WordPress plugin comparison
BBQ Firewall vs Defender Security
BBQ Firewall
by Jeff Starr
100K+ installs4.9
Defender Security
by WPMU DEV - Your All-in-One WordPress Platform
80K+ installs4.8
At a glance
- BBQ Firewall has more active installs: 100K+, against 80K+ for Defender Security.
- On a typical day, Defender Security is downloaded about 546 times, BBQ Firewall about 471.
- BBQ Firewall is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 160 reviews, against 4.8 from 335 reviews.
- Defender Security was updated more recently: Nov 9, 2026, against Nov 6, 2026 for BBQ Firewall.
- BBQ Firewall resolves more of its support threads: 100% in the last two months, against 67% for Defender Security.
- BBQ Firewall is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.2, against 7.1.4 for Defender Security.
- BBQ Firewall has been around longer: since 2010, against 2017 for Defender Security.
Line by line
BBQ Firewall leads on 6 of 8 comparable lines.
| Metric | BBQ Firewall | Defender Security |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #346 | #519 |
| Active installs | 100K+ | 80K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 70.6K | 32.1K |
| Rating | 4.9(160) | 4.8(335) |
| Support threads resolved | 100% | 67% |
| Tested up to | 7.2 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×1.51 | ×1.74 |
| Last release | 3 days ago | today |
| Requires PHP | 5.6.20 | 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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