Wordfence Security vs Shield Security
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
Wordfence Security leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #11, ahead of Shield Security at #929. Over the last 7 days Wordfence Security held its place and Shield Security slipped 4 places. Wordfence Security has the largest install base, roughly 167× the next: 5M+ active installs against 30K+ for Shield Security. Downloads this week: Wordfence Security 3,108,771 and Shield Security 17,953. Ratings: Wordfence Security 4.7★ from 5,002 and Shield Security 4.8★ from 1,038 reviews.
| Metric | Wordfence Security | Shield Security |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #11 ▬ | #929 ▼ 4 |
| Active installs | 5M+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 3,108,771 | 17,953 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (5,002) | 4.8★ (1,038) |
| Last updated | Sep 8, 2026 | Sep 8, 2026 |
| Current version | 9.0.1 | 22.2.2 |
| Best rank on record | #11 | #921 |
| Days in the top 50 | 53 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2012 | Jul 2013 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 24 | 0 |
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
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Wordfence Security or Shield Security?
By active installs, Wordfence Security: 5M+ sites run it against 30K+ for Shield Security, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 15, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Wordfence Security or Shield Security?
Wordfence Security, at #11 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Shield Security at #929. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Wordfence Security or Shield Security 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.