GuardPress vs Sucuri
Self-hosted WordPress security at $59/year vs Sucuri's cloud proxy at $229/year. No DNS changes, no third-party traffic routing, all features included from day one.
Why Choose GuardPress Over Sucuri
74% Less Expensive
$59/year vs Sucuri's $229/year Basic plan. Save $170 every year.
Self-Hosted & Private
Runs on your server. No third-party cloud proxy routing all your traffic.
No Monthly Fees
One annual price. No monthly billing tiers or hidden charges for premium features.
Lightweight Plugin
No external CDN layer or DNS proxying. No extra network hop in front of your site.
No DNS Change Required
Install and activate — done. Sucuri requires pointing your DNS through their proxy servers.
Per-Role 2FA Enforcement
Require 2FA for specific roles with a 7-day grace period. Sucuri's plugin offers basic 2FA, but no per-role enforcement or emergency lockdown.
Firewall & Protection
| Feature | GuardPress Pro | Sucuri |
|---|---|---|
| Web Application Firewall | Application-level | Cloud-based proxy |
| No DNS Changes Required | Exclusive | DNS proxy required |
| IP Blocking | ||
| DDoS Protection | Rate limiting | Cloud-level |
| CDN Included | Anycast CDN | |
| No Single Point of Failure | Direct to host | Cloud outage = site down |
Malware Detection & Removal
| Feature | GuardPress Pro | Sucuri |
|---|---|---|
| Malware Scanner | Server-side, deep scan | Remote scan (SiteCheck) |
| File Integrity Monitoring | Daily, against official checksums | Periodic checks |
| Automated Cleanup | Quarantine, delete or restore the original file | Manual ticket (Basic 30hr / Pro 12hr / Business 6hr) |
| Vulnerability Scanner | Via Wordfence Intelligence |
Login & Access Security
| Feature | GuardPress Pro | Sucuri |
|---|---|---|
| Two-Factor Authentication | TOTP | Free plugin (since v2.5) |
| Per-Role 2FA Enforcement | 7-day grace period | |
| Emergency Lockdown | One-toggle kill switch | |
| Brute Force Protection | Configurable | Paid WAF only |
| Custom Login URL | Not offered | |
| Login Attempt Limits | Paid WAF only | |
| Password Strength Enforcement | ||
| Uploads PHP Execution Block New 1.6.41 | Pre-enable scan + canary + Nginx snippet | Manual toggle |
| Admin Email Change Verification New 1.6.41 | OLD-email confirmation | ? Flow unverified |
Monitoring & Alerts
| Feature | GuardPress Pro | Sucuri |
|---|---|---|
| Activity Audit Logs | Detailed | Basic |
| User Action Tracking | Last Logins | |
| Uptime Monitoring | Exclusive | |
| Email Security Alerts | ||
| Sign-in Notifications to User | Gmail / GitHub pattern | Admin alerts only |
| Security Score | Exclusive | |
| Dashboard Widget | ||
| Attacker-Behavior Email Alerts New 1.6.41 | 5 events, per-event toggle + test | ? Some alerts exist; granularity unverified |
Performance Impact
| Feature | GuardPress Pro | Sucuri |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic Stays on Your Host | No proxy in the request path | All traffic proxied |
| Direct Traffic Path | Visitor → Host | Visitor → Sucuri → Host |
| Lightweight Plugin | ||
| Caching | Edge caching |
Pricing & Plans
| Feature | GuardPress Pro | Sucuri |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (1 site) | $59/year | $229/year |
| 5 Sites | $149/year | $1,145/year |
| 100 Sites | $299/year | $22,900/year |
| Free Version Available | Free plugin (no WAF) | |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
Features Sucuri Doesn't Have
These capabilities are exclusive to GuardPress Pro and are not available in Sucuri at any price.
Per-Role 2FA Enforcement
TOTP-based 2FA with per-role enforcement and a 7-day grace period before the gate kicks in. Sucuri's free plugin added basic 2FA in v2.5 but doesn't offer per-role enforcement or grace-period rollout.
Vulnerability Scanner
Real CVE IDs, CVSS scores, and CISA KEV cross-reference on every finding, plus pending updates and hardening checks. Sucuri's plugin focuses on malware and integrity after the fact, so GuardPress catches vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Security Score
A weighted security health score that grades your WordPress installation. Clear, actionable recommendations tell you exactly what to fix first.
Emergency Lockdown
One-toggle kill switch that denies all new sign-ins site-wide. Existing sessions keep working. Sucuri's plugin has no equivalent kill switch — under credential-stuffing attack you'd be working in the WAF dashboard, not the plugin.
Auto-Hardening
Recommended protections switch on at activation, and one click restores any you turned off. No manual .htaccess editing or DNS configuration required.
Learn More About GuardPress
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate from Sucuri to GuardPress?
Yes. Remove the Sucuri plugin from WordPress, revert your DNS settings to point directly to your hosting server, then install and activate GuardPress Pro. No data migration is needed — GuardPress scans your site fresh and applies its own protection rules.
Do I need to change my DNS to use GuardPress?
No. GuardPress runs entirely on your WordPress server as a plugin. There are no DNS changes and no cloud proxy: visitor traffic goes straight to your host. GuardPress itself only calls out for license checks, vulnerability data and WordPress.org checksums.
How does pricing compare?
GuardPress Pro is $59/year for 1 site, $149/year for 5 sites, or $299/year for 100 sites. Sucuri's Basic plan starts at $229/year per site. Protecting 5 sites costs $1,145/year with Sucuri vs $149/year with GuardPress — nearly 8x the cost.
What are the benefits of a self-hosted plugin vs a cloud WAF?
A self-hosted plugin like GuardPress gives you full control over your security data, has no single point of failure from a third-party CDN, requires no DNS changes, and works with any hosting setup. Cloud WAFs like Sucuri add latency by routing all traffic through external servers and require you to trust a third party with all your site traffic.
Which is better for small WordPress sites?
For small WordPress sites, GuardPress is the better choice. It costs $59/year vs Sucuri's $229/year, requires no complicated DNS setup, includes built-in 2FA and login protection, and provides a security health score with actionable recommendations. Sucuri's cloud WAF is designed for high-traffic sites where DDoS protection is critical.
Ready to Switch?
Get better WordPress security at a fraction of the cost. No DNS changes required — install, activate, and you're protected.