SilentShield vs Really Simple CAPTCHA (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 Really Simple CAPTCHA at #1. Really Simple CAPTCHA leads on 3 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.
Really Simple CAPTCHA
Really Simple CAPTCHA is a CAPTCHA module intended to be called from other plugins. It is originally created for my Contact Form 7 plugin.
Who leads on what
Really Simple CAPTCHA leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Really Simple CAPTCHA ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Really Simple CAPTCHA has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: SilentShield has 21, Really Simple CAPTCHA has 131. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Really Simple CAPTCHA has more reviews behind its score: 131 against 21.
SilentShield was updated more recently, on August 27, 2026; Really Simple CAPTCHA on August 23, 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
Pick SilentShield if you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Really Simple CAPTCHA
Pick Really Simple CAPTCHA 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 Really Simple CAPTCHA side by side
| SilentShield | Really Simple CAPTCHA | |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTCHA Plugins ranking | #10 | #1 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 21 | 131 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 300,000+ |
| Total downloads | 273,258 | 9,428,228 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 27, 2026 | Aug 23, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 11, 2021 | Mar 10, 2009 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 8.3 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
SilentShield ratings
Really Simple CAPTCHA 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 Really Simple CAPTCHA can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the CAPTCHA Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
SilentShield vs Really Simple CAPTCHA: common questions
Is SilentShield better than Really Simple CAPTCHA?
Really Simple CAPTCHA leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Really Simple CAPTCHA ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which has more users, SilentShield or Really Simple CAPTCHA?
Really Simple CAPTCHA ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 in CAPTCHA Plugins.
Which is rated higher, SilentShield or Really Simple CAPTCHA?
Really Simple CAPTCHA has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are SilentShield and Really Simple CAPTCHA free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. SilentShield may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Really Simple CAPTCHA may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to SilentShield and Really Simple CAPTCHA
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
CleanTalk
200,000+ installs · 4.8 from 3,211 reviews
-
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile
200,000+ installs · 4.7 from 255 reviews
-
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
100,000+ installs · 3.9 from 391 reviews
-
HookAndHook
80,000+ installs · 4.7 from 49 reviews
-
Captcha Code
100,000+ installs · 3.9 from 35 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.