SilentShield vs CleanTalk (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: SilentShield at #10 and CleanTalk at #3. CleanTalk leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
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.
CleanTalk
Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk
Top-rated antispam for contact forms, comments, WooCommerce, eCommerce, and login. No CAPTCHAs, no friction, just background anti spam protection.
Who leads on what
CleanTalk leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
CleanTalk ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
CleanTalk has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: SilentShield has 21, CleanTalk has 3,211. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
CleanTalk has more reviews behind its score: 3,211 against 21.
CleanTalk was updated more recently, on September 2, 2026; SilentShield on August 27, 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.
SilentShield
SilentShield does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
CleanTalk
Pick CleanTalk if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
SilentShield vs CleanTalk side by side
| SilentShield | CleanTalk | |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTCHA Plugins ranking | #10 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 21 | 3,211 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 200,000+ |
| Total downloads | 273,258 | 25,198,761 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 27, 2026 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 11, 2021 | May 18, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.2 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
SilentShield ratings
CleanTalk 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 SilentShield nor CleanTalk can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the CAPTCHA Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
SilentShield vs CleanTalk: common questions
Is SilentShield better than CleanTalk?
CleanTalk leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. CleanTalk ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which has more users, SilentShield or CleanTalk?
CleanTalk ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which is rated higher, SilentShield or CleanTalk?
CleanTalk has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are SilentShield and CleanTalk free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. SilentShield may also sell a paid version or add-ons. CleanTalk may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to SilentShield and CleanTalk
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile
200,000+ installs · 4.7 from 255 reviews
-
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
100,000+ installs · 3.9 from 391 reviews
-
SiteGuard
600,000+ installs · 4.3 from 15 reviews
-
hCaptcha for WP
70,000+ installs · 4.6 from 86 reviews
-
CF7 Apps
300,000+ installs · 3.8 from 135 reviews
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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.