Database Anonymization Free Edition
Anonymize personal data (PII) in WordPress databases to prevent PII in dev/test environments.
Use with caution
Database Anonymization Free Edi… works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 58/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Needs PHP 8.2 or newer
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Database Anonymization Free… stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| anonymization | #4 |
| data protection | >100 |
| database | #84 |
| Personal data | >100 |
| security | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About Database Anonymization Free Edition
From the official readme · v2.0.3Description
Anonymize personal data (PII) in WordPress databases for development and testing. Comply with rules and regulations, prevent data leaks.
WordPress database are often copied from production to test and development environments. This ensures a representative WordPress installation for productive programming and testing.
However, most production databases contain Personal Identifiable Information, so you need to have effective security controls in place to comply with rules and regulations such as EU GDPR.
This plugin supports you with complying with rules and regulations and prevent data leaks originating from dev/test WordPress installations, while retaining the database structure and integrity.
- Export an anonymized version from a live WordPress database as a SQL file.
- Anonymize an existing dev/test WordPress database in place.
- Transform data using customizable rules, with each rule creating a step of the data transformation.
- Anonymize many data types using a wide range of transformations.
- Use the built-in ruleset for default WordPress installations for a quick start.
- Add, change and delete rules to make the anonymization work as you see fit.
- Use powerful options to anonymize any column in any WordPress database table, supporting all plugins that use the database to store personal data.
You can create rules to skip specific records that contain PII of admins, developers and testers. This prevents locking yourself out of WordPress and ensures that you and test users can perform their tasks while personal data from customers and other users is anonymized.
User manual
The manual is published on the DIM Plugins web site.
Learn about supported data types, special functions to transform data hidden in meta data, JSON or serialized arrays and all possible ways to anonymize personal data.
Enterprise edition features
Upgrade to unlock additional features.
- Import and export transformation rules to distribute a uniform anonymization approach across environments.
- Customize the fake data set for domains, names, nicknames, agent strings, street names, city names and IBANs.
- Use more powerful transformations for email addresses and personal data hidden in arrays.
- Automatically generate rules for the plugins WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, ProfilePress, Fluent Forms, Contact Forms 7 + Flamingo/CFDB7, Forminator, Ninja Forms and Formidable Forms.
Installation
- Install the plugin via the Plugins page of your WordPress installation.
- Search for Database Anonymization to find it in the plugin collection.
- Activate the plugin as part of the installation.
- In the menu go to Tools – Database Anonymization.
- Choose between a configuration for a production or a dev/test WordPress installation.
- Review, change and add transformation Rules.
- Review, change and add Exceptions to skip.
- Run the anonymization.
Frequently asked questions
Does this plugin work for all WordPress tables?
Yes, it does. Most transformations require that the table has a primary key of one column, except the all-purpose transformations One value and Empty. These can be used on any table. Transformations may have additional requirements with regard to the column length and type.
How does the plugin cope with tables in WordPress that can basically contain any kind of data?
The plugin has special features to process meta data, JSON and serialized arrays stored in WordPress database tables.
Where does the predefined fake data set originate from?
Most lists originate from Chat GPT, generated from a US / European perspective. The non-existing IBANs originate from Random Iban Generator.
Can I change the predefined fake data set used for anonymization?
No. In this Free version, it is not possible to customize this data. You need the Enterprise edition to do that.
Can I export transformation rules?
In this Free version, it is not possible to export or import transformation rules.
Do I have to write my own Rules for data stored by plugins
In this Free version, you have to write those rules yourself. It’s not complicated, but it can take some time. The Enterprise edition has built-in rules for common plugins (see features above).
Where are the transformation rules stored?
These are stored in the WordPress options table. If you overwrite the database with a new copy, the rules will be lost.
Can I use this plugin on a live site?
Yes. As of version 2.0, this plugin can be used on live sites (production environments). It will anonymize a copy of the production database as a file that you can download. You can then import this file into another (dev / test) environment. On dev/test environments, this plugin will anonymize the database in place. You should never configure the plugin to anonymize data directly in a production database.
Is compliancy guaranteed?
No, most certainly not. This plugin can support you and your organization in becoming or staying compliant. It remains the responsibility of you and your organization to configure this plugin, to run it and to delete any back-ups that remain. Next to that, there are many more aspects to data protection compliancy than PII anonymization of non-production databases.
Changelog
1.0.0
- First release of the plugin.
1.1.0
- Fixed bugs.
- Added Lorem ipsum transformation.
- Added support for serialized data in columns.
- Improved validation and error handling.
1.1.1
- Tested up to WordPress 6.3.1.
1.2.0
- Fixed bugs.
- Added support for JSON data structures stored in database record fields.
2.0.0
- Fixed bugs.
- Tested up to WordPress 6.5.5.
- Major feature: Anonymization and export of a copy of a production database.
- Include Freemius pages to upgrade to the Enterprise edition.
2.0.1
- Tested up to WordPress 6.7.1
- Updated Freemius SDK
Screenshots
For developers
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Best Database Anonymization Free E… alternatives
All anonymization plugins →FAQ
Database Anonymization Free Edition: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 5, 2026
Is Database Anonymization Free Edi… free?
Yes. Database Anonymization Free Edi… is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Database Anonymization Free Edi… safe to use in 2026?
Database Anonymization Free Edi… works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 58/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Database Anonymization Free Edi…?
Database Anonymization Free Edi… is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,782 times since it launched in September 2023. It was downloaded 90 times in the last 30 days.
Does Database Anonymization Free Edi… work with WordPress 7.1?
Database Anonymization Free Edi… is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.0, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Database Anonymization Free Edi… need?
Database Anonymization Free Edi… requires PHP 8.2 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Database Anonymization Free Edi… last updated?
The latest version, 2.0.3, was released on May 25, 2026 (4 months ago).
Who makes Database Anonymization Free Edi…?
Database Anonymization Free Edi… is developed and maintained by robinlopulalan.
What are the best alternatives to Database Anonymization Free Edi…?
The most popular alternatives to Database Anonymization Free Edi… are WP Migrate DB Anonymization (300+ installs), Friendly Analytics (10+ installs) and MavenDoc Proxy (<10 installs).
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