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Really Simple Security vs Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)

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

Really Simple Security

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 (8,870)

SSL migration and lightweight hardening plugin (formerly Really Simple SSL) with vulnerability alerts, plus a Pro firewall, 2FA and security headers.

Free installs3M+
From$69/yr
UpdatedOct 2026
Visit site Full profile
VS

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 (3,992)

Login-focused WordPress security plugin (formerly Solid Security / iThemes Security) with 2FA, brute-force protection and Patchstack virtual patching in Pro.

Free installs700K+
From$299/yr
UpdatedOct 2026
Visit site Full profile

Choose Really Simple Security if…

  • You want the lower entry price ($69/yr vs $299/yr)
  • You prefer the more widely used option
  • You weigh user ratings (4.9 vs 4.6 on WordPress.org)

Choose Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) if…

  • You need malware scanner and activity log
  • You also want real-time IP blocklist and file change detection
  • You want the more complete feature set (77/100 vs 54/100)

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) has 8 that Really Simple Security lacks, including Real-time IP blocklist, Malware scanner and File change detection. Both include 15 of the 26 features we track. 1 feature is not yet verified for one or both plugins.

At a glance

Really Simple Security
Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)
54/100
Feature score
77/100
16 of 26
Features included
23 of 26
4.9/5
WordPress.org rating
4.6/5
3M+
Active installs
700K+
100%
Support threads resolved
25%

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
Really Simple Security
Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)
Firewall & blocking5/75/7
Web application firewall KeyFilters malicious requests (SQL injection, XSS and similar) before they reach WordPress.
Really Simple Security Partial Pro

Pro firewall uses automated access rules (404s, regions, IPs) rather than payload inspection.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

Firewall with Patchstack rules and custom request rules is part of Pro.

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

Rules run on your own server.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Not included

Firewall runs inside WordPress on your server.

Brute-force protection KeyLimits failed logins and locks out attackers guessing passwords.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

Limit Login Attempts with configurable thresholds.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Local lockouts plus network-wide brute-force protection in the free plugin.

Login CAPTCHACAPTCHA or Turnstile on login, registration and password reset forms.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

hCaptcha or reCAPTCHA with Limit Login Attempts.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

Pro CAPTCHA on login, registration, reset and comments (reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, Turnstile).

Rate limiting & bot blockingThrottles or blocks aggressive crawlers and bad bots.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

404 blocking stops crawlers triggering unusual numbers of 404s.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Not verified

No documented throttling for crawlers or bots found.

Country blockingBlock or allow traffic by country.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

Region blocking allows or blocks access by region.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial

Restrict Admin Access by Country limits admin logins only; tier not stated.

Real-time IP blocklistBlocks IPs known for attacks using shared threat intelligence.
Really Simple Security Not included

Pro offers manual IP block/allow lists; no shared threat-intel feed.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Network Brute Force Protection blocks IPs reported across ~1M sites.

Scanning & cleanup2/65/6
Malware scanner KeyScans files and database for malware, backdoors and injected code.
Really Simple Security Not included

Does not scan files or database for malware.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial

Site Scan checks Google Safe Browsing; no signature-based file malware scan.

File change detectionCompares core, plugin and theme files with originals and flags changes.
Really Simple Security Not included

No comparison of files with originals.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial

File change detection flags modified files; not a full original-file comparison.

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

Notifies about vulnerable plugins, themes and core (WP Vulnerability data).

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Site Scan checks core, plugins and themes for known vulnerabilities.

Scheduled scansRuns scans automatically on a schedule.
Really Simple Security Partial

Vulnerability checks recur automatically; there are no malware scans.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Site Scan runs 4x daily free, hourly in Pro.

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

No vendor-side scanning service.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial

Site Scan is processed through the vendor's scanning service; file checks run locally.

Malware removalOne-click or expert cleanup of infected sites.
Really Simple Security Not included

No cleanup tool or service.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Not included

No malware cleanup tool or service included.

Login security4/55/5
Two-factor authentication KeySecond login factor via authenticator app, email or similar.
Really Simple Security Included

Free email 2FA enforceable per role; TOTP is Pro.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

2FA via authenticator app, email or backup codes in the free plugin.

