Wordfence

What Wordfence does

Wordfence, operated by privately held Defiant Inc. (incorporated in Delaware, headquartered in Seattle, Washington), develops a WordPress-native security platform that protects more than 5 million websites globally. The core product is an endpoint web application firewall and malware scanner deployed as a WordPress plugin, paired with a proprietary threat-intelligence pipeline built on telemetry from the install base. The technology stack centers on real-time firewall rules, malware signatures, a continuously updated IP blocklist (790,539+ unique malicious IPs), and the largest WordPress-specific vulnerability database publicly available (37,771+ unique records across plugins, themes, and core). Supporting products include Wordfence CLI, an open-source Python scanner for server-side scanning at scale, and Wordfence Central, a free multi-site management console.

The business model is a freemium, product-led growth motion with annual subscriptions: Wordfence Free offers 30-day delayed threat intelligence; Premium ($149/year) provides real-time updates, premium IP blocklist, country blocking, audit logging, and ticket-based support; Care ($590/year) layers hands-on installation, configuration, monitoring, unlimited incident response, and malware cleanup; and Response ($1,250/year) adds 24/7/365 coverage with a 1-hour response guarantee and 24-hour resolution. The company also monetizes a premium CLI license tiered by site count, targeting hosting providers and server administrators, and operates a free public vulnerability API plus a bug bounty program as ecosystem-buildout plays. Customers are predominantly SMBs and self-administered WordPress site owners with a defined mission-critical segment for higher-touch Care/Response tiers; no enterprise channel or named large-customer anchors are disclosed. The firm has been self-funded with no disclosed venture or private-equity backing, holds ISO 27001 certification, and operates a globally distributed team of approximately 40 people across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia.

Name

Wordfence

Legal name

Defiant Inc.

Website

https://wordfence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wordfence (operated by Defiant Inc.) is a WordPress-native security platform protecting 5M+ websites via an endpoint firewall, real-time malware signatures, IP blocklists, and the largest WordPress vulnerability database, sold through a freemium subscription model from $0 to $1,250/year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Website Security Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Web Application Firewall (WAF) & Bot Management (ADC‑Integrated) (HDAFAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Endpoint Security Managed Services (EDR/XDR) (BPAEADAH), DDoS Protection & Mitigation (HDADABAG)

Keywords

• WordPress security
• Web application firewall
• Malware scanning
• Vulnerability database
• Incident response

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wordfence Premium: Annual subscription providing real-time threat intelligence, firewall rules, malware signatures, premium IP blocklist (40,000+ malicious IPs), country blocking, audit log, and premium support
2. Wordfence Care: Annual subscription ($590/year) including all Premium features plus hands-on installation, configuration, optimization, monitoring, incident response, and unlimited malware cleanup with annual security audit
3. Wordfence Response: Annual subscription ($1,250/year) including all Care features plus 24/7/365 incident response with 1-hour response time and 24-hour resolution guarantee
4. Wordfence CLI Premium: Premium CLI license ($149/year for first 100 sites) with real-time malware signatures detecting over 14 million variants, tiered pricing for larger deployments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wordfence provides a WordPress security plugin that combines an endpoint web application firewall, malware scanner, login security (2FA, brute force protection), and a real-time threat intelligence feed updated from data across 5M+ protected sites. The product line spans a free tier, a self-service Premium subscription, and hands-on Care and Response tiers that include installation, incident response, and 24/7 monitoring with a 1-hour response guarantee. Supporting products include Wordfence CLI (a Python-based scanner for server administrators), Wordfence Intelligence (a free vulnerability database and API), and Wordfence Central (multi-site management).

Product overview

Wordfence is a comprehensive WordPress security platform offering a portfolio of products. The core product lineup includes Wordfence Free (the base firewall and malware scanner with 30-day delayed threat updates), Wordfence Premium (real-time threat intelligence and IP blocklist), Wordfence Care (hands-on security management with incident response), and Wordfence Response (24/7 mission-critical support with 1-hour response time). Supporting products include Wordfence CLI (command-line malware scanner for enterprise-scale scanning), Wordfence Intelligence (free vulnerability database with API access and bug bounty program), and Wordfence Central (free centralized management console). Together these products provide layered security protection from entry-level free protection to enterprise-grade incident response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wordfence Intelligence: Industry-leading WordPress vulnerability database and threat intelligence platform containing over 37,000 records for vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins, themes, and core, with free API access and bug bounty program.
• Wordfence Central
• Wordfence CLI

