Do you have your own WordPress website or blog? Are you aware of the security risk that your site may face? Many people and businesses have benefited from hosting websites or personal blogs on the WordPress CMS platform. WordPress is straightforward to use and offers people several attractive features; that’s why WordPress is currently hosting over 30% of all websites.
WordPress also has a large selection of easy-to-use and simple-to-install themes and plug-ins. This article will focus on Sucuri vs iThemes 2023. These are two good website security programs available today. These all help to make your website look great, secure, stand out from the competition, and allow your site to function correctly.
However, many WordPress users fail to recognize that internet security is an integral part of running a WordPress website.
If you’re guilty of any of the following, it may be time to upgrade your WordPress security.
Using cheap web security or weak passwords, or using plug-ins and themes that are outdated are weaknesses that can be exploited by hackers. These factors all make your website more vulnerable to becoming the target of hackers.
In this iThemes security vs Sucuri article, we will look at why WordPress and internet security are essential and will compare two of the most popular website security software: Sucuri and iThemes.
Why Is Website Security So Important?
Unless you have a good security plugin your WordPress site may be prone to malware attacks, SQL injections, or hackers who are using brute force.
Remember that if you use the same weak password for your WordPress site as you do for your email, internet banking, or Facebook, hackers will have an easier time breaking into more than one of your accounts.
You may be surprised to find that hackers directly target websites powered by WordPress at an alarming rate. It’s estimated that around 90,978 attacks take place on WordPress sites every minute of every day.
If you’re a website owner, you can see why it’s crucial to ensure that your site is secure, as this will make it less likely to be hacked.
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There are many different WordPress security plug-ins to choose from; these are either free or require you to pay a subscription. These allow you to protect your WordPress website or blog from all types of online attacks.
In the event of a hacker breaking into your site, these plugins will limit the damage caused and quickly restore your website to normal.
Like software for protecting computers and mobile devices from malware and virus, a good WordPress security plug-in should adequately protect your site using a three-pronged approach. It should be able to provide protection from infections such as malware.
If your site has become compromised in any way, it should be able to clean up your website and then restore it to its original condition while removing the threat. It should also be able to strengthen your website making it less vulnerable to attacks in the future.
Should I Choose a Free or Paid Plugin?
Many people will choose a free plug-in; after all, it’s likely that you would have had to pay hosting fees or buy a web address.
So, should you save money by using a free security plug-in?
The problem with free plug-ins is that they provide very basic functions that won’t totally protect your WordPress site. Most free plug-ins only offer minimal protection, or they only protect certain aspects of your website.
A free plug-in will likely offer you a free malware scanning and detection service. However, if any problems are detected, you’ll have to upgrade to the paid version to remove the malware.
Therefore, it's a good idea to pay for a security plug-in in the first place as you’re likely to have to make a payment at some point in the future anyway.
It’s also not a good idea to compromise your website's security for the sake of saving a few dollars.
Sucuri or iThemes Security?
Sucuri and iThemes are both great security plug-ins that are very popular and are used to protect thousands of sites. They can be used to protect your WordPress site from hackers and malware effectively.
Both plug-ins are very similar, but both have slightly different features. It’s essential to consider your options carefully to find the best security plug-in for your site. Let’s look at each of them in turn.
An Overview of Sucuri
Sucuri is a cloud-based website Internet security company that’s located in Delaware. It was founded by Daniel Cid, who named the company Sucuri after a Brazilian tank destroyer.
The company provides security plug-ins to website developers, businesses, and blog owners in twelve countries around the world.
Sucuri offers its customers two main products, a website firewall plug-in, and a website security platform. The website security plug-in provides fast and efficient malware detection and removal.
Sucuri is a popular and widely used cloud-based security plug-in that can be used on WordPress websites. It also works with other CMS platforms such as Joomla or Drupal.
Sucuri gives users complete peace of mind that their site is totally protected from various online threats such as malware and brute force attacks.
The Benefits of Sucuri
- This plug-in can monitor Google blacklisting
- Offers effective firewall protection
- Increased website protection due to CDN
- Can detect changes to the site's DNS and SSL certificates
- Has an integrated backup solution that will help you restore your website quickly in the event of an attack
The Disadvantages of Sucuri
- If malware is detected on your website, you’ll need to get technical support from the company to remove it.
- You can’t use the live chat if you choose the Basic or Pro plan
- Sucuri is the most expensive security plug-in available
- Has a complex interface that could confuse new users
iThemes Security Overview
iThemes is another security plug-in that is similar to Sucuri and also very popular. It was developed by Chris Wiegman and was initially called Better WP Security. iThemes can protect against more than forty different kinds of security issues and vulnerabilities.
It can be used to protect your WordPress website from common issues caused by hackers. iThemes provide slightly more basic protection than Sucuri but is still very useful.
Unlike Sucuri, iThemes doesn’t have an in-built malware scanning tool.
The Advantages of iThemes
- Provides a very effective login page protection
- Protects your WordPress site from brute force attacks
- Uses two-factor authentication
- Able to detect attacks that have been made by bots
The Disadvantages of iThemes
- Has no early malware detection
- If malware is found, there isn’t an easy way to remove this
- Doesn’t have a built-in firewall
Is Sucuri Better Than iThemes Security?
