SilentShield vs CF7 Apps (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org CAPTCHA Plugins top 10: SilentShield at #11 and CF7 Apps at #12. CF7 Apps leads on 3 of the 6 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.
CF7 Apps
CF7 Apps – Honeypot, Database, Redirection, Webhook, and Addons for Contact Form 7
Add hCaptcha, Honeypot, and Redirection to Contact Form 7 with CF7 Apps, and generate forms effortlessly with AI. Improve form security, keep it light …
Who leads on what
CF7 Apps leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track.
SilentShield ranks higher on WordPress.org: #11 against #12 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
CF7 Apps has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: SilentShield has 24, CF7 Apps has 135. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
CF7 Apps has more reviews behind its score: 135 against 24.
SilentShield was updated more recently, on October 8, 2026; CF7 Apps on September 29, 2026.
CF7 Apps was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 199,439 times against 25,053.
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
Pick SilentShield if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
CF7 Apps
Pick CF7 Apps 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.
SilentShield vs CF7 Apps side by side
| SilentShield | CF7 Apps | |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTCHA Plugins ranking | #11 | #12 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Reviews | 24 | 135 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 300,000+ |
| Total downloads | 311,250 | 6,742,643 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 25,053 | 199,439 |
| Last updated | Oct 8, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 11, 2021 | Jun 28, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | – |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
SilentShield ratings
CF7 Apps 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 CF7 Apps can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the CAPTCHA Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
SilentShield vs CF7 Apps: common questions
Is SilentShield better than CF7 Apps?
CF7 Apps leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. SilentShield ranks higher on WordPress.org: #11 against #12 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which has more users, SilentShield or CF7 Apps?
SilentShield ranks higher on WordPress.org: #11 against #12 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which is rated higher, SilentShield or CF7 Apps?
CF7 Apps has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are SilentShield and CF7 Apps free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. SilentShield may also sell a paid version or add-ons. CF7 Apps may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to SilentShield and CF7 Apps
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
CleanTalk Anti-Spam
200,000+ installs · 4.8 from 3,219 reviews
-
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile
200,000+ installs · 4.6 from 259 reviews
-
Gravity Forms Zero Spam
100,000+ installs · 4.3 from 24 reviews
-
Titan Anti-spam & Security
50,000+ installs · 4.5 from 370 reviews
-
Spam Protection
30,000+ installs · 4.7 from 87 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.