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Wordfence Security vs WP Cerber Security

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

Wordfence Security

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7 (5,039)

Endpoint firewall, malware scanner and login security plugin for WordPress, with paid tiers for real-time threat data and hands-on incident response.

Free installs5M+
From$149/yr
UpdatedSep 2026
Visit site Full profile
VS

Self-distributed WordPress security plugin with firewall, anti-spam, malware scanner, 2FA and custom login URL; PRO adds GEO rules and scheduled scans.

Est. installs~6K
From$99/yr
ModelFreemium
Visit site Full profile

Choose Wordfence Security if…

  • You need virtual patching
  • You want the more complete feature set (80/100 vs 69/100)
  • You prefer the more widely used option

Choose WP Cerber Security if…

  • You need custom login URL and session management
  • You want the lower entry price ($99/yr vs $149/yr)

Wordfence Security includes 1 feature that WP Cerber Security lacks, including Virtual patching; WP Cerber Security has 2 that Wordfence Security lacks, including Custom login URL and Session management. Both include 15 of the 26 features we track. 8 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.

At a glance

Wordfence Security
WP Cerber Security
80/100
Feature score
69/100
19 of 26
Features included
17 of 26
4.7/5
WordPress.org rating
—
5M+
Active installs
n/a
84%
Support threads resolved
n/a

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
Wordfence Security
WP Cerber Security
Firewall & blocking6/76/7
Web application firewall KeyFilters malicious requests (SQL injection, XSS and similar) before they reach WordPress.
Wordfence Security Included

Endpoint WAF in free version; free rules arrive 30 days after Premium.

WP Cerber Security Included

Traffic Inspector screens suspicious requests and code injection attempts.

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

Firewall runs on your server inside WordPress, not on a vendor network.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Brute-force protection KeyLimits failed logins and locks out attackers guessing passwords.
Wordfence Security Included

Limits login attempts and locks out attackers.

WP Cerber Security Included

Limits login attempts by IP address or Class C subnet.

Login CAPTCHACAPTCHA or Turnstile on login, registration and password reset forms.
Wordfence Security Included

reCAPTCHA-based CAPTCHA on the login page in the free plugin.

WP Cerber Security Included

reCAPTCHA for WordPress and WooCommerce forms.

Rate limiting & bot blockingThrottles or blocks aggressive crawlers and bad bots.
Wordfence Security Included

Can rate-limit or block aggressive crawlers, scrapers and bots.

WP Cerber Security Included

Bot detection with traps and honeypots blocks automated and hacker activity.

Country blockingBlock or allow traffic by country.
Wordfence Security Paid version Premium

Country blocking requires Wordfence Premium.

WP Cerber Security Paid version PRO

Rich GEO country rules are listed as a Professional version feature.

Real-time IP blocklistBlocks IPs known for attacks using shared threat intelligence.
Wordfence Security Paid version Premium

Real-time IP blocklist from Wordfence threat intel is Premium-only.

WP Cerber Security Paid version PRO

Cloud Global Black List maintained by Cerber Lab is a PRO feature.

Scanning & cleanup5/64/6
Malware scanner KeyScans files and database for malware, backdoors and injected code.
Wordfence Security Included

Scans files for malware, backdoors, SEO spam and malicious URLs.

WP Cerber Security Included

Malware scanner checks files for trojans and injected code.

File change detectionCompares core, plugin and theme files with originals and flags changes.
Wordfence Security Included

Compares core, theme and plugin files with WordPress.org copies and can repair them.

WP Cerber Security Included

Integrity checker compares WordPress files with originals.

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

Scan flags plugins and themes with known vulnerabilities or abandoned code.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Scheduled scansRuns scans automatically on a schedule.
Wordfence Security Included

Scans run on a schedule; Premium allows more frequent and custom scans.

WP Cerber Security Paid version PRO

Automated hourly and daily scans with email alerts are PRO.

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

Scans run on your own server and use its resources.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Malware removalOne-click or expert cleanup of infected sites.
Wordfence Security Paid version Care

Analyst-led malware cleanup included from the Care plan.

