Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection vs ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7 (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
ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7
200K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7 has a higher user rating (5/5 from 89 reviews) while Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection leads in active installations (6.0M+ vs 200K+). Both are free + premium WordPress plugins. Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has accumulated 386M+ total downloads while ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7 has 3.9M+. Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection has a higher support resolution rate (17% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection | ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 1,175 | ◄ | 89 |
| Active Installs | 6.0M+ | ◄ | 200K+ |
| Total Downloads | 386M+ | ◄ | 3.9M+ |
| Support Resolution | 17% | ◄ | 0% |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 11 months ago |
| First Released | 2005 | 2018 | |
| Age | 21 years | 8 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 4.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.2+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free + Premium | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.6 | 1.4.9 |
Rating Breakdown
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection averaged approximately 26,953 daily downloads while ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7 averaged 342.
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. 👍
ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7 Reviews
Great job !
Works perfectly. ReCaptcha V3 is sometimes not compatible with cookies managers. This resolved the issue for me with tarteaucitron.ioThanks !
Thank you!
You fix this stupid plugin the creators of Contact Form 7 to remove the ReCaptcha v2.The problem is all themes are integrated with them
Thanks!
Thank you, for this plugin!
More Spam Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection and ReCaptcha v2 for Contact Form 7
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Add Cloudflare Turnstile to WordPress, WooCommerce, Contact Forms & more. The user-friendly, privacy-preserving reCAPTCHA alternative. 100% free!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.