WordPress plugin comparison
Access Defender vs Shield Security
At a glance
- Shield Security has more active installs: 30K+, against 50+ for Access Defender.
- On a typical day, Shield Security is downloaded about 947 times, Access Defender about 5.
- Shield Security is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 1,039 reviews, against 3.0 from 2 reviews.
- Shield Security was updated more recently: Oct 27, 2026, against Oct 2, 2025 for Access Defender.
- Shield Security is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.2, against 6.8.12 for Access Defender.
- Shield Security has been around longer: since 2013, against 2024 for Access Defender.
Line by line
Shield Security leads on 7 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric |  Access Defender |  Shield Security |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #21,311 | #938 |
| Active installs | 50+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 108 | 50.7K |
| Rating | 3.0(2) | 4.8(1K) |
| Support threads resolved | – | 100% |
| Tested up to | 6.8.12 | 7.2 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.13 | ×1.15 |
| Last release | 1 year ago | 13 days ago |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
Tags they share
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