Patchstack vs WP Cerber 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.
Self-distributed WordPress security plugin with firewall, anti-spam, malware scanner, 2FA and custom login URL; PRO adds GEO rules and scheduled scans.
Choose Patchstack if…
- You need virtual patching
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose WP Cerber Security if…
- You need malware scanner and file change detection
- You also want malware removal
- You want the more complete feature set (69/100 vs 60/100)
Patchstack includes 1 feature that WP Cerber Security lacks, including Virtual patching; WP Cerber Security has 3 that Patchstack lacks, including Malware scanner, File change detection and Malware removal. Both include 11 of the 26 features we track. 11 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 WP Cerber SecurityFirewall & blocking4/76/7
Paid plans filter requests with vPatch rules and unlimited custom firewall rules; free has no firewall.
Traffic Inspector screens suspicious requests and code injection attempts.
Rules are enforced by the plugin on each page load, not on a vendor proxy.
Paid login protection blocks wp-login.php except via a secret allowlisting link; rate limiting in hardening.
Limits login attempts by IP address or Class C subnet.
reCAPTCHA is part of the paid remote hardening settings.
reCAPTCHA for WordPress and WooCommerce forms.
Bot detection with traps and honeypots blocks automated and hacker activity.
Rich GEO country rules are listed as a Professional version feature.
Community IP blocklist of known attacker addresses on paid plans.
Cloud Global Black List maintained by Cerber Lab is a PRO feature.
Scanning & cleanup3/64/6
Vendor states the product focuses on prevention rather than malware scanning.
Malware scanner checks files for trojans and injected code.
No file comparison or integrity checking is offered.
Integrity checker compares WordPress files with originals.
Free detection of vulnerable plugins, themes and core using Patchstack's database.
Software versions are checked automatically by scheduled tasks; there are no malware scans.
Automated hourly and daily scans with email alerts are PRO.
Vulnerability matching happens against Patchstack's cloud database; no offsite malware scanning.
No cleanup service; Patchstack positions itself as prevention.
Scanner can clean up malware and suspicious files; no expert cleanup service.
Login security2/53/5
Two-factor authentication is included with paid protection.
Two-factor authentication for WordPress accounts.
Paid option blocks wp-login.php entirely and opens it via a secret link instead of renaming it.
Custom login URL that renames wp-login.php.
Console to monitor and terminate active user sessions in the PRO version.
Hardening4/51/5
Disable theme editor, block user enumeration, restrict XML-RPC/REST API, hide WP version.
Disable XML-RPC, role-based REST API access, stop user enumeration.
Hardening toggle adds a standard set of security headers via .htaccess.
Core paid feature: 12,000+ targeted mitigation rules blocking known exploits.
No virtual patching for specific plugin vulnerabilities is described.
Free option to auto-update only plugins with known vulnerabilities.
Monitoring & management3/33/3
Logs and analytics are included in the free plan as well.
Logs logins, logouts and other user activity.
Real-time email alerts for new vulnerabilities; Slack and custom alerts on paid plans.
Email notifications plus weekly or monthly reports.
Patchstack app shows security status for up to 3 sites free, more on paid plans.
Manage multiple WP Cerber installations from one dashboard.
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 |
WP Cerber Security Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Single | $99 per year, 1 site |
| 5 Value Pack | $399 per year, 5 sites |
Downloads trend
Patchstack
6,821 downloads last week
WP Cerber Security
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
WP Cerber Security scores higher on our feature checklist (69/100 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. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Patchstack: not included. WP Cerber Security: included. Malware scanner checks files for trojans and injected code.
Patchstack: not included. WP Cerber Security: included. Integrity checker compares WordPress files with originals.
Patchstack: not included. WP Cerber Security: partial. Scanner can clean up malware and suspicious files; no expert cleanup service.
Patchstack: paid version (Personal protection). WP Cerber Security: not included. Core paid feature: 12,000+ targeted mitigation rules blocking known exploits.
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 WP Cerber Security?
WP Cerber Security scores higher on our feature checklist (69/100 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. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
WP Cerber Security includes 17 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 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 Patchstack 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.