Passkeys / WebAuthnPasswordless login with passkeys or hardware security keys.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

Passkey (WebAuthn) login in Pro.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

Passkey (WebAuthn) login requires Pro; not available on multisite.

Password policiesEnforce strong passwords, expiry or breached-password checks.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

Enforce strong passwords and periodic password changes.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Create and enforce password requirements by user group.

Custom login URLMove or hide the wp-login.php / wp-admin login page.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

Custom login URL is part of advanced hardening.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Hide Login URL tool moves the login page.

Session managementView and end active user sessions, limit concurrent logins.
Really Simple Security Not included

No active session viewer or concurrent-login limits.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial Kadence Pro

Pro Trusted Devices helps block session hijacking; no full session manager found.

Hardening4/55/5
One-click hardeningDisable XML-RPC, file editing, user enumeration and similar weak points.
Really Simple Security Included

Disable XML-RPC, user enumeration, directory browsing, uploads code execution.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Advanced tools: change user ID 1, DB prefix, file permissions, salts, wp-config rules.

SSL / HTTPS toolsEnforce HTTPS, fix mixed content and redirects.
Really Simple Security Included

One-click HTTPS, 301 redirects, secure cookies; mixed-content fixer in Pro.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Free option to enforce SSL across the site.

Security headersSet HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options and other HTTP security headers.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

HSTS, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy and auto-generated CSP.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial

Settings for X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy and CSP; no HSTS.

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

No exploit-blocking rules for specific vulnerabilities.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

Patchstack virtual patching blocks exploits before vendor fixes.

Auto-update vulnerable pluginsAutomatically updates plugins with known vulnerabilities.
Really Simple Security Paid version Pro

Can force updates or quarantine vulnerable plugins and themes.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

Version Management can auto-update or patch vulnerable software.

Monitoring & management1/33/3
Activity log KeyRecords logins, changes and admin actions for auditing.
Really Simple Security Not included

No audit trail of admin and content changes.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

User logging of logins, plugin, theme and content changes is Pro.

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

Sends notifications when vulnerabilities are found.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Security events and lockout notifications; site scan alert emails.

Multi-site dashboardManage security for many sites from one dashboard.
Really Simple Security Not included

Only a multisite network settings page; no multi-site dashboard.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Elite

Kadence Central multi-site portal is included in the Elite plan.

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

Pricing compared

Really Simple Security Freemium

Free$0
Personal$69 per year, 1 site
Professional$119 per year, 5 sites
Agency$209 per year, 25 sites

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Freemium

Free$0
Kadence Pro$299 per year, Not stated
Kadence Elite$499 per year, Not stated

Downloads trend

Really Simple Security

1,242,786 downloads last week

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)

56,258 downloads last week

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 5 Oct 2026

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) scores higher on our feature checklist (77/100 against 54/100) and includes malware scanner, activity log and real-time IP blocklist that Really Simple Security does not. Paid plans start at $69/yr for Really Simple Security and $299/yr for Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Biggest differences

Malware scanner

Really Simple Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): partial. Site Scan checks Google Safe Browsing; no signature-based file malware scan.

Activity log

Really Simple Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): paid version (Kadence Pro). User logging of logins, plugin, theme and content changes is Pro.

Real-time IP blocklist

Really Simple Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): included. Network Brute Force Protection blocks IPs reported across ~1M sites.

File change detection

Really Simple Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): partial. File change detection flags modified files; not a full original-file comparison.

Virtual patching

Really Simple Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): paid version (Kadence Pro). Patchstack virtual patching blocks exploits before vendor fixes.

Off-site scanning

Really Simple Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): partial. Site Scan is processed through the vendor's scanning service; file checks run locally.

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

Which would you choose?

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FAQ

Which is better, Really Simple Security or Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)?

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) scores higher on our feature checklist (77/100 against 54/100) and includes malware scanner, activity log and real-time IP blocklist that Really Simple Security does not. Paid plans start at $69/yr for Really Simple Security and $299/yr for Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Which has more features?

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) includes 23 of the 26 features we track, against 16 for Really Simple Security. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.

Is Really Simple Security free?

Really Simple Security has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $69/yr.

Is Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) free?

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $299/yr.

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