WP Cerber Security Partial

Scanner can clean up malware and suspicious files; no expert cleanup service.

Login security3/53/5
Two-factor authentication KeySecond login factor via authenticator app, email or similar.
Wordfence Security Included

TOTP authenticator-app 2FA, including WooCommerce integration.

WP Cerber Security Included

Two-factor authentication for WordPress accounts.

Passkeys / WebAuthnPasswordless login with passkeys or hardware security keys.
Wordfence Security Included

Passkey sign-in available in both free and premium versions.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Password policiesEnforce strong passwords, expiry or breached-password checks.
Wordfence Security Included

Blocks administrator logins that use known compromised passwords.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Custom login URLMove or hide the wp-login.php / wp-admin login page.
Wordfence Security Not included

No option to move or rename wp-login.php.

WP Cerber Security Included

Custom login URL that renames wp-login.php.

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

No tool to view or end active user sessions.

WP Cerber Security Paid version PRO

Console to monitor and terminate active user sessions in the PRO version.

Hardening2/51/5
One-click hardeningDisable XML-RPC, file editing, user enumeration and similar weak points.
Wordfence Security Partial

XML-RPC disabling and REST API user-enumeration protection; no broader hardening checklist.

WP Cerber Security Included

Disable XML-RPC, role-based REST API access, stop user enumeration.

SSL / HTTPS toolsEnforce HTTPS, fix mixed content and redirects.
Wordfence Security Not included

No HTTPS enforcement or mixed-content tools.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Security headersSet HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options and other HTTP security headers.
Wordfence Security Not included

Does not manage HTTP security headers.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Virtual patchingFirewall rules that block exploits for known plugin vulnerabilities before an update is available.
Wordfence Security Included

Firewall rules block exploits for known vulnerabilities; free rules are delayed 30 days.

WP Cerber Security Not included

No virtual patching for specific plugin vulnerabilities is described.

Auto-update vulnerable pluginsAutomatically updates plugins with known vulnerabilities.
Wordfence Security Not included

Warns about vulnerable plugins but does not auto-update them.

WP Cerber Security Not verified
Monitoring & management3/33/3
Activity log KeyRecords logins, changes and admin actions for auditing.
Wordfence Security Paid version Premium

Audit Log of user, plugin, theme and content changes is Premium.

WP Cerber Security Included

Logs logins, logouts and other user activity.

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

Email alerts in the plugin; Central adds SMS and Slack alerts.

WP Cerber Security Included

Email notifications plus weekly or monthly reports.

Multi-site dashboardManage security for many sites from one dashboard.
Wordfence Security Included

Wordfence Central manages unlimited sites for free.

WP Cerber Security Paid version PRO

Manage multiple WP Cerber installations from one dashboard.

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

Pricing compared

Wordfence Security Freemium

Free$0
Premium$149 per year, 1 site
Care$590 per year, 1 site
Response$1,250 per year, 1 site

WP Cerber Security Freemium

Free$0
Single$99 per year, 1 site
5 Value Pack$399 per year, 5 sites

Downloads trend

Wordfence Security

287,910 downloads last week

WP Cerber Security

No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 5 Oct 2026

Wordfence Security scores higher on our feature checklist (80/100 against 69/100) and includes virtual patching that WP Cerber Security does not. WP Cerber Security still has the edge on custom login URL and session management. Paid plans start at $149/yr for Wordfence Security and $99/yr for WP Cerber Security. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Biggest differences

Virtual patching

Wordfence Security: included. WP Cerber Security: not included. Firewall rules block exploits for known vulnerabilities; free rules are delayed 30 days.

Custom login URL

Wordfence Security: not included. WP Cerber Security: included. Custom login URL that renames wp-login.php.

Session management

Wordfence 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.

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FAQ

Which is better, Wordfence Security or WP Cerber Security?

Wordfence Security scores higher on our feature checklist (80/100 against 69/100) and includes virtual patching that WP Cerber Security does not. WP Cerber Security still has the edge on custom login URL and session management. Paid plans start at $149/yr for Wordfence Security and $99/yr for WP Cerber Security. 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 17 for WP Cerber Security. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.

Is Wordfence Security free?

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