Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection vs Block List Updater (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 4.0K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has accumulated 386M+ total downloads while Block List Updater has 31K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection | Block List Updater | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 4.3/5 |
| Total Reviews | 1,175 | ◄ | 4 |
| Active Installs | 6.0M+ | ◄ | 4.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 386M+ | ◄ | 31K+ |
| Support Resolution | 17% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 3 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2005 | 2014 | |
| Age | 21 years | 12 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 3.8+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.2+ | 5.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.6 | 1.0.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
Block List Updater
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection averaged approximately 26,953 daily downloads while Block List Updater averaged 9.
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. 👍
Block List Updater Reviews
Seems to do the job
Seems to do the job. Great stuff.
Good but it just overwrite anything you add
Great plugin +1/up there. Love it but… Sadly it overwrites anytying you add on your own makes it terrible at this point of early release 🙁 Hope it gets an update soon… For now plugin disable.
Great plugin!
Works out of the box. Instantly updates your comment blacklist. Thanks for this.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.