Password Protected vs Protect Uploads
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Password Protected leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #190, ahead of Protect Uploads at #919. Password Protected has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 300K+ active installs against 30K+ for Protect Uploads. Downloads this week: Password Protected 9,233 and Protect Uploads 7,067. Ratings: Password Protected 4.4★ from 140 and Protect Uploads 4.8★ from 12 reviews.
| Metric | Password Protected | Protect Uploads |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #190 ▬ | #919 ▬ |
| Active installs | 300K+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 9,233 | 7,067 |
| Rating | 4.4★ (140) | 4.8★ (12) |
| Last updated | Jul 30, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.8.4 | 0.7.1 |
| Best rank on record | #190 | #918 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2012 | Mar 2015 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
- Password Protected vs Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content
- Password Protected vs Password Protect WordPress Lite
- Password Protected vs Kadence Security Basic
- Password Protected vs CMP
- Protect Uploads vs Image Watermark
- Protect Uploads vs Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files
- Protect Uploads vs Kadence Security Basic
- Protect Uploads vs NinjaFirewall (WP Edition)
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Password Protected or Protect Uploads?
By active installs, Password Protected: 300K+ sites run it against 30K+ for Protect Uploads, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Password Protected or Protect Uploads?
Password Protected, at #190 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Protect Uploads at #919. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Password Protected or Protect Uploads alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.