Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms
by Matthias Nordwig · Security
Also makes 1 other plugin · 5K+ installs across the portfolio →
Invisible spam protection for every form, login and checkout. No puzzles, no checkboxes, no lost visitors — a CAPTCHA your users never see.
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 94/100
no flags
Active installs
5K+
≈5K estimated
Momentum
+56%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “captcha”, “spam protection” and “spam” for “checkboxes”, “lost” and “puzzles”. “captcha” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “checkboxes” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam protection” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “lost” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #17. “puzzles” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
94 health vs 66 average across 1,779 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.5%
of downloads still active
At least 5K of 91.3K lifetime downloads are still running, above 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 17 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 4 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.8★ over 50 reviews, smoothed to 4.45★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
5 of 5 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.
54
Momentum
Holding steady
+0.7
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
47%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+1.8
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| recaptcha alternative | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| invisible | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| mw wp form recaptcha | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| captcha alternative | #3 | #4 | up 1 |
| checkboxes | #5 | #5 | up 2 |
| lost | #6 | #7 | 0 |
| recaptcha your tag | #7 | #8 | down 2 |
| puzzles | #6 | #3 | down 1 |
| alternative | #8 | #10 | 0 |
| re captcha | #3 | #4 | up 1 |
| mw wp form | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| anti spam your tag | #11 | #9 | down 3 |
| ai captcha | #4 | #6 | 0 |
| invisible recaptcha | #4 | #3 | down 2 |
| fail2ban | #7 | #5 | down 2 |
| anti | #14 | #14 | down 2 |
| spam your tag | #17 | #16 | down 7 |
| checkout form designer | #6 | #7 | down 1 |
| fancy login form | #6 | #7 | — |
| contact form 7 invisible recaptcha | #6 | #7 | down 1 |
563 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 491 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Swap “captcha”, “spam protection” and “spam” for “checkboxes”, “lost” and “puzzles”. “captcha” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “checkboxes” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam protection” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “lost” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #17. “puzzles” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- Slipping on “captcha”. Down 7 places since 2026-09-18, now #18. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
- Slipping on “spam”. Down 7 places since 2026-09-18, now #17. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
- Slipping on “spam protection”. Down 8 places since 2026-09-18, now #18. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
Daily downloads
Since 18 Nov 2022 · 1,446 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 20.6K · 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
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.
17
releases in the last 12 months
4d ago
latest release · v6.3.0 · 29 Oct 2026
96
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 “5K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band yesterday and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 5K.
Install history since 17 Nov 2022
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 5.0 Major anti-spam hardening against protocol-aware bots: every proof-of-work is now bound to a single-use, HMAC-signed token per submission (replay of one solved challenge no longer works), with a per-token and per-IP usag 5.0
- — Version 4.1.2 CSRF vulnerability fixed 4.1.2
- — Version 4.1.1 Improved Pattern recognition Solved: Warning for usage of empty keys 4.1.1
- — Version 4.1 Fail2Ban-Support added Problems with Thrive Comments and json-based submissions fixed 4.1
- — Version 4.0 The automatic mode has been removed. From now on, all form types require manual configuration of associated patterns and actions to ensure the spam protection functions correctly. During plugin installation, the appropri 4.0
- — Version 3.8.1 Fixed: Erroneous error handling for file-uploads (i.e. Fancy Product Designer) 3.8.1
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 5 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (6.3.0). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched High · 7.2 Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA <= 5.1 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'action' Parameter ↗2026-08-14 CVE-2026-16145 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 5.1 Patched in 5.1.1
- Patched Medium · 4.9 Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA <= 5.1 - Authenticated (Editor+) SQL Injection via Pattern JSON Keys/Values ↗2026-08-14 CVE-2026-16146 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 5.1 Patched in 5.1.1
- Patched Medium · 4.9 Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA <= 5.1 - Authenticated (Editor+) SQL Injection via 'key' Parameter ↗2026-08-14 CVE-2026-16094 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 5.1 Patched in 5.1.1
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 5 languages, 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.
Share of voice
How often each assistant names Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA when asked about this topic, where it comes in the answer, and how that compares with its wp.org search position. Latest run 1 Nov 2026.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Topics tracked
- Forms
Readme readiness
6 of 8 pass · checked 26 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 Mentions WooCommerce, Elementor, Divi, Contact Form 7 and 12 more.
- ✓ Headings and lists 7 headings and 5 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 8,038 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-11-01 4K+ → 5K+ up after 346 days in tier
- 2025-11-20 3K+ → 4K+ up after 202 days in tier
- 2025-05-02 2K+ → 3K+ up after 337 days in tier
- 2024-05-30 1K+ → 2K+ up after 174 days in tier
- 2023-12-08 900+ → 1K+ up after 15 days in tier
- 2023-11-23 800+ → 900+ up after 13 days in tier
- 2023-11-10 700+ → 800+ up after 13 days in tier
- 2023-10-28 600+ → 700+ up after 3 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 – Addons for Contact Form 7 (Honeypot, Database, Redirection, Webhook, etc.) 300K+ installs · 3.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Gravity Forms Zero Spam 100K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags A -
hCaptcha for WP 70K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Stop Spammers Classic 20K+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags A -
Friendly Captcha for WordPress 10K+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags B -
oopspam Anti-Spam: Spam Protection for WordPress Forms & Comments (No CAPTCHA) 6K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/gdpr-compliant-recaptcha-for-all-forms" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms: 5K+ active installs, 4.8★ (50 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/gdpr-compliant-recaptcha-for-all-forms
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