CAPTCHA 4WP vs SilentShield (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org CAPTCHA Plugins top 10: CAPTCHA 4WP at #8 and SilentShield at #10. CAPTCHA 4WP leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
CAPTCHA 4WP
CAPTCHA 4WP – Antispam CAPTCHA solution for WordPress
Use CAPTCHA to stop spam and allow customers & users to interact with your website easily. Block fake accounts and orders. Avoid false positives.
SilentShield
SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce)
SilentShield – the invisible shield against spam. Spam is the weed of the internet. It clogs your forms, steals your time, and corrupts your data.
Who leads on what
CAPTCHA 4WP leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
CAPTCHA 4WP ranks higher on WordPress.org: #8 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
CAPTCHA 4WP has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: CAPTCHA 4WP has 269, SilentShield has 21. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
CAPTCHA 4WP has more reviews behind its score: 269 against 21.
SilentShield was updated more recently, on August 27, 2026; CAPTCHA 4WP on August 25, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
CAPTCHA 4WP
Pick CAPTCHA 4WP if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or you want the score backed by more reviews.
SilentShield
Pick SilentShield if you want the one shipping releases most recently.
CAPTCHA 4WP vs SilentShield side by side
| CAPTCHA 4WP | SilentShield | |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTCHA Plugins ranking | #8 | #10 |
| Rating | 3.2 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 269 | 21 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 3,701,108 | 273,258 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 25, 2026 | Aug 27, 2026 |
| First published | Apr 27, 2015 | Oct 11, 2021 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
CAPTCHA 4WP ratings
SilentShield ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither CAPTCHA 4WP nor SilentShield can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the CAPTCHA Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
CAPTCHA 4WP vs SilentShield: common questions
Is CAPTCHA 4WP better than SilentShield?
CAPTCHA 4WP leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. CAPTCHA 4WP ranks higher on WordPress.org: #8 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which has more users, CAPTCHA 4WP or SilentShield?
CAPTCHA 4WP ranks higher on WordPress.org: #8 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which is rated higher, CAPTCHA 4WP or SilentShield?
CAPTCHA 4WP has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are CAPTCHA 4WP and SilentShield free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. CAPTCHA 4WP may also sell a paid version or add-ons. SilentShield may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to CAPTCHA 4WP and SilentShield
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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CleanTalk
200,000+ installs · 4.8 from 3,211 reviews
-
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile
200,000+ installs · 4.7 from 255 reviews
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reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
100,000+ installs · 3.9 from 391 reviews
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Captcha Code
100,000+ installs · 3.9 from 35 reviews
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HookAndHook
80,000+ installs · 4.7 from 49 reviews
More CAPTCHA Plugins comparisons
- Advanced Google reCAPTCHA vs CAPTCHA 4WP
- Advanced Google reCAPTCHA vs SilentShield
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs Captcha Code
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs CleanTalk
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs HookAndHook
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs Really Simple CAPTCHA
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile
- CAPTCHA 4WP vs SiteGuard
- Captcha Code vs SilentShield
- SilentShield vs CleanTalk
- SilentShield vs HookAndHook
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.