SiftWP and Sucuri compared
| SiftWP | Sucuri | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Connects to your server over SSH. Your traffic is untouched. | A firewall that sits in front of your site as a DNS proxy |
| DNS changes | None | Needed for the firewall |
| Blocking attacks live | No | Yes, this is a core feature |
| Malware already on the site | Scanned weekly. The agent quarantines and fixes safe items, and asks before risky ones. | Cleanup is done by Sucuri's team on paid plans, according to Sucuri |
| Free option | A free account with 100 credits | SiteCheck, a free remote scanner, and a free plugin |
| What it can see | Files and database on the server | Remote scans see the public site. The plugin adds some server-side checks. |
| Pricing | $9, $29 or $49 per site per month | Sucuri's pricing page lists a Basic Platform plan at $229 a year for one site (about $19 a month), and a Basic Firewall plan at $9.99 a month. Confirm current prices. |
Two different layers
A firewall works from the outside in. It looks at traffic before it reaches your server and blocks what looks like an attack. SiftWP works from the inside out. It looks at what is already on the server and asks whether any of it should be there.
Each has a blind spot. A firewall cannot see malware that is already installed, or a login made with a stolen password, because that traffic looks normal. A weekly scan cannot block an attack while it happens. That is why people often ask about an alternative to one part of Sucuri instead of the whole service.
Which part do you want to replace?
- The firewall. SiftWP is not a replacement. It does not filter traffic. If you want live blocking, keep a firewall or choose another one.
- The scanner. SiftWP can replace a remote scanner, because it reads files and the database on the server instead of only looking at the public site.
- The cleanup service. SiftWP automates the safe parts of cleanup and asks before risky changes, but it is software, not an incident-response team. A complex infection can still call for a human specialist.
Where Sucuri is stronger
- Blocking in real time. A DNS firewall absorbs bad traffic before it reaches your server.
- A human team. For a badly infected site, a cleanup team is something software does not replace.
- A well-known free checker. SiteCheck gives a quick outside view at no cost.
Where SiftWP is stronger
- No DNS change and no third party in the path. Your traffic goes where it always did.
- A view from inside the server. It checks core files against what they should be, looks for database changes, and finds new files in uploads.
- Investigation, not only detection. The agent reads each finding and explains what it did and why. Files are quarantined, never deleted.
- Host-level problems come with a ready message. When a fix needs your host, such as an SSL or Apache issue, it drafts the request to send.
Using both
You can keep the Sucuri firewall and add SiftWP. They do not overlap: one filters traffic, the other checks the server weekly. SiftWP installs nothing in WordPress, so it will not conflict with the Sucuri plugin.
Which one fits you?
Choose Sucuri if...
- You want a firewall that blocks attacks before they reach your server
- You want a human team to clean a badly infected site
- You are comfortable changing DNS and running a plugin alongside the service
Choose SiftWP if...
- You do not want to change DNS or route traffic through a third party
- You want the server's files and database checked, not only the public site
- You want an agent to fix safe problems and send you a ready message for host issues