Captcha Code
by WebFactory · Security
Also makes 28 other plugins · 3.5M+ installs across the portfolio →
GDPR compatible captcha anti-spam protection for login form, comments form, registration form & lost password form. Eliminate spam with captcha.
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
B 82/100
no flags
Active installs
100K+
≈190K estimated
Momentum
+9%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “comments spam” and “recaptcha” for “lost” and “lost password”. “comments spam” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “lost” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “recaptcha” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “lost password” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
82 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →12%
of downloads still active
At least 100K of 845.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,059 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 4 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
Well tuned across the board
Updated 41 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
3.9★ over 35 reviews, smoothed to 4.02★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
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.
45
Momentum
Holding steady
-0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
37%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-0.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| captcha code | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| captcha your tag | #3 | #6 | up 1 |
| form captcha your tag | #4 | #7 | up 1 |
| lost | #4 | #8 | up 1 |
| code | #5 | #9 | 0 |
| login captcha your tag | #5 | #6 | down 1 |
| captcha on comments | #2 | #4 | 0 |
| lost password | #5 | #9 | up 1 |
| no captcha | #5 | #6 | down 1 |
| captcha plugin | #3 | #5 | up 1 |
| registration captcha | #3 | #6 | — |
| captcha on registration | #3 | #5 | 0 |
| no code | #5 | #9 | 0 |
| captcha protection | #5 | #6 | 0 |
| anti captcha | #5 | #6 | down 1 |
| captcha form | #6 | #11 | up 2 |
| simple captcha | #6 | #10 | — |
| login code | #6 | #11 | — |
| wp login captcha | #7 | #10 | down 1 |
| post code | #9 | #18 | down 1 |
| comments spam your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| recaptcha your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
63 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 35 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “comments spam” and “recaptcha” for “lost” and “lost password”. “comments spam” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “lost” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “recaptcha” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “lost password” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Nov 2022 · 1,457 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 38.3K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
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.
4
releases in the last 12 months
1mo ago
latest release · v3.33 · 21 Sep 2026
10
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 “100K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 18 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 10 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ eastsideluemmel5mo ago
Thank you for this very simple to use plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ cilycwmweb9mo ago
seems to produce the same code nearly every time and fails. if I change from numeric code to alphanumeric code it still produces the same numeric code. and it still fails.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Atikur Rahman Shohel1.3y ago
I got surprised that, my fresh website sudden installed this plugin automatically. Even i never seen their name ever. They hide the plugin from WP Plugin list and uses as core plugin and uses option on WP Setting. Offering premium plan and doing huge spam. I recommend WP to remove their plugin for doing spam marketing and fraud install.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Dipto Nath1.8y ago
Waste of time,
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ vitaligs2.2y ago
A PHP session was created by a session_start() function call. This interferes with REST API and loopback requests. The session should be closed by session_write_close() before making any HTTP requests. on the file wpcaptcha.php you should fix line 40 to 44 with this if ( !session_id() ) { session_start( [ ‘read_and_close’ => true, ] ); } I had to find it my way out
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ galo2.8y ago
I hope it’s harder to get around
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ MAHDI KAZEMI3.7y ago
HelloThis plugin works for the post and page comments form but does not work for Woocommrce and the comment is sent without entering the security code.please check it. Thankful
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Andrews326.4y ago
The plugin does not stop registrations of bots. Плагин не помогает от спама!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.33). Sites still on an older version should update.
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.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 68 languages, 14 at 90% or more
Plus 44 more locales with partial translations.
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
2 of 8 pass · checked 25 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 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 3 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 1 heading and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 739 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("comments spam", "form captcha", "login captcha" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-05-12 90K+ → 100K+ up after 51 days in tier
- 2025-03-22 80K+ → 90K+ up after 38 days in tier
- 2025-02-12 70K+ → 80K+ up after 34 days in tier
- 2025-01-09 60K+ → 70K+ up after 39 days in tier
- 2024-12-01 50K+ → 60K+ up after 31 days in tier
- 2024-10-31 40K+ → 50K+ up after 26 days in tier
- 2024-10-05 30K+ → 40K+ up after 700 days in tier
- 2022-11-05 40K+ → 30K+ down 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).
-
Advanced Google reCAPTCHA 200K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft 100K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
CAPTCHA 4WP – Antispam CAPTCHA solution for WordPress 100K+ installs · 3.2★ · 2 shared tags B -
LukasApps CAPTCHA tools for Contact Form 7 100K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
Invisible reCaptcha 70K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
hCaptcha for WP 70K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Captcha Code into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/captcha-code-authentication" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Captcha Code — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Captcha Code: 100K+ active installs, 3.9★ (35 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/captcha-code-authentication
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