SilentShield vs reCaptcha by BestWebSoft (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 reCaptcha by BestWebSoft at #5. reCaptcha by BestWebSoft 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.
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
Protect WordPress website forms from spam entries with Google reCAPTCHA.
Who leads on what
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track.
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #11 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: SilentShield has 24, reCaptcha by BestWebSoft has 391. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft has more reviews behind its score: 391 against 24.
SilentShield was updated more recently, on October 8, 2026; reCaptcha by BestWebSoft on April 24, 2026.
SilentShield was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 25,053 times against 12,285.
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 want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
Pick reCaptcha by BestWebSoft 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 vs reCaptcha by BestWebSoft side by side
| SilentShield | reCaptcha by BestWebSoft | |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTCHA Plugins ranking | #11 | #5 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 3.9 |
| Reviews | 24 | 391 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 311,250 | 6,787,194 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 25,053 | 12,285 |
| Last updated | Oct 8, 2026 | Apr 24, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 11, 2021 | Feb 7, 2014 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.0.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | – |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
SilentShield ratings
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft 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 reCaptcha by BestWebSoft can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the CAPTCHA Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
SilentShield vs reCaptcha by BestWebSoft: common questions
Is SilentShield better than reCaptcha by BestWebSoft?
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. reCaptcha by BestWebSoft ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #11 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which has more users, SilentShield or reCaptcha by BestWebSoft?
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #11 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which is rated higher, SilentShield or reCaptcha by BestWebSoft?
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are SilentShield and reCaptcha by BestWebSoft free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. SilentShield may also sell a paid version or add-ons. reCaptcha by BestWebSoft may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to SilentShield and reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
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
-
hCaptcha for WP
70,000+ installs · 4.6 from 88 reviews
-
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA
4,000+ installs · 4.8 from 50 reviews
-
HookAndHook
70,000+ installs · 4.7 from 49 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.