Security Optimizer vs Wordfence Security

We recently noted that the developer of the 1+ million install WordPress security plugin Security Optimizer, SiteGround, was saying that you shouldn’t use the Wordfence Security plugin and instead use their plugin. They didn’t cite any evidence that their plugin is more effective. What would be most important to know is if it did a better job of protecting websites from vulnerabilities in other plugins. We have done just such testing.

Since 2021, we have done 16 tests of a large group of WordPress security plugins to see if they would protect against real vulnerabilities that had existed in other plugins. In those tests, Security Optimizer provided no protection in any of the tests. Wordfence Security did somewhat better, providing protection in six. The reason why Security Optimizer didn’t provide any protection is that the plugin doesn’t contain a firewall. The developer in some places makes it seem like it does and falsely claims to offer protection that would come from a firewall.

Another method of testing we have is automated testing to see if WordPress firewall plugins will protect against the same attacks our firewall plugin can. The results for both plugins are not good. With Security Optimizer providing no protection and Wordfence Security only stopping 22.4% of the tests, in the most recent run we did of that at the beginning of January.

Better Alternatives

Based on those results, Wordfence Security is the only option of those two for those looking for protection, but there are two much better options.

Those two plugins are our Plugin Vulnerabilities Firewall and NinjaFirewall. NinjaFirewall does significantly better in our automated testing, with protection against 38.8% of the attacks. Our plugin provides protection against 100%.

While NinjaFirewall is a competitor to our plugin, we recommend it for websites where doesn’t make sense to be spending money on security. For the price, free, it provides great protection, much better than Wordfence Security’s, despite being much less popular.

Our firewall plugin is part of our service, which provides a lot beyond just the firewall plugin, so for those who need security better than can be gotten for free, it can provide a lot of additional protection.