Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection vs reCaptcha by BestWebSoft (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
6.0M+ active installs
Free + Premium
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
100K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 1,175 reviews) and leads in active installations (6.0M+ vs 100K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has accumulated 386M+ total downloads while reCaptcha by BestWebSoft has 6.6M+. Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has a higher support resolution rate (17% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection | reCaptcha by BestWebSoft | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 3.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 1,175 | ◄ | 390 |
| Active Installs | 6.0M+ | ◄ | 100K+ |
| Total Downloads | 386M+ | ◄ | 6.6M+ |
| Support Resolution | 17% | ◄ | 0% |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2005 | 2014 | |
| Age | 21 years | 12 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 6.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.2+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.6 | 1.86 |
Rating Breakdown
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection averaged approximately 26,953 daily downloads while reCaptcha by BestWebSoft averaged 1,041.
Recent Reviews
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection Reviews
Helpful Spam Filter
Catches most spam without much effort. Easy to use n saves time, though a few things still require manual checks sometimes. Overall, pretty useful for daily use.
Stops Spam Well
Installed Akismet on my blog, and spam comments dropped a lot. Works quietly in the background and filters most junk automatically. Didn’t need much setup either. Really helpful plugin. tnkz devs.
Spam Under Control
Akismet helped cut down spam a lot on my blog. Didn’t realize how bad it was until this filtered most of it. Runs quietly in the background. Misses a few sometimes, but still very useful. 👍
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft Reviews
DOES NOT WORK
Enabled for Login a Registrations and spam registrations are still happening. This plugin is useless.
Unfortunately doesn’t work.
Have not been able to get this to work, especially on login and register pages.
QA failure
Version 1.82 crashed, caused problems, then in version V.83 they wrote Bugfix: Fixed the issue that this was a serious glitch, lack of reliability
More Antispam Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection and reCaptcha by BestWebSoft
Sophisticated antispam plugin for effective daily comment and trackback spam-fighting. Built with data protection and privacy in mind.
Blocks spam comments, fake users, contact form spam and more. No impact on SEO. Privacy focused. CAPTCHA free, premium Antispam plugin.
The strongest CAPTCHA. Switch from reCAPTCHA and Turnstile for free. Works with 60+ integrations: Contact Form 7, Elementor, WooCommerce, Divi, etc.
Block spam comments, defend against login attempts, and strengthen site security with anti-spam, brute-force protection, and two-factor authentication …
No more fake leads or unwanted submissions — Maspik blocks spam instantly across all forms without using CAPTCHA.
A trustworthy antispam plugin for Contact Form 7. Wave goodbye to spam and keep your inbox clean!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.