Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner…

84 Quality Score

Active Installs

15/30

The 45/30 popularity score is high relative to its install base thanks to a small but enthusiastic user base of about 1,000 sites, but this is a tiny footprint compared to the leading security plugins.

Update Freshness

25/25

Maintenance scores a perfect 100/25, reflecting the recent July 2026 update, tested compatibility with WordPress 7.0, and a PHP 7.4 minimum that keeps it accessible on common hosts.

User Rating

15/15

Ratings are a perfect 100/15, but with only 13 ratings the sample size is too small to draw strong conclusions about real-world reliability.

Support Health

14/15

Support health lands at 50/15, which is mixed: all 6 threads are resolved, but the very low thread volume makes it hard to judge how the author handles harder, more complex issues.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Compatibility is a perfect 100/15, with confirmed testing against WordPress 7.0 and a PHP 7.4 floor that covers most current hosting environments.

Scores higher than 92% of indexed plugins

About

Premium WordPress Security - 100% FREE: Firewall, 2FA, Security Headers, Login and Malware Protection, File Monitor, Security Audit & more

Active Installs 2k+

Rating ★★★★★ 5/5

Last Updated 2026-09-22 5:17pm GMT

Requires WordPress 6.2+

Tested Up To 7.1.2

Requires PHP 7.4+

Security History

1 known vulnerability, all patched

1 High

Most recent: September 10, 2026

View details ▸

What It Does

Vigilant bundles a standard set of WordPress hardening tools into one free plugin, including a basic firewall, two-factor authentication for logins, security response headers, a file integrity monitor, and an audit scanner that flags common configuration issues. In practice, it lets a site owner enable multiple layers of protection from a single settings page without paying for a premium tier. It is a generalist security plugin rather than a deep specialist in any one area.

Who It's For

This plugin is a reasonable fit for small personal sites, hobby blogs, or low-traffic WordPress installations run by owners who want a free all-in-one security panel and are comfortable accepting less mature tooling. It also suits developers who want a quick baseline of hardening, including 2FA and security headers, without configuring multiple separate plugins. Anyone running a single site on standard shared or managed hosting will get the most out of it.

Who Should Skip It

Skip Vigilant if you run a business-critical site, an e-commerce store handling payments, or any WordPress install that processes sensitive user data, because the 1,000 active installs and limited support track record mean far less community vetting than Wordfence, Really Simple Security, or Jetpack. Sites that already rely on host-level security, a WAF, or a managed security provider also do not need this layer.

The Bottom Line

Vigilant delivers a clean, modern, free security bundle with excellent ratings and recent updates, but the 1,000 active installs and only 6 support threads make it hard to trust on high-stakes sites. It is worth considering as a lightweight, all-in-one hardening layer for small or low-risk WordPress sites. For anything business-critical, the established alternatives offer far more proven protection.

Pick Really Simple Security if your main concern is SSL, HTTPS migration, and lightweight security headers on a site that needs a battle-tested, widely deployed plugin.

Wordfence Security - Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 97/100

Pick Wordfence if you want the deepest firewall rules, the largest malware signature database, and the most actively maintained free security plugin in the ecosystem.

Jetpack - WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth 94/100

Pick Jetpack if you want security bundled with backups, uptime monitoring, and performance tools from a first-party Automattic product, especially on WordPress.com or WooCommerce sites.

All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 91/100

Pick All-In-One Security if you want a free, feature-rich security plugin with a long track record, a more granular firewall, and a much larger install base than Vigilant.

Safe SVG 89/100

Pick Safe SVG if your actual risk is SVG-based XSS from media uploads, not general site security, and you want a single-purpose, focused plugin.