BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection
by Cory Marsh · Security
Free WordPress firewall, bot blocking, login protection, and malware scanning. See suspicious traffic and investigate threats from your dashboard.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 88/100
Few reviews
Active installs
300+
≈350 estimated
Momentum
+48%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “security”, “firewall” and “waf” for “bot blocking”, “blocker” and “malware removal”. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “bot blocking” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “firewall” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “blocker” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “waf” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #23. “malware removal” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
88 health vs 66 average across 1,778 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.6%
of downloads still active
At least 300 of 19.1K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,061 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Security plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 22 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 39 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 8 reviews, smoothed to 4.22★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
36
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
16%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.3
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| bot blocker your tag | #4 | #9 | 0 |
| malware scanner your tag | #14 | #16 | 0 |
| blocker | #16 | #15 | 0 |
| bot blocking | #15 | #18 | down 4 |
| malware | #20 | #21 | down 4 |
| malware scanning | #18 | #20 | up 1 |
| scanner | #22 | #18 | up 1 |
| waf your tag | #23 | #20 | down 4 |
| firewall your tag | #24 | #22 | down 1 |
| login protection | #24 | #24 | 0 |
| malware scan | #16 | #19 | down 1 |
| malware removal | #16 | #14 | — |
| backdoor | #18 | #12 | 0 |
| ai blocker | #11 | #13 | down 1 |
| malware detection | #23 | #21 | down 2 |
| web application firewall | #24 | #23 | 0 |
| ip blocker | #24 | #13 | down 3 |
| site blocker | #16 | #15 | down 1 |
| malware protection | #18 | #21 | 0 |
| wordpress malware scanner | #21 | #19 | up 1 |
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
88 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 68 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “security”, “firewall” and “waf” for “bot blocking”, “blocker” and “malware removal”. “security” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “bot blocking” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “firewall” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #24. “blocker” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “waf” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #23. “malware removal” sits at #16 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “malware scanner”. #14 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 1.5K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #10,100 to #11,100, alongside the other plugins at 300+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 1 Nov 2026.
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
22
releases in the last 12 months
1mo ago
latest release · v5.2.4 · 24 Sep 2026
46
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “300+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 11 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 4 Oct 2022
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ trondandre19621.4y ago
It is only one thing to say: It works! and this is the only firewall realy do the job.In the pro version you get all you need.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ monahowell1.8y ago
I don’t know where to start. A friend’s website had been hacked, was spewing spam and after hours of tech support with his host we were pressured to get into contracts to be able to remove the bots that got him locked out of his own email. Then, I searched for alternatives and found BitFire. What a difference! As it turns out, BitFire is highly advanced technology and far beyond what this little website needed, but I didn’t fully realize this until I contacted Cory Marsh, the developer of this genius product, and talked it out. AND, instead of turning me away with apologies and legitimate reasons why the typical BitFire install would be complete overkill, he talked me through how to use it, explained all the details and inner workings very patiently, cheerfully waiting on the line while I tried to grasp and respond to what was clearly over my pay grade, and then went ahead and removed the existing bots for me in the process. He used hours of his time trying to help me, and I am overwhelmingly grateful for his patience and incredible talent in developing this product. Cory is the real deal. I still can’t believe the help I received.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bear20002.2y ago
This is an excellent plugin. Given that most recent attacks are from bots, focusing on bot protection makes perfect sense. We have been able to eliminate most malicious bots with it. We are deeply grateful to the plugin developer.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ findrarecoins3.0y ago
Cory has gone above and beyond any plugin creator I have ever dealt with. He walked me through my own website and showed me things that I was not even aware of. We had a zoom meeting and he spent over an hour helping me. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. You will not be disappointed with this plugin. The Full Protection option is the way to go. Thank you so much Cory! This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by findrarecoins. This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by findrarecoins.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ JimJam3.4y ago
Updated Review: BitFire Pro is the best I know for WordPress – no doubt. In my earlier tests, it (the free version) defeated WordFence Pro and all the other WAF plugins. With the 4.0 version update, the WAF which was present in the free version just disappeared and became part of the Pro version. As for the RASP, it is again a Pro feature and that was the case earlier too – RASP is a great Pro feature that a serious person would upgrade to. I tested the latest free version(4.0) and found it to be not qualified to be on my WP stack anymore as it doesn’t have WAF as it did before. I do know that BitFire “Pro” is good and much better than the WordFence Pro, so I don’t want to take away the 5-star rating from my review – this is my gratitude for your hard work, you absolutely deserve it. Any day I would suggest anybody use the BitFire Pro version in any of their serious web projects – it really works great! Anyways, BitFire free version isn’t for me. Good wishes.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ shoutmoney3.8y ago
I don’t know much about security but the creator of this plugin Cory does. He personally gave me tips and he configured my settings and actually taught me about hacks and bots and stuff and he showed me how Bitfire protects me from hacks.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Max3.8y ago
I woke up yesterday to a hacked website which kept redirecting me to a spam site. I couldn’t log in or anything. I found a youtube video about BitFire and contacted them. They got right back to me, installed the software directly on my server, found the malware, cleaned it and then spent almost an hour on the phone talking me through my web site security and even gave me some pointers about my page load time. crazy! super nice guy. Highly recommend contacting them and using their malware scanner.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (5.2.4). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2025-08-01 CVE-2025-6722 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 4.5 Patched in 4.6
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 0 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
5 of 8 pass · checked 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 11 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 11 of 11 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 8 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 7,055 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "bot blocker", "malware scanner" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-12-06 400+ → 300+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-12-05 300+ → 400+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2025-11-29 400+ → 300+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-11-28 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-11-27 400+ → 300+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2025-11-24 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-11-23 400+ → 300+ down after 8 days in tier
- 2025-11-15 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A -
RSFirewall! 4K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags A -
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A -
WEDOS | Protection & Cache Performance 300+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/bitfire" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection: 300+ active installs, 5.0★ (8 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/bitfire
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