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IP Geo Block

By tokkonopapa

Security & Privacy / Security Scanning & Malware Protection

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

IP Geo Block Review - In-Depth Analysis

IP Geo Block protects your WordPress site by blocking spam posts and malicious access based on IP geolocation. It prevents brute-force attacks and zero-day exploits.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.85/10

User Rating

4.2/5 (based on 95+ reviews)

Active Installations

8,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

IP Geo Block is designed to enhance the security of your WordPress site by blocking spam posts, login attempts, and malicious access originating from specific countries. This plugin focuses on preventing zero-day exploits and other vulnerabilities that may arise from the installation of themes and plugins.

With features like WP Zero-day Exploit Prevention and WP Metadata Exploit Protection, it provides a robust defense against unauthorized access. By utilizing IP address geolocation, the plugin effectively logs and blocks undesirable access attempts.

The plugin supports various security measures, including limiting login attempts, preventing malicious uploads, and blocking rogue bots and crawlers. It also integrates well with BuddyPress and bbPress, making it suitable for community sites.

Comparing to Alternatives

IP Geo Block is a geo-blocking plugin with several alternatives offering similar functionality. Users looking for different options can consider these popular plugins.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple geo-blocking functionality
Free to use with no paid version
No known security vulnerabilities
Relatively high user rating overall

Weaknesses

No updates in several years
Compatibility issues with PHP 8.x
Causes critical errors locking users out of admin
Lack of active maintenance

User Sentiment Analysis

With a 4.2 average rating from 95 reviews, most users find the plugin effective. However, nearly 19% of ratings are 1-star, indicating significant issues for some users.

Positive highlights

"Works well for basic geo-blocking needs" - general user
"Simple and straightforward to configure" - casual reviewer
"No security issues detected" - security-conscious user

Common complaints

Causes critical errors locking users out of WordPress admin
Stops working on PHP 8.x environments
No updates for over four years leading to compatibility problems
Plugin can break the site after activation

Weaknesses

Outdated codebase with no recent updates
Poor compatibility with modern PHP versions
Risk of critical site errors upon activation

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users needing a basic, free geo-blocking plugin on older PHP versions who can tolerate limited support and updates.

Not ideal for

Sites running PHP 8.x or newer, or users requiring a stable, actively maintained plugin with guaranteed compatibility.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core geo-blocking features sufficient for basic use without any cost.

Final Verdict

IP Geo Block provides straightforward geo-blocking functionality and has a generally positive rating from users who do not encounter compatibility issues. Its lack of known security vulnerabilities is a plus, but the plugin suffers from being outdated and incompatible with newer PHP versions, causing critical errors for some users.

Given the availability of several alternative plugins that are actively maintained and compatible with modern environments, users should carefully consider their needs and environment before choosing IP Geo Block. It may suit users on older setups but is not recommended for sites requiring stability and ongoing support.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free IP Geo Block plugin.

Brute Force

Firewall

Vulnerability Protection

Screenshots

FAQ

This plugin is designed based on the principle of “Privacy by design” so that you can compliantly run it to GDPR. As guarding against personal data breach, IP addresses in this plugin are encrypted and also can be anonymized by default. It also provides some functions not only to manually erase them but also to automatically remove them when those are exceeded a certain amount/time.

However, these are the part of GDPR requirements and do not guarantee that the site is compliant with GDPR. Refer to 3.0.11 release note for details.

Please find the solution in Quick recovery from blocking on your login page at first.

You can also find another solution by editing “Emergent Functionality” code section near the bottom of ip-geo-block.php. This code block can be activated by replacing /* (opening multi-line comment) at the top of the line to // (single line comment), or * at the end of the line to */ (closing multi-line comment).

/**  * Invalidate blocking behavior in case yourself is locked out.  *  * How to use: Activate the following code and upload this file via FTP.  */ /* -- ADD '/' TO THE TOP OR END OF THIS LINE TO ACTIVATE THE FOLLOWINGS -- */ function ip_geo_block_emergency( $validate, $settings ) {     $validate['result'] = 'passed';     return $validate; } add_filter( 'ip-geo-block-login', 'ip_geo_block_emergency', 1, 2 ); add_filter( 'ip-geo-block-admin', 'ip_geo_block_emergency', 1, 2 ); // */

Please not that you have to use an appropriate editor.

After saving and uploading it to /wp-content/plugins/ip-geo-block/ on your server via FTP, you become to be able to login again as an admin.

Remember that you should upload the original one after re-configuration to deactivate this feature.

This document can also help you.

Please find the solution in Quick recovery from blocking on your login page at first.

/**  * Invalidate blocking behavior in case yourself is locked out.  *  * How to use: Activate the following code and upload this file via FTP.  */ /* -- ADD '/' TO THE TOP OR END OF THIS LINE TO ACTIVATE THE FOLLOWINGS -- */ function ip_geo_block_emergency( $validate, $settings ) {     $validate['result'] = 'passed';     return $validate; } add_filter( 'ip-geo-block-login', 'ip_geo_block_emergency', 1, 2 ); add_filter( 'ip-geo-block-admin', 'ip_geo_block_emergency', 1, 2 ); // */

Please not that you have to use an appropriate editor.

After saving and uploading it to /wp-content/plugins/ip-geo-block/ on your server via FTP, you become to be able to login again as an admin.

Remember that you should upload the original one after re-configuration to deactivate this feature.

This document can also help you.