wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “two factor authentication or 2fa”
wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →
For “two factor authentication or 2fa”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 1 plugin is pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.
wp.org search ranks on
Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.
We add
A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Two Factor (2FA) Authentication via Email shows at wp.org #4 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 9K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 397 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184)
wp.org #1 2 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5038) heavy footprint
wp.org #2 3 
Two Factor 100K+ · 4.7★ (209)
wp.org #3 4 
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869)
wp.org #7 ↑3 2 too low 6 
Two Factor Authentication 20K+ · 4.4★ (77)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1488)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
miniOrange 2FA – Two Factor Authentication for WordPress (OTP, SMS, Email, Google Authenticator) 10K+ · 4.5★ (385)
wp.org #10 ↓2 2 too low 9 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #15 ↑1 5 too low 11 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too low 12 
FluentAuth – Login Security, Two-Factor Authentication, Passkeys & Social Login 10K+ · 4.1★ (35)
wp.org #8 ↓1 4 too high 13 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #24 11 too low 14 
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334)
wp.org #23 ↑1 9 too low 15 
Login With Ajax – Fast Logins, 2FA, Redirects 10K+ · 4.6★ (167)
wp.org #20 5 too low 16 
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) not PHP-current
wp.org #16 17 
Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Two Factor (2FA) Authentication via Email 9K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #4 14 too high 19 
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #13 6 too high 20 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #17 3 too high 21 
Titan Anti-spam & Security – Brute Force Protection, 2FA & Spam Filter 50K+ · 4.5★ (370) not PHP-current
wp.org #22 1 too low 22 
Login Lockdown & Protection 100K+ · 4.3★ (61)
wp.org #18 4 too high 23 
WebAuthn Provider for Two Factor 2K+ · 4.6★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #11 12 too high 24 
WP Hide & Security Enhancer 50K+ · 4.3★ (275) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 3 too high Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.