Akismet Anti-spam vs Fluent Forms (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Contact Form Plugins top 10: Akismet Anti-spam at #31 and Fluent Forms at #4. They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Akismet Anti-spam
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
The best anti-spam protection to block spam comments and spam in a contact form. The most trusted antispam solution for WordPress and WooCommerce.
Fluent Forms
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder
Get a fast contact form plugin. Create advanced forms using drag and drop form builder with all smart features.
Who leads on what
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most.
Fluent Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #31 in Contact Form Plugins.
Akismet Anti-spam has more users: 5 million+ active installs against 800,000+.
Fluent Forms is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 806 reviews, against 4.7 from 1,187 reviews.
Akismet Anti-spam has more reviews behind its score: 1,187 against 806.
Fluent Forms was updated more recently, on October 16, 2026; Akismet Anti-spam on August 18, 2026.
Akismet Anti-spam was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 1,259,527 times against 664,245.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Akismet Anti-spam
Pick Akismet Anti-spam if you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Fluent Forms
Pick Fluent Forms if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Akismet Anti-spam vs Fluent Forms side by side
| Akismet Anti-spam | Fluent Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form Plugins ranking | #31 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 1,187 | 806 |
| Active installs | 5 million+ | 800,000+ |
| Total downloads | 407,841,128 | 20,129,874 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 1,259,527 | 664,245 |
| Last updated | Aug 18, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 20, 2005 | Dec 29, 2017 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.2 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free + paid version |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Akismet Anti-spam ratings
Fluent Forms 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 Akismet Anti-spam nor Fluent Forms can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Contact Form Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Akismet Anti-spam vs Fluent Forms: common questions
Is Akismet Anti-spam better than Fluent Forms?
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Fluent Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #31 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which has more users, Akismet Anti-spam or Fluent Forms?
Fluent Forms ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #31 in Contact Form Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Akismet Anti-spam or Fluent Forms?
Akismet Anti-spam has more users: 5 million+ active installs against 800,000+.
Are Akismet Anti-spam and Fluent Forms free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Akismet Anti-spam is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Fluent Forms is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to Akismet Anti-spam and Fluent Forms
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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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.