SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce)

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share 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.

Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.

No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price. The recent download trend is too spiky to read.

1. ★★★★★ uwejansen

   4mo ago

   I have been using this plugin with Contact Form 7 and overall it works well. The setup is straightforward, and it helps reduce spam submissions without making the form too complicated for visitors. It integrates nicely with Contact Form 7 and does what it is supposed to do. For a free plugin, it is a very useful solution. I am giving 4 stars because there is still some room for improvement, for example in terms of documentation or additional configuration options. But overall, it is a solid and helpful plugin.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ solanum

   4mo ago

   I use this plugin on ALL my client’s websites because it is easy to set up and it works incredibly well in protecting my sites 😀

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Nico Demus

   7mo ago

   Easy to use and does exactly what it should. Not overloaded, pretty easy to setup. Awesome ! Works like a charm with Elementor !

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ lyndzer

   8mo ago

   This is FINALLY the solution I was looking for. Thousands of spam emails from my website have been a plague. Now – with this amazing plug-in – it has STOPPED. My gratitude is immense. A real game changer!!

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ martinpelletier

   10mo ago

   Blocks login even if login protection is not checked in dashboard. Moreover, the right answer does not allow to login. You get locked out your own WP site.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ KnallBlauMedia

   11mo ago

   I’m using this plugin for 1-2 years and it’s the best solution yet.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ pluggedindev

   11mo ago

   The support team is next level! Jumped in immediately and resolved the issue quickly. The plugin works great for my client’s gravity form. Highly recommend and will use again in the future.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ dbinda

   11mo ago

   As webmaster, I always use this great plugin in all my websites to protect any contact form (using CF7) and also the WordPress administration login page. Now, my websites are safer, and my customers are not bothered any more. Finally, the support is excellent.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 2.7.6 Security [Audio Captcha]: The accessibility audio endpoint ( /captcha/audio ) no longer returns the captcha solution for math challenges. The math answer was never used by the frontend (math formulas are read aloud direc 2.7.6
2. — Version 2.7.5 Fix [Forms]: Enabling WordPress Comments, JetFormBuilder or Ultimate Member protection no longer attaches the captcha submit interceptor to unrelated forms — most notably the WooCommerce “Add to cart” form ( form.cart ), 2.7.5
3. — Version 2.7.4 New [Analytics]: When the SilentShield API is active, the Analytics page now shows an “API Exclusive Blocks” section with measured numbers — how many spam submissions the API blocked that none of the local rules (Captcha 2.7.4
4. — Version 2.7.3 Fix [WooCommerce Checkout]: The JavaScript protection could wrongly reject legitimate checkouts (“JavaScript protection not correct”) and require several clicks on “Place order”. The captcha and its timing fields ( js_st 2.7.3
5. — Version 2.7.2 Fix [Forms]: Comments and other default WordPress forms now set the JavaScript timing field ( js_end_time ) at the moment of submission instead of on page load. Previously the timestamp was pre-filled during init, making 2.7.2
6. — Version 2.7.1 Improved [Translations]: French (fr_FR) translations overhauled — replaced anglicisms with correct French terminology throughout (“spam” → “indésirables”, “bots” → “robots”, “plan” → “offre”, “plugin” → “extension”, “clé 2.7.1

1 disclosed vulnerability on record for this plugin, fixed in the current version. Sites on older versions stay exposed until they update.

1. Medium · 5.3 Captcha/Honeypot for Contact Form 7 <= 1.11.3 - Captcha Bypass ↗
   2023-10-03 CVE-2023-45009 Guessable CAPTCHA Affects <= 1.11.3 Patched in 1.11.4

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0

Translated into 4 languages, 1 at 90% or more

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-12-02 9K+ → 10K+ up after 2 days in tier
2. 2025-11-30 10K+ → 9K+ down after 1 days in tier
3. 2025-11-29 9K+ → 10K+ up after 245 days in tier
4. 2025-03-29 8K+ → 9K+ up after 114 days in tier
5. 2024-12-05 7K+ → 8K+ up after 127 days in tier
6. 2024-07-31 6K+ → 7K+ up after 1 days in tier
7. 2024-07-30 7K+ → 6K+ down after 1 days in tier
8. 2024-07-29 6K+ → 7K+ up after 5 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).

• CF7 Apps – Honeypot, Database, Redirection, Webhook, and Addons for Contact Form 7 300K+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags B
• Contact Form 7 Text CAPTCHA 1K+ installs · 4.0★ · 3 shared tags C
• Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A
• LukasApps CAPTCHA tools for Contact Form 7 100K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B
• Gravity Forms Zero Spam 100K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A
• Image CAPTCHA for Contact Form 7 and WPForms by HookAndHook (DSGVO/GDPR) 80K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A

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Drop a live Pulse card for SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce) into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce): 10K+ active installs, 4.7★ (21 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-29. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/captcha-for-contact-form-7