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Shield Security vs Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)

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

Shield Security

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 (1,039)

Automated WordPress security plugin with firewall, silentCAPTCHA bot detection, 2FA and audit log; ShieldPRO adds malware and vulnerability scanning.

Free installs30K+
From$149/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 Shield Security if…

  • You need malware removal
  • You want the more complete feature set (84/100 vs 77/100)
  • You want the lower entry price ($149/yr vs $299/yr)
  • You weigh user ratings (4.8 vs 4.6 on WordPress.org)

Choose Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) if…

  • You need virtual patching and country blocking
  • You also want off-site scanning and SSL / HTTPS tools
  • You prefer the more widely used option

Shield Security includes 1 feature that Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) lacks, including Malware removal; Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) has 4 that Shield Security lacks, including Country blocking, Off-site scanning and SSL / HTTPS tools. Both include 19 of the 26 features we track. 1 feature is not yet verified for one or both plugins.

At a glance

Shield Security
Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)
84/100
Feature score
77/100
21 of 26
Features included
23 of 26
4.8/5
WordPress.org rating
4.6/5
30K+
Active installs
700K+
100%
Support threads resolved
25%

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
Shield 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.
Shield Security Included

Firewall rules block malicious requests in the free plugin.

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.
Shield Security Not included

All protection runs on your own server; no vendor proxy.

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.
Shield Security Included

Failed logins add offense points and trigger automatic IP blocks.

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.
Shield Security Included

Invisible silentCAPTCHA protects login and registration without a puzzle.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Per-IP traffic rate limiting and DoS protection are ShieldPRO features.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Not verified

No documented throttling for crawlers or bots found.

Country blockingBlock or allow traffic by country.
Shield Security Not included

Shield has no geo-blocking; its blog recommends a separate plugin.

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.
Shield Security Included

Daily CrowdSec-backed IP blocklists in free; advanced CrowdSec intelligence on Plus.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

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

Scanning & cleanup5/65/6
Malware scanner KeyScans files and database for malware, backdoors and injected code.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

AI-based scanner for known and unknown PHP malware requires ShieldPRO.

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.
Shield Security Included

Core files checked against official checksums free; plugin/theme file checks need PRO.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Vulnerability scanning of installed plugins and themes is a ShieldPRO feature.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

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

Scheduled scansRuns scans automatically on a schedule.
Shield Security Included

Scans run automatically in the background; PRO allows more frequent 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.
Shield Security Not included

Scans run on the site's own server.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Free auto-repairs core files; PRO repairs plugins/themes and deletes malware. No expert cleanup.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Not included

No malware cleanup tool or service included.

Login security5/55/5
Two-factor authentication KeySecond login factor via authenticator app, email or similar.
Shield Security Included

Email codes, authenticator apps and YubiKey OTP in the free plugin.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Passkey and WebAuthn login plus backup codes are ShieldPRO features.

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.
Shield Security Included

Password policies are listed in the free tier.

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.
Shield Security Included

Free option to hide the WordPress login URL.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Included

Hide Login URL tool moves the login page.

Session managementView and end active user sessions, limit concurrent logins.
Shield Security Included

User session management is available free; user suspension is PRO.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Partial Kadence Pro

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

Hardening3/55/5
One-click hardeningDisable XML-RPC, file editing, user enumeration and similar weak points.
Shield Security Included

Locks down XML-RPC and REST API and blocks user enumeration.

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.
Shield Security Not included

No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools in the feature list.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Security headers and Content Security Policy are PRO features.

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.
Shield Security Not included

No virtual patching rules for specific plugin vulnerabilities are offered.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Vulnerability scanner can auto-upgrade affected plugins once a fix is released.

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Paid version Kadence Pro

Version Management can auto-update or patch vulnerable software.

Monitoring & management3/33/3
Activity log KeyRecords logins, changes and admin actions for auditing.
Shield Security Included

Full activity log and traffic monitoring free; third-party plugin logging on Enterprise.

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.
Shield Security Included

Security reports in free; instant vulnerability alerts with PRO.

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.
Shield Security Paid version Plus

Multi-site management via MainWP integration and settings sync is PRO.

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

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

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) Freemium

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

Downloads trend

Shield Security

16,736 downloads last week

Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)

57,514 downloads last week

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 5 Oct 2026

Shield Security scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 77/100) and includes malware removal that Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) does not. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) still has the edge on virtual patching and country blocking. Paid plans start at $149/yr for Shield 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 removal

Shield Security: paid version (Plus). Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): not included. Free auto-repairs core files; PRO repairs plugins/themes and deletes malware. No expert cleanup.

Virtual patching

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

Country blocking

Shield Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): partial. Restrict Admin Access by Country limits admin logins only; tier not stated.

Off-site scanning

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

SSL / HTTPS tools

Shield Security: not included. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security): included. Free option to enforce SSL across the site.

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, Shield Security or Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security)?

Shield Security scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 77/100) and includes malware removal that Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) does not. Kadence Security (formerly Solid Security) still has the edge on virtual patching and country blocking. Paid plans start at $149/yr for Shield 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 21 for Shield Security. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.

Is Shield Security free?

Shield Security has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $149/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 Shield 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.