# reCAPTCHA Lite vs Shield Security

> reCAPTCHA Lite vs Shield Security compared on installs, downloads, ratings, updates, compatibility and support. Shield Security comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against reCAPTCHA Lite.

**Shield Security comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against reCAPTCHA Lite.** Choose Shield Security if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.

| | reCAPTCHA Lite | Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 90+ | 30K+ ✅ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 62 | 66.7K ✅ |
| Download trend | +10.7% | +686.1% ✅ |
| Rating | — | 4.8/5 |
| Reviews | 0 | 1,038 ✅ |
| Health score | 25/100 | 94/100 ✅ |
| Last updated | 6 years ago | 2 weeks ago ✅ |
| Tested up to | WP 5.4.23 | WP 7.1.2 ✅ |
| Support resolved | — | 100% |
| Requires PHP | 5.6+ | 7.4+ |
| First released | Apr 2020 | Jul 2013 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is better, reCAPTCHA Lite or Shield Security?
Shield Security comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against reCAPTCHA Lite.  Choose Shield Security if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.

### Is reCAPTCHA Lite more popular than Shield Security?
Shield Security is the more popular of the two with 30K+ active installs, compared with 90+ for reCAPTCHA Lite.

### Can I use reCAPTCHA Lite and Shield Security together?
Both plugins cover bots, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.

### Are reCAPTCHA Lite and Shield Security free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/compare/recaptcha-lite-vs-wp-simple-firewall/ · Generated 2026-10-04 11:06 UTC by PageForge