Really Simple Security vs Wordfence Security
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Wordfence Security leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #11, ahead of Really Simple Security at #17. Wordfence Security has the largest install base, roughly 1.7× the next: 5M+ active installs against 3M+ for Really Simple Security. Downloads this week: Wordfence Security 3,054,928 and Really Simple Security 180,857. Ratings: Really Simple Security 4.9★ from 8,864 and Wordfence Security 4.7★ from 5,002 reviews.
| Metric | Really Simple Security | Wordfence Security |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #17 ▬ | #11 ▬ |
| Active installs | 3M+ | 5M+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 180,857 | 3,054,928 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (8,864) | 4.7★ (5,002) |
| Last updated | Sep 14, 2026 | Sep 8, 2026 |
| Current version | 9.8.2 | 9.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #17 | #11 |
| Days in the top 50 | 52 | 52 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2015 | Apr 2012 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 24 |
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
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- Wordfence Security vs Kadence Security Basic
- Wordfence Security vs Sucuri Security - Auditing, Malware Scanner and Hardening
- Wordfence Security vs All-In-One Security (AIOS)
- Wordfence Security vs Jetpack Protect
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Really Simple Security or Wordfence Security?
By active installs, Wordfence Security: 5M+ sites run it against 3M+ for Really Simple Security, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 14, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Really Simple Security or Wordfence Security?
Wordfence Security, at #11 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Really Simple Security at #17. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Really Simple Security or Wordfence Security alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are security plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
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.