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Image Watermark vs Protect Uploads (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Image Watermark

Image Watermark

4.1(259)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 weeks ago
View Image Watermark
VS
Protect Uploads

Protect Uploads

4.8(12)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 months ago
View Protect Uploads

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Protect Uploads has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 12 reviews) while Image Watermark leads in active installations (40K+ vs 40K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Image Watermark has accumulated 1.1M+ total downloads while Protect Uploads has 1.4M+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.1/5Image Watermark
►
Protect Uploads4.8/5
Total Reviews
259Image Watermark
◄
Protect Uploads12
Active Installs
40K+Image Watermark
Protect Uploads40K+
Total Downloads
1.1M+Image Watermark
►
Protect Uploads1.4M+
Support Resolution
50%Image Watermark
Protect UploadsN/A
Last Updated
3 weeks agoImage Watermark
◄
Protect Uploads3 months ago
First Released
2013Image Watermark
Protect Uploads2015
Age
13 yearsImage Watermark
Protect Uploads11 years
WP Requires
6.0+Image Watermark
Protect Uploads3.0.1+
PHP Requires
7.0+Image Watermark
Protect Uploads7.0+
Business Model
FreeImage Watermark
Protect UploadsFree
Latest Version
2.0.9Image Watermark
Protect Uploads0.6.0

Rating Breakdown

Image Watermark

4.1/5(259 reviews)
5
73%
4
3%
3
5%
2
3%
1
16%

Protect Uploads

4.8/5(12 reviews)
5
92%
4
0%
3
8%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Image Watermark Reviews

by Alexander

It’s works and very helpful

Unfortunately, the watermark does not appear on all images. It depends on the image size.

by sigmas55

Great and simple

Great and simple

by newgeek56

Great Plugin!

This is a great plugin! Love it. Saves me work.

Protect Uploads Reviews

by marinstratulat

Thanks!

Thanks!

by kmp2

Doesn’t work at all

Tried with “Protect with index.php files“ Tried with “Protect with .htaccess file“ Neither one works. PDF happily appears in another browser where I’m not logged in, it’s got a little menu, it

by kyle1313

Don’t be fooled by fake reviews.

This plugin is not malware.The ‘malware’ you claim is a ‘fake plug-in’ created by a web server being hacked.A year after downloading this plug-in from the official WordPress.org , my site is still ver

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Image Watermark or Protect Uploads more popular?
Image Watermark has 40K+ active installations while Protect Uploads has 40K+. Protect Uploads is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Image Watermark or Protect Uploads?
Image Watermark has a 4.1/5 rating from 259 reviews, while Protect Uploads has a 4.8/5 rating from 12 reviews.
Are Image Watermark and Protect Uploads free?
Image Watermark is free and Protect Uploads is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Image Watermark or Protect Uploads?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Image Watermark was last updated 3 weeks ago and Protect Uploads was last updated 3 months ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.