticator-app 2FA, including WooCommerce integration.
Passkey sign-in available in both free and premium versions.
Blocks administrator logins that use known compromised passwords.
Paid option blocks wp-login.php entirely and opens it via a secret link instead of renaming it.
No option to move or rename wp-login.php.
No tool to view or end active user sessions.
Hardening4/52/5
Disable theme editor, block user enumeration, restrict XML-RPC/REST API, hide WP version.
XML-RPC disabling and REST API user-enumeration protection; no broader hardening checklist.
No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools.
Hardening toggle adds a standard set of security headers via .htaccess.
Does not manage HTTP security headers.
Core paid feature: 12,000+ targeted mitigation rules blocking known exploits.
Firewall rules block exploits for known vulnerabilities; free rules are delayed 30 days.
Free option to auto-update only plugins with known vulnerabilities.
Warns about vulnerable plugins but does not auto-update them.
Monitoring & management3/33/3
Logs and analytics are included in the free plan as well.
Audit Log of user, plugin, theme and content changes is Premium.
Real-time email alerts for new vulnerabilities; Slack and custom alerts on paid plans.
Email alerts in the plugin; Central adds SMS and Slack alerts.
Patchstack app shows security status for up to 3 sites free, more on paid plans.
Wordfence Central manages unlimited sites for free.
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 |
Wordfence Security Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Premium | $149 per year, 1 site |
| Care | $590 per year, 1 site |
| Response | $1,250 per year, 1 site |
Downloads trend
Patchstack
6,629 downloads last week
Wordfence Security
282,920 downloads last week
Verdict
Wordfence Security scores higher on our feature checklist (80/100 against 60/100) and includes malware scanner, file change detection and malware removal that Patchstack does not. Patchstack still has the edge on off-site scanning and custom login URL. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Patchstack: not included. Wordfence Security: included. Scans files for malware, backdoors, SEO spam and malicious URLs.
Patchstack: not included. Wordfence Security: included. Compares core, theme and plugin files with WordPress.org copies and can repair them.
Patchstack: not included. Wordfence Security: paid version (Care). Analyst-led malware cleanup included from the Care plan.
Patchstack: partial. Wordfence Security: not included. Vulnerability matching happens against Patchstack's cloud database; no offsite malware scanning.
Patchstack: partial. Wordfence Security: not included. Paid option blocks wp-login.php entirely and opens it via a secret link instead of renaming it.
Patchstack: paid version (Personal protection). Wordfence Security: not included. Hardening toggle adds a standard set of security headers via .htaccess.
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 Wordfence Security?
Wordfence Security scores higher on our feature checklist (80/100 against 60/100) and includes malware scanner, file change detection and malware removal that Patchstack does not. Patchstack still has the edge on off-site scanning and custom login URL. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Wordfence Security includes 19 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 Wordfence Security free?
Wordfence 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 Wordfence Security. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.