NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall
by nintechnet · Security
Also makes 2 other plugins · 140K+ installs across the portfolio →
A true Web Application Firewall to protect and secure WordPress.
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 88/100
no flags
Active installs
100K+
≈190K estimated
Momentum
+111%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “protection”, “security” and “malware” for “backdoor”, “fail2ban” and “web application firewall”. “protection” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “backdoor” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “security” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #23. “fail2ban” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “malware” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #21. “web application firewall” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
88 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.7%
of downloads still active
At least 100K of 3.7M 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 10 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
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 25 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 220 reviews, smoothed to 4.75★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
3 of 8 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
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.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
19%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| edition | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| virus your tag | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| backdoor | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| web application firewall | #6 | #9 | 0 |
| fail2ban | #5 | #3 | up 1 |
| security plugin | #10 | #12 | 0 |
| firewall your tag | #10 | #10 | down 2 |
| application | #9 | #14 | down 2 |
| file integrity | #8 | #11 | down 1 |
| block hackers | #9 | #10 | 0 |
| malware your tag | #21 | #18 | down 1 |
| integrity | #13 | #13 | 0 |
| security your tag | #23 | #15 | down 9 |
| rate limiting | #15 | #11 | 0 |
| secure | #23 | #15 | 0 |
| antispam protection | #17 | #15 | 0 |
| antispam | #17 | #10 | up 4 |
| waf | #18 | #12 | down 1 |
| web security | #19 | #17 | 0 |
| security scan | #20 | #18 | 0 |
| protection your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
301 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 272 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “protection”, “security” and “malware” for “backdoor”, “fail2ban” and “web application firewall”. “protection” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “backdoor” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “security” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #23. “fail2ban” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “malware” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #21. “web application firewall” 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 “security”. Down 9 places since 2026-08-02, now #23. Check what shipped around then, and what moved above you.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 152.1K · 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.
10
releases in the last 12 months
25d ago
latest release · v4.9.2 · 6 Oct 2026
32
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 3.3 years 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 25 Mar 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ andrebell824mo ago
A major plus is it does not crash my site like other firewalls have done. Not even once.But the current logging is somewhat impractical. I have been hit with thousands of bot attacks and cannot see all of the activity nor all of the cycled IP addresses they were using, since the log only shows the 1500 most recent lines, not the older stuff too. The log says: “Note: your log has 13738 lines. I will display the last 1500 lines only.”The logs need a sorting option to show the most recent entries first plus an export feature of all activity to be of use in the real world. Cannot rely solely on the logs to know what attacks were taking place, since can only see a snapshot of what was going on :/Is not a bad product. Just needs more of the features available in other firewalls. As things stand, I have no idea what the other 12,238 attacks were that got blocked. This topic was modified 3 weeks, 5 days ago by andrebell82.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mschwehla7mo ago
Some years ago I installed Ninja Firewall for WP after a defacement attack and haven’t experienced a single successful intrusion since. It’s a basic feature for keeping the website clean.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mihail Bogatov7mo ago
One of THE MOST useful (and free!) plugins out there. Saved my websites many times. I use it always in full WAF mode, so it blocks malicious bots and queries even before they exhaust server resources. The dev is very responsive and professional. Bought a license to one of my websites to support the development. THANK YOU!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Vu Tru So9mo ago
Thank you for creating a great plugin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ CPX11mo ago
This plugin is fantastic! A proper web application firewall for WordPress, once set up correctly. Been testing it for the last two years without any problems whatsoever. Great work, guys!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ demuis1.1y ago
After experiencing a massive infection on a WordPress site, I started using this plugin. Since then, I haven’t had any infections at all. I am very satisfied with it, and it’s now in use on over 50 sites. Many thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hybridcopywriter1.1y ago
Works well. And you can see the threats, or should I say attempts to gain nefarious access to your site. Well done guys. Keep up the good work.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ domzub1.2y ago
I used to use Wordfence, but I had ongoing performance issues on my site. After switching to NinjaFirewall, I immediately noticed the difference. it’s fast, lightweight, and very easy to set up. It does its job without slowing down. Highly recommended.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 4.8.8 Because WordPress.org enforces a mandatory 24-hour update delay on all new plugin releases, as soon as a new security updates is available for a plugin, NinjaFirewall will allow you to update it immediately from the “Plu 4.8.8
- — Version 4.8.7 Fixed a PHP warning in File Check. Fixed a potential “Allowed memory size exhausted” error. Several small fixes and adjustments under the hood. WP+ Edition (Premium): Updates Stripe and Airwallex webhook notification IP 4.8.7
- — Version 4.8.6 Many small fixes and adjustments to make NinjaFirewall better. Renamed/standardised all filenames to improve project readability and maintainability. Errors occurring during the firewall activation will be displayed with 4.8.6
- — Version 4.8.5 Behind-the-scenes update: All the code dealing with exporting, importing and restoring the configuration was rewritten. WP+ Edition (Premium): You can import/export the configuration from WP-CLI. See $ wp ninjafirewall h 4.8.5
- — Version 4.8.4 Behind-the-scenes update: All the code dealing with the firewall log and IP address checks has been rewritten, bugs were resolved and several small fixes were added to make NinjaFirewall better. WP+ Edition (Premium): Up 4.8.4
- — Version 4.8.3 When running in “Full WAF mode”, NinjaFirewall will automatically detect if the SQL database is listening on IPv6. WP+ Edition (Premium): Updated IP location databases. WP+ Edition (Premium): updated the whitelist of web 4.8.3
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (4.9.2). 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
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 116 languages, 6 at 90% or more
Plus 92 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.
Share of voice
How often each assistant names NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) when asked about this topic, where it comes in the answer, and how that compares with its wp.org search position. Latest run 25 Oct 2026.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Topics tracked
- Security
Readme readiness
7 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "A true Web Application Firewall to protect and secure WordPress."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 9 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 9 of 9 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you need"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WP-CLI, LiteSpeed.
- ✓ Headings and lists 17 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 7,998 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "malware", "virus" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2023-06-27 90K+ → 100K+ up after 169 days in tier
- 2023-01-09 80K+ → 90K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-01-08 90K+ → 80K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2023-01-06 80K+ → 90K+ up after 294 days in tier
- 2022-03-18 70K+ → 80K+ up after 190 days in tier
- 2021-09-09 60K+ → 70K+ up after 231 days in tier
- 2021-01-21 50K+ → 60K+ up after 161 days in tier
- 2020-08-13 40K+ → 50K+ up after 119 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).
-
NinjaScanner – Virus & Malware scan 40K+ installs · 4.0★ · 4 shared tags A -
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening 600K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags A -
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ installs · 4.8★ · 3 shared tags A -
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Zero Spam for WordPress 20K+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/ninjafirewall" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall: 100K+ active installs, 4.9★ (220 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/ninjafirewall
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