DefendWP Firewall
by revmakx · Security
Also makes 7 other plugins · 214K+ installs across the portfolio →
Get instant protection against vulnerabilities disclosed by security companies.
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
Not scored
no reviews to score from
Active installs
3K+
≈3.6K estimated
Momentum
0%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “malware”, “performance” and “security” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Not scored yet. Nobody has reviewed this plugin, so a grade would come from directory averages rather than from anything measured here.
Install conversion
How it's measured →23%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 13.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,060 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.
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.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 503 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, the current branch or newer
No reviews yet, so wp.org scores it as a middling unrated listing
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 503 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
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.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| malware your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| security your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| vulnerability your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 2 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “malware”, “performance” and “security” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 18 Sep 2024 · 774 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 2.6K · 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
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
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
1.4y ago
latest release · v1.1.6 · 16 Jun 2025
8
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% run the current release. 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 “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 8 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 64% of the way through.
Install history since 17 Sep 2024
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.6 Release Date – 16 June 2025 Improvement: Firewall rules mechanism improved. Improvement: UI improved. 1.1.6
- — Version 1.1.5 Release Date – 5 May 2025 Improvement: Support for IWP addon. 1.1.5
- — Version 1.1.4 Release Date – 14 Mar 2025 Fix: Firewall service error. 1.1.4
- — Version 1.1.3 Release Date – 03 Mar 2025 Fix: IP fetching failed in a few cases. 1.1.3
- — Version 1.1.2 Release Date – 03 Mar 2025 Fix: Firewall JSON input error in a few cases. Improvement: Admin dashboard DefendWP settings page improvements. 1.1.2
- — Version 1.1.1 Release Date – 28 Feb 2025 Fix: Broken Access Control fixed. 1.1.1
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.1.6). 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 6.8.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 1 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 27 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 10 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 10 of 10 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 6 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,003 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 2 of 4 tags appear in the text; "malware", "performance" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-03-13 2K+ → 3K+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2026-03-07 3K+ → 2K+ down after 32 days in tier
- 2026-02-03 2K+ → 3K+ up after 4 days in tier
- 2026-01-30 3K+ → 2K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-01-29 2K+ → 3K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-01-28 3K+ → 2K+ down after 106 days in tier
- 2025-10-14 2K+ → 3K+ up after 71 days in tier
- 2025-08-04 3K+ → 2K+ down after 8 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 Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A -
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
ManageWP Worker 1M+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags B -
Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening 600K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Jetpack Protect 100K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for DefendWP Firewall into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/defend-wp-firewall" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="DefendWP Firewall — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> DefendWP Firewall: 3K+ active installs, no reviews yet. Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/defend-wp-firewall
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