Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP vs GD Security Headers (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP
90K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 77 reviews) and leads in active installations (90K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP has accumulated 1.4M+ total downloads while GD Security Headers has 30K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP | GD Security Headers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.9/5 | ◄ | 4/5 |
| Total Reviews | 77 | ◄ | 8 |
| Active Installs | 90K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.4M+ | ◄ | 30K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 weeks ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2021 | 2019 | |
| Age | 5 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.7+ | 5.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.3.2 | 1.8 |
Rating Breakdown
Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP
GD Security Headers
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP averaged approximately 2,179 daily downloads while GD Security Headers averaged 13.
Recent Reviews
Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP Reviews
Fantastic!
Fantastic Plugin!
Awesome
I already loved the plugin! But the help I received from Andrea Ferro when a problem arose was also fantastic. Fantastic!Thanks
Great plugin and support
A very usefull and efficient plugin which bring important security to websites by just installing it !I have some questions and the support was very friendly and quick to answer. Thanks for your gr
GD Security Headers Reviews
Extremely helpful
It’s the best plug-in for setting security headers that I found so far. Easy set-up, good explanations.But what really stands out is the local reporting feature! Thank you very much!
Does the business
Easy to install and relatively easy to configure.I only want to set CSP rules and it lets me do that easily, having the shortcuts for common rules such as Google Analytics etc is useful.The report-onl
Very usefull plugin
A+ on headers scan, thank you for your work 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.