Sucuri provides website owners with a very effective malware scanning and detection service. Your website and associated online files will be regularly checked for threats such as malware, backdoors, hacking, phishing, and DDoS attacks.
Sucuri also provides tools that monitor Google blacklistings on your website. It can also check for spam attacks, and will look out for any changes that have been made to your website’s DNS settings. This is something that iThemes isn’t capable of doing.
Sucuri will scan your website in two different ways; this means that it can provide a very effective scanning service. It will carry out remote scanning, which is implemented from a remote location, as well as server-side scanning.
The server scanner will scan all the PHP files on your WordPress website. It will detect any backdoors viruses, attacks, or infections.
Sucuri includes protection from all types of website hackers via a cloud-based firewall. The plug-in also uses an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), which will help to protect your site against malware code.
Sucuri has tools that are able to analyze data that are related to online attacks. It can then use this information to keep your websites secure.
Another great feature of Sucuri is that it provides your site with login page protection by using very effective measures such as two-factor authentication.
Sucuri uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to help improve your website's performance and speed. It has a global server network that can detect a user's geographical location for the purpose of distributing website content.
If any type of malware or breach of security has been detected, Sucuri has a removal process in place that will remove the risk and restore your website to normal.
You’ll easily be able to contact Sucuri’s team, who will remove the malware infection from your site for you. They will then check that everything is working correctly and is completely protected.
Sucuri is very easy to use and will always be kept up to date. They have several security-related features and offer users updates regularly.
You’ll receive regular correspondence with the company when it’s time for an update or if an add-on has been created. You’ll also receive a prompt if you need to update your account passwords.
Regular website backups are also included in your subscription.
Sucuri allows you to choose whether to backup your website on a daily or monthly basis. They will back up your website data, which will be stored on Sucuri’s cloud platform. This will mean that you’ll easily and quickly retrieve your data if there are any problems with your site.
Is iThemes Security Better Than Sucuri?
iThemes can effectively protect your website from hackers, especially from those using brute force attacks. It’s able to do this by monitoring your website's files for any changes that hackers likely have made.
You’ll also be able to view your site's security logs and data through the iThemes dashboard.
iThemes will also limit the amount of failed login attempts that can be made to your WordPress website.
iThemes can also detect if login attempts have been made from an automated bot rather than a real person. These types of hackers can enter your account and cause damage to your website files, so it’s essential to have this type of protection.
Like Sucuri, iThemes also uses a two-factor authentication process (2FA). This helps to ensure that hackers aren’t able to gain access to your website's files.
If there are any issues with your WordPress accounts login, iThemes will use 2FA when you log in. This will mean that you have to enter your password and then an OTP code will be sent to your mobile phone before you can log back into your account.
iThemes will carry out regular security checks and ask you to change your password periodically, to make your website less vulnerable to hackers. It also offers a WordPress Version Management feature, which will allow you to manage and update features such as your plug-ins and themes.
Sucuri Compared to iThemes
Sucuri is a very popular software, but it is costly. It depends on what level of protection you’re looking for and how much you are willing to pay. In general, Sucuri provides a higher level of protection, but the cost does reflect this.
The main difference between the two plug-ins is that iThemes isn’t able to scan for and clean up malware. However, it has very effective password protection, which will protect your site from brute-force hackers.
Cost Comparison
Both Sucuri and iThemes provide users with a choice of three different premium plans, the cost of which varies considerably.
Sucuri offers users a plug-in that’s free to download, and you’ll then need to choose one of their payment plans.
They have a basic plan, a pro plan, and a business plan, so you’ll be able to get the level of security that’s right for your website. These plans can all be integrated with their Website Application Firewall (WAF).
Unfortunately, the Sucuri plug-in doesn’t come cheap. Packages vary from $200-$500 per year, depending on the type of protection you need.
They do also offer a free basic website security check and can scan for malware. This is great if you’re not ready to commit to paying Sucuri’s fees but want to try out their services first.
In comparison, iThemes seems to be a much more affordable option, especially if you’re a small business owner or are running a personal blog, website, or e-commerce shop.
iThemes also have three different packages available, which, like Sucuri, have an annual subscription charge.
The packages that iThemes have created are based on the number of websites that you want to protect.
They offer a Blogger package for one website, a small business package that will protect up to ten sites, and a gold package that allows you unlimited protection for as many sites as you own. Subscription charges vary between $80 and $200.
Which Security Plugin is Better?
Whether Sucuri is better than iThemes or not depends on what you’re looking for. Sucuri includes everything that your website needs and offers greater protection.
If you choose to invest in Sucuri, you won’t need to have any other security plug-ins as it has everything covered. It will protect your website not only from hackers but also from malware attacks and remove the infection(s).
iThemes, on the other hand, is useful for preventing hackers from gaining access to your account. The main advantage of choosing iThemes is that it has good password protection, which includes two-factor authentication.
It’s a good plug-in if you’re searching for password protection for your site, but iThemes shouldn’t be relied on for full protection. It doesn’t completely protect your website as it only provides partial protection against spam and doesn’t scan or clean malware.
Conclusion
While it’s likely that you’ll never find a security plug-in that’s one hundred percent effective, both Sucuri and iThemes will go a long way in protecting your site from hackers and other online threats.
Often, choosing a security plug-in will come down to personal preferences. You’ll also need to find a plug-in that’s right for your site.
