WordPress plugin comparison
Kadence Security vs Defender Security
Kadence Security
by Nexcess
700K+ installs4.6
Defender Security
by WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform
80K+ installs4.8
At a glance
- Kadence Security has more active installs: 700K+, against 80K+ for Defender Security.
- On a typical day, Kadence Security is downloaded about 5,567 times, Defender Security about 546.
- Defender Security is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 335 reviews, against 4.6 from 3,992 reviews.
- Defender Security was updated more recently: Nov 9, 2026, against Oct 14, 2026 for Kadence Security.
- Defender Security resolves more of its support threads: 67% in the last two months, against 42% for Kadence Security.
- Both are tested up to WordPress 7.1.4.
- Kadence Security has been around longer: since 2010, against 2017 for Defender Security.
Line by line
Kadence Security leads on 4 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric | Kadence Security | Defender Security |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #88 | #519 |
| Active installs | 700K+ | 80K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 413.1K | 18.2K |
| Rating | 4.6(4K) | 4.8(335) |
| Support threads resolved | 42% | 67% |
| Tested up to | 7.1.4 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×2.70 | ×1.74 |
| Last release | 26 days ago | today |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 8.0.0 |
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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