Products and services

• Wordfence Free Free WordPress firewall and security scanner for WordPress site owners, providing endpoint firewall protection, malware scanning, two-factor authentication, rate limiting, brute force protection, vulnerability alerts, and centralized management via Wordfence Central. Firewall rules and malware signatures are delayed by 30 days compared to paid tiers.
• Wordfence Premium Annual subscription tier for self-administered WordPress sites that delivers real-time firewall rules and malware signatures, a continuously updated Premium IP Blocklist, Country Blocking, security audit logging, and premium ticket-based support. Priced at $149.00 USD per year.
• Wordfence Care Annual subscription tier for WordPress business owners needing hands-on security management. Includes all Premium features plus installation, configuration, optimization, monitoring, hands-on support during business hours, an annual security audit, unlimited incident response, and full malware cleanup. Priced at $590.00 USD per year.
• Wordfence Response Annual subscription tier for mission-critical WordPress websites, including all Wordfence Care benefits plus 24/7/365 incident response, a 1-hour response time guarantee, and 24-hour resolution guarantee. Priced at $1,250.00 USD per year.
• Wordfence CLI Open-source, high-performance, multi-process command-line security scanner written in Python that scans local and network filesystems to detect PHP malware and WordPress vulnerabilities. The Premium CLI license ($149/year for the first 100 sites, with tiered volume pricing) detects over 14 million malware variants with real-time signatures; vulnerability scanning remains free.
• Wordfence Intelligence Free WordPress vulnerability database and threat intelligence platform containing over 12,000 records (37,000+ unique vulnerabilities across plugins, themes, and core). Includes free API access to the complete vulnerability database, webhook integrations for Slack/Discord, a bug bounty program, and a dashboard with attack data. Completely free for both personal and commercial use.
• Wordfence Central Free centralized management console that lets Wordfence users monitor and manage security across multiple WordPress sites from a single location. Includes consolidated security events, template-based configuration management, fleet-wide scan launching, and audit log history.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blocked over 1.65 billion exploit attempts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sucuri: Sucuri is a website security platform offering a cloud-based WAF, malware scanner, and incident response services directly competitive with Wordfence's firewall, malware scanning, and Care/Response tiers. Now owned by GoDaddy, Sucuri operates across multiple CMSes but is the closest direct comparison for WordPress website security.
• Jetpack (Automattic): Jetpack is Automattic's official WordPress plugin suite that bundles security features (brute-force protection, malware scanning, downtime monitoring) alongside performance and marketing tools. It competes directly with Wordfence Free and Premium for the same WordPress install base and can leverage Automattic's distribution as WordPress.com's parent.
• iThemes Security (SolidWP): iThemes Security (now Solid Security, owned by Liquid Web / StellarWP) is a long-standing WordPress security plugin offering brute-force protection, file change detection, and 2FA. It targets the same WordPress security plugin market as Wordfence with overlapping SMB customers.
• MalCare: MalCare is a WordPress security plugin offering malware scanning, a cloud-based WAF, and one-click cleanup services. It competes head-to-head with Wordfence across both the malware scanning and hands-on cleanup services (analogous to Wordfence Care) use cases.
• Astra Security: Astra Security provides a website firewall, malware scanner, and vulnerability monitoring for WordPress and other PHP-based applications. It overlaps with Wordfence's WAF and malware scanning offerings while expanding to WooCommerce and broader PHP-app coverage.

Emerging players

• Patchstack: Patchstack runs a WordPress vulnerability database and bug bounty program that overlaps directly with Wordfence Intelligence. It is a more direct competitor on the intelligence/data side than on the endpoint firewall, and is increasingly used by hosting providers for patch-alert workflows.
• All-In-One Security (AIOS): All-In-One Security (AIOS) is a free WordPress security plugin offering firewall, login security, and content protection features. It targets the same entry-level WordPress security market as Wordfence Free, primarily competing on price.

Broad incumbents

• Cloudflare: Cloudflare provides a broad WAF, DDoS protection, and bot management platform that competes with Wordfence's endpoint firewall at the network layer. Its free and Pro tiers are increasingly bundled by hosting providers, posing substitution risk for the Wordfence plugin.
• SiteLock: SiteLock is an established website security provider offering malware scanning, WAF, and remediation services to SMBs and enterprises. It overlaps with Wordfence on website security broadly, including incident response and malware cleanup.
• Akamai (App & API Protector): Akamai's App & API Protector (formerly Kona) provides enterprise-grade WAF, bot management, and DDoS protection at the edge. It competes with Wordfence at the broader WAF category but serves enterprise customers rather than the WordPress SMB segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/wordfence
• Xx.com/wordfence
• Facebookfacebook.com/wordfence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wordfence

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wordfence