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WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall

By John Darrel

Security & Privacy / Security Scanning & Malware Protection

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall Review - In-Depth Analysis

WP Ghost is a comprehensive security plugin for WordPress. It hides and secures common paths, protects against brute force attacks, and offers multiple layers of security. Ideal for safeguarding your website from hackers.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4.5/5 (based on 372+ reviews)

Active Installations

100,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5.3 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Level up your WordPress security with WP Ghost plugin!

WP Ghost (short for Hide My WP Ghost) is a comprehensive hack-prevention security solution for WordPress websites. It adds multiple layers of security to block hacker bots and prevent unauthorized access.

It works by changing and hiding common vulnerabilities, making it difficult for bots and hackers to exploit weak points in plugins, themes, and the WordPress core itself.

Join over 200,000 secured websites with WP Ghost. The plugin has blocked over 9 million brute force attempts and stopped over 140,000 monthly hacks.

Key features include powerful protection against various attacks. Protect your site today! WP Ghost hides and secures all common paths, plugins and themes from hacker bots and spammers.

WP Ghost is packed with over 50 security free features. It includes options to change and hide paths, a robust firewall, and brute force protection mechanisms.

Compatible server types include WP Multisite, Apache, Litespeed, Nginx, and Windows IIS. The plugin works with other security plugins and adds a layer of security to your WordPress website against hacker bots.

Protect your WordPress website by hiding the authentication paths and changing common WordPress paths. Secure your website in just minutes with the WP Ghost plugin.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) is a well-regarded security and firewall plugin with several direct competitors offering similar protection features.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Highly effective at preventing hacks and slowing down attacks as reported by multiple users.
Includes features to obscure WordPress login and content paths, enhancing security through obscurity.
Offers a pro version with advanced bot detection and logging capabilities.
Good technical support with quick responses to compatibility issues.
Lightweight and compatible with caching and SEO plugins, maintaining site performance.

Weaknesses

Has had multiple past security vulnerabilities, though they have been fixed in recent updates.
Can override configurations of other security plugins, potentially causing conflicts.
Compatibility issues with certain server setups like NGINX with symlinked core files.
Some users report challenges during initial setup due to its complexity.

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin enjoys a strong positive reception with 86.2% of ratings at 4 or 5 stars, reflecting user satisfaction with its security effectiveness and support. However, about 11.6% of ratings are 1 or 2 stars, highlighting some concerns.

Positive highlights

"WP Ghost has saved my ass MANY times" – mphaynes
"Easy to use with almost every feature to protect your WordPress website" – Ivison Ramos
"A truly fantastic addition with incredibly helpful support" – tguhany
"Great plugin and easy to use. Works flawlessly." – beartsi
"Excellent plugin with fast support and no hacked sites" – Groovyx9

Common complaints

Overrides existing configurations of other security plugins, potentially breaking website security.
Incompatibility with NGINX server setups using symlinked core files causing CSS 404 errors.

Weaknesses

Past history of multiple medium to high severity vulnerabilities, though patched.
Potential conflicts with other security plugins due to overriding settings.
Limited compatibility with some hosting environments like NGINX with symlinks.
Some users find setup and configuration challenging without technical knowledge.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a robust WordPress security plugin that offers login obscurity, firewall protection, and bot detection, especially those comfortable managing plugin configurations or with access to technical support.

Not ideal for

Users relying heavily on other security plugins that may conflict with WP Ghost, or those using hosting environments like NGINX with symlinked core files where compatibility issues arise. Also, users seeking a plugin with no history of vulnerabilities might consider alternatives.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides essential security features including hiding WordPress paths and basic firewall protection, suitable for users wanting fundamental protection without cost.

Pro version (29.99 - 119.99 USD / year)

The pro version adds advanced features such as detailed bot detection and logging, enhanced firewall rules, and priority support, offering greater control and security for professional or high-traffic sites.

Final Verdict

WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) is a powerful and popular WordPress security plugin that effectively protects sites by obscuring login paths and blocking malicious bots. It boasts strong user satisfaction and responsive support, making it a valuable tool for many site owners.

However, its history of vulnerabilities and potential conflicts with other security plugins require users to be cautious and ensure proper configuration. Compatibility issues with certain server environments also limit its suitability for all users. Overall, it is a solid choice for those needing advanced security features and willing to manage its complexities.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall plugin.

Firewall

Hide

Security

Wp-admin

Screenshots

FAQ

Yes, the plugin works on WP Multisite and you will configure it for the entire network.

The plugin also works with Apache, Nginx, IIS, and LiteSpeed servers

By default, WP Ghost changes the paths only in frontend.

We don’t recommend this but if you want to change the path also in the admin dashboard, add this line in wp-config.php file

define('HMW_ALWAYS_CHANGE_PATHS', true);

Save the settings in WP Ghost and the WordPress paths will be changed in admin backend area.

Contributors and developers

“WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

John Darrel

Pro version Free Version Docs Live Demo

WPS

6.77

Average

Pro version

Ratings

4.5 out of 5 | 372

Version

7.0.11

Last updated

6 days ago

Active installations

100,000+

WordPress version

7.1 or higher

PHP version

7.4 or higher

Languages

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WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall Review - In-Depth Analysis

Performance Overview

What It Does

Comparing to Alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

Who Should Use This?

Pricing & Value

Final Verdict

Other Notable Features

Screenshots

FAQ

Contributors and developers

Ratings

Reviews (372)

Sort by:

Contributors & Developers

Interested in development?

Changelog

Security Status

Secure

No Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Known Vulnerabilities (11)

Previous Versions

WPS

6.77

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