Really Simple CAPTCHA vs CrowdSec (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, CrowdSec has a higher user rating (5/5 from 5 reviews) while Really Simple CAPTCHA leads in active installations (300K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Really Simple CAPTCHA has accumulated 9.3M+ total downloads while CrowdSec has 58K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Really Simple CAPTCHA | CrowdSec | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 129 | ◄ | 5 |
| Active Installs | 300K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 9.3M+ | ◄ | 58K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | 0% | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2021 | |
| Age | 17 years | 5 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.6+ | 4.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.4 | 2.13.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Really Simple CAPTCHA
CrowdSec
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Really Simple CAPTCHA averaged approximately 406 daily downloads while CrowdSec averaged 19.
Recent Reviews
Really Simple CAPTCHA Reviews
Prima, funktioniert auch auf meiner WP 6.9 einwandfrei
Super simple! Einfach in Contact Form 7 Version 6.1.4 einzubinden. Danke. Meine WordPress Installation: Version 6.9.PHP Version 8.4.15
Bad
I’m sorry to have to give this a bad rating. The amount of spam with Contact Form 7 was enormous. I had to remove it.
Works great with Gravity Forms in 2024!
Nothing but positives. We added this to our Gravity Form in order to obtain the dynamic math captcha. One can create a simple math captcha in GF but not dynamically changing for each form load insof
CrowdSec Reviews
Great plugin
Protects my blog very well from all these nast bots:)
Excellent Support
Crowdsec is pretty amazing, easy to set up even if you’re not a security expert, and the documentation is straightforward. The plugin is very well supported, and they don’t just blame plugin confl
CrowdSec Plugin Crashes WordPress 6.01 Website
My WordPress server & installation (including PHP version) met or exceeded all requirements. I was running WordPress 6.01 which apparently hasn’t been tested. After downloading and activating the plug
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Really Simple CAPTCHA and CrowdSec
SiteGurad WP Plugin is the plugin specialized for the protection against the attack to the management page and login.
Addons for Contact Form 7 — Honeypot, Database Entries, Redirection, Spam Protection, Webhooks, ACF integration for Contact Form 7, and more.
Blocks spam comments, fake users, contact form spam and more. No impact on SEO. Privacy focused. CAPTCHA free, premium Antispam plugin.
Captcha protection against spam comments & brute force login attacks using Google reCAPTCHA.
Protect your Contact Form 7 forms with Google reCAPTCHA V2, Google reCAPTCHA V3, hCAPTCHA, or Cloudflare Turnstile.
Protect, lockdown & secure login form by limiting login attempts from the same IP & banning IPs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Really Simple CAPTCHA or CrowdSec more popular?
Which has better ratings — Really Simple CAPTCHA or CrowdSec?
Are Really Simple CAPTCHA and CrowdSec free?
Which plugin has better support — Really Simple CAPTCHA or CrowdSec?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.