Really Simple Security vs WP Cerber Security
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 26 features compared side by side.
SSL migration and lightweight hardening plugin (formerly Really Simple SSL) with vulnerability alerts, plus a Pro firewall, 2FA and security headers.
Self-distributed WordPress security plugin with firewall, anti-spam, malware scanner, 2FA and custom login URL; PRO adds GEO rules and scheduled scans.
Choose Really Simple Security if…
- You want the lower entry price ($69/yr vs $99/yr)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose WP Cerber 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 (69/100 vs 54/100)
WP Cerber Security has 7 that Really Simple Security lacks, including Real-time IP blocklist, Malware scanner and File change detection. Both include 10 of the 26 features we track. 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.
Really Simple Security WP Cerber SecurityFirewall & blocking5/76/7
Pro firewall uses automated access rules (404s, regions, IPs) rather than payload inspection.
Traffic Inspector screens suspicious requests and code injection attempts.
Rules run on your own server.
Limit Login Attempts with configurable thresholds.
Limits login attempts by IP address or Class C subnet.
hCaptcha or reCAPTCHA with Limit Login Attempts.
reCAPTCHA for WordPress and WooCommerce forms.
404 blocking stops crawlers triggering unusual numbers of 404s.
Bot detection with traps and honeypots blocks automated and hacker activity.
Region blocking allows or blocks access by region.
Rich GEO country rules are listed as a Professional version feature.
Pro offers manual IP block/allow lists; no shared threat-intel feed.
Cloud Global Black List maintained by Cerber Lab is a PRO feature.
Scanning & cleanup2/64/6
Does not scan files or database for malware.
Malware scanner checks files for trojans and injected code.
No comparison of files with originals.
Integrity checker compares WordPress files with originals.
Notifies about vulnerable plugins, themes and core (WP Vulnerability data).
Vulnerability checks recur automatically; there are no malware scans.
Automated hourly and daily scans with email alerts are PRO.
No vendor-side scanning service.
No cleanup tool or service.
Scanner can clean up malware and suspicious files; no expert cleanup service.
Login security4/53/5
Free email 2FA enforceable per role; TOTP is Pro.
Two-factor authentication for WordPress accounts.
Passkey (WebAuthn) login in Pro.
Enforce strong passwords and periodic password changes.
Custom login URL is part of advanced hardening.
Custom login URL that renames wp-login.php.
No active session viewer or concurrent-login limits.
Console to monitor and terminate active user sessions in the PRO version.
Hardening4/51/5
Disable XML-RPC, user enumeration, directory browsing, uploads code execution.
Disable XML-RPC, role-based REST API access, stop user enumeration.
One-click HTTPS, 301 redirects, secure cookies; mixed-content fixer in Pro.
HSTS, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy and auto-generated CSP.
No exploit-blocking rules for specific vulnerabilities.
No virtual patching for specific plugin vulnerabilities is described.
Can force updates or quarantine vulnerable plugins and themes.
Monitoring & management1/33/3
No audit trail of admin and content changes.
Logs logins, logouts and other user activity.
Sends notifications when vulnerabilities are found.
Email notifications plus weekly or monthly reports.
Only a multisite network settings page; no multi-site dashboard.
Manage multiple WP Cerber installations from one dashboard.
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 |
WP Cerber Security Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Single | $99 per year, 1 site |
| 5 Value Pack | $399 per year, 5 sites |
Downloads trend
Really Simple Security
1,228,062 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 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 $99/yr for WP Cerber Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Really Simple Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: included. Malware scanner checks files for trojans and injected code.
Really Simple Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: included. Logs logins, logouts and other user activity.
Really Simple Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: paid version (PRO). Cloud Global Black List maintained by Cerber Lab is a PRO feature.
Really Simple Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: included. Integrity checker compares WordPress files with originals.
Really Simple Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: partial. Scanner can clean up malware and suspicious files; no expert cleanup service.
Really Simple Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: paid version (PRO). Console to monitor and terminate active user sessions in the PRO version.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
0 votes so far. Vote to see the results.
Compare something else
FAQ
Which is better, Really Simple Security or WP Cerber Security?
WP Cerber Security scores higher on our feature checklist (69/100 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 $99/yr for WP Cerber Security. 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 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 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 Really Simple 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.