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IP Ban

By Sandor Kovacs

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 Ban Review - In-Depth Analysis

IP Ban is a lightweight plugin that blocks unwanted IP addresses and user agents. It helps secure your site by creating a blacklist of IPs and user agents.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.8/10

User Rating

4/5 (based on 9+ reviews)

Active Installations

2,000+

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 Ban is a security plugin designed to protect your site from unwanted IP addresses and user agents. You can easily add IP addresses or user agents to create your own blacklist.

This plugin is effective in preventing unwanted crawlers from accessing your resources and bandwidth. Simply add an IP address or user agent, and the plugin will take care of the rest.

After activation, you will find the Simple IP Ban submenu in the SETTINGS menu. Here, you can add IP addresses or ranges, user agents, and define an external URL to which all spammers will be redirected.

Comparing to Alternatives

IP Ban is a straightforward plugin focused on banning specific IP addresses without additional filtering options. It competes with several alternatives that offer more features or different approaches to IP blocking.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Very simple and easy to use interface.
Lightweight with minimal configuration needed.
Effectively bans specified IP addresses.
No complicated filters or criteria to learn.
Quick to set up for basic IP banning needs.

Weaknesses

Lacks advanced filtering or criteria options.
No built-in tools to identify suspicious IPs.
Reported issues with locking out legitimate users.
No recent updates addressing past vulnerabilities.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a majority of positive reviews (77.8% 4-5 stars) and some critical feedback, users appreciate the plugin's simplicity but express concerns about reliability and usability.

Positive highlights

'Works and is very easy to use' - Redneval
'Good work team! It is exactly what I needed' - idmesspass
'Simple and lightweight plugin' - wp_ntnguy
'Simple and works well' - moonyell

Common complaints

Does not effectively block IPs as expected.
Causes users to be locked out of their own sites, requiring manual removal.

Weaknesses

Potential to lock out legitimate users unexpectedly.
No built-in safeguards to prevent self-lockout.
Limited functionality compared to alternatives.
Past security vulnerability (CSRF) though fixed.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a minimalistic and straightforward IP banning solution without complex features or filters.

Not ideal for

Users needing advanced IP blocking capabilities, automated suspicious IP detection, or those concerned about potential lockout risks.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic IP banning by manually entering IP addresses with no additional features.

Final Verdict

IP Ban provides a simple and effective way to block specific IP addresses with minimal setup, appealing to users who want straightforward functionality without complexity. Its lightweight nature and ease of use are strong points, but the plugin lacks advanced features found in alternatives and has some reported usability issues.

While generally well-rated, concerns about reliability and the risk of locking out legitimate users should be considered. Users needing more robust IP blocking or automated tools may prefer other plugins, but for basic IP banning, IP Ban remains a viable free option.

Other Notable Features

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

IP Ban

User Agent Ban

Protection

Screenshots

FAQ

Install IP BAN either via the WordPress.org plugin directory, or by uploading the files to your server
Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
That’s it. You’re ready to go!