Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection vs Search Protection (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
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 10). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has accumulated 386M+ total downloads while Search Protection has 247.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection | Search Protection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | N/A |
| Total Reviews | 1,175 | ◄ | 0 |
| Active Installs | 6.0M+ | ◄ | 10 |
| Total Downloads | 386M+ | ◄ | 247 |
| Support Resolution | 17% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 6 months ago |
| First Released | 2005 | 2025 | |
| Age | 21 years | 1 year | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.2+ | 7.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.6 | 1.5.9 |
Rating Breakdown
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
Search Protection
Download Trends
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. 👍
Search Protection Reviews
No reviews yet
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection and Search Protection
The Sucuri WordPress Security plugin is a security toolset for security integrity monitoring, malware detection and security hardening.
Log, view, and resend all emails sent from your WordPress site. Great for resolving email sending issues or keeping a copy for auditing.
Adds reCaptcha v2 from Contact Form 7 5.0.5 that was dropped on Contact Form 7 5.1
Blocks spam comments, fake users, contact form spam and more. No impact on SEO. Privacy focused. CAPTCHA free, premium Antispam plugin.
Add Cloudflare Turnstile to WordPress, WooCommerce, Contact Forms & more. The user-friendly, privacy-preserving reCAPTCHA alternative. 100% free!
A lightweight plugin that protects email addresses from email-harvesting robots, by encoding them into decimal and hexadecimal entities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection or Search Protection more popular?
Which has better ratings — Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection or Search Protection?
Are Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection and Search Protection free?
Which plugin has better support — Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection or Search Protection?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.