Hercules Recaptcha
by Todd Nestor · Security
Hercules Recaptcha adds a Recaptcha to the comment form for non-logged in users. It uses the latest Recaptcha API.
47 health vs 64 average across 997 Security plugins
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 11+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.0.38, well behind 6.8.
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.
Under-optimized
Biggest win: Update recency
To rank higher: Last updated 4242 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
Get the full rank-higher report →Daily downloads
Since 2022-10-06 · 1,425 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peaks are release surges
23
now · peak 58
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
11.6y ago
latest release · v1.1
2
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 “10+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.
Install history · since 2022-10-05 · 1,375 observations
Estimated value
What this plugin might earn a year, and what it might sell for. Modeled from public signals; we don't see anyone's books.
Est. annual revenue
Est. acquisition value
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. A small install base leaves thin data to model from.
Details
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ jhayes8811.6y ago
This is awesome! I’ve tried a ton of captcha plugins and this is the nicest i’ve seen so far. Setup was easy and it’s lightweight, not complicated to use.. So far my favorite. Keep up the good work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ xavok11.6y ago
Easy to install and use.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jason Davis11.6y ago
Very easy to install and work with, I’d definitely recommend using it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ skift11.6y ago
Pretty much just worked workout any problems for me on a normal site. This is the only one I could get to work with the newer recatcha api.
Read on wp.org ↗ - Read on wp.org ↗★★★★★ Todd Nestor11.6y ago
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.4
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2022-11-08 20+ → 10+ down
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).
-
hCaptcha for WP 70K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Friendly Captcha for WordPress 10K+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags B -
Kama SpamBlock 4K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms 4K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Hizzle CAPTCHA – Protect your forms from spam 500+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags B -
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Hercules Recaptcha into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/hercules-recaptcha" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Hercules Recaptcha — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Hercules Recaptcha: 10+ active installs, 5.0★ (5 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/hercules-recaptcha