Passwords Evolved — WordPress Password Protection Plugin
by Carl Alexander · WordPress.org page
Passwords Evolved has 1,000+ active installs on WordPress.org and 29,241 downloads all time. We have tracked it since September 4, 2026; download trends appear after 30 days of data. The last update was on March 23, 2025, tested up to WordPress 6.8.0.
Passwords Evolved at a glance
Is Passwords Evolved well maintained?
Passwords Evolved reviews and ratings
2 reviews on WordPress.org, with the most recent ones as their authors posted them.
2 reviews
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Such a simple, yet brilliant, idea
This simple protection check is an absolute must. Every WordPress website can benefit. Highly recommend that WordPress core adopt this functionality.
Austin Ginder -
Great enhancement and well made
This seems to work very well, at least no issues - immediate or long term. A client user was very surprised that "WordPress" could know their password was "pwned", but thankful for the reminder. Beware that if you deactivate this plugin, users have to reset their passwords. So just keep it - for the enhanced security through a modern and relatively simple plugin. Should be added to core, IMO.
Knut Sparhell
Where Passwords Evolved ranks on WordPress.org
The rankings we track that Passwords Evolved appears in, and how its position changed over 30 days.
| Ranking | WordPress.org placement | Position | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Password Protection Plugins | #20 by tag, not in search | #35 | – |
| Best Authentication Plugins | #23 by tag, not in search | #44 | – |
Passwords Evolved alternatives
Plugins that solve the same problem, ranked by how closely they overlap with Passwords Evolved.
-
Google Authenticator 20,000+ installs · 4.3 -
Smart Passworded Pages 2,000+ installs · 4.8 -
miniOrange 2FA 10,000+ installs · 4.5 -
Limit Login Attempts 300,000+ installs · 4.6 -
Two Factor 100,000+ installs · 4.8
Details
A reimagining of WordPress authentication using modern security practices.
The full description, screenshots and every review live on the WordPress.org page.
Rankings Passwords Evolved competes in
Tags
- authentication
- have-i-been-pwned
- password
- security
- Version
- 1.4.0
- Last updated
- Mar 23, 2025
- First published
- Mar 2, 2018
- Requires WordPress
- 5.2
- Tested up to
- 6.8.0
- Requires PHP
- 5.6
- Pricing
- Free on WordPress.org
Passwords Evolved FAQ
How many active installs does Passwords Evolved have?
WordPress.org reports 1,000+ active installs for Passwords Evolved as of September 7, 2026.
Is Passwords Evolved still maintained?
The last release was on March 23, 2025, more than a year ago. WordPress.org shows a warning on plugins that go this long without an update.
Is Passwords Evolved free?
Passwords Evolved is free to install from WordPress.org. Many plugins also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Where does Passwords Evolved rank among Password Protection Plugins?
Passwords Evolved is #35 in the WordPress.org Password Protection Plugins ranking.