Ensomedia Security vs Kadence Security
Kadence Security, earlier called iThemes Security and then Solid Security, is a WordPress plugin focused on login security and site settings, now sold by Liquid Web. Ensomedia Security is a new scanner from the team behind shieldwave.io. This page puts the two side by side, with the facts we could check and the date we checked them. It starts with what our plugin does not do.
- Compared
- Ensomedia Security 1.1.28 (22 October 2026), Kadence Security 10.0.6 (WordPress.org, updated 14 October 2026) and the Kadence pages on liquidweb.com
- Checked on
- 22 October 2026
- Installs
- Kadence Security: 700,000+ active installs, rated 4.6 from 3,992 reviews. Ensomedia Security: listed since 28 September 2026, fewer than 10 active installs, no reviews yet.
- Who wrote this
- ENSOMEDIA, which makes Ensomedia Security and runs shieldwave.io. We are not neutral, so every fact has a source below.
What Ensomedia Security does not do
- No shared list of attacking addresses. Kadence Security blocks an address that attacks other sites in its network, which it describes as nearly one million sites, in the free version too. Our login limits and firewall act only on what your own site sees.
- No firewall rule feed and no Patchstack patches. Kadence Pro lists a real-time firewall with automatic rule updates and virtual patching from Patchstack. Our firewall, added in 1.1.26 and off by default, has general rules that change only with a plugin update, and our virtual patches come from our own smaller feed.
- No backups. Kadence Security makes scheduled database backups in the free version. Ensomedia Security makes none; it only reports when no backup from the last 7 days is found.
- The dashboard cannot change a site. Kadence Central, in the Elite bundle, updates plugins and themes on many sites from one place. The shieldwave.io dashboard is read only.
If those are what you need, Kadence Security has them and ours does not.
Side by side
| Feature | Ensomedia Security (free) | Kadence Security Basic (free) | Kadence Security Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 0. The shieldwave.io dashboard is free for every connected site. Pro is 12 USD a month per account and adds the outside scan of up to 25 sites, monitoring and reports | 0 | Not sold on its own on the pages we read. Included in the Kadence Pro and Elite bundles; the Liquid Web Kadence page lists a bundle with Kadence, The Events Calendar, LearnDash and Give at 350 USD for one site, with no billing period in the page text |
| Malware scan of files | 57 built-in signature rules, checks for injected scripts, files, posts and options, opt-in signed feed of new rules | Not on the pages we read. The site scan looks for known vulnerabilities and checks Google Safe Browsing | Not on the pages we read |
| Known vulnerabilities | Opt-in lookup through shieldwave.io; the data comes from Wordfence Intelligence | Site scan four times a day | Site scan every hour, with the Patchstack priority score |
| File change detection | Core, plugin and theme files compared with WordPress.org, everything else against a recorded baseline | Yes | Yes |
| Request firewall | Since 1.1.26, off by default, records only until you switch it to blocking. General rules updated with the plugin | Bans and lockouts | Real-time firewall with automatic rule updates |
| Virtual patches | From our signed feed, for known vulnerabilities of installed plugins, after you accept the protection offer | Pro only | From Patchstack |
| Updates of vulnerable plugins | Opt-in per plugin, through WordPress automatic updates (WordPress 6.6 or newer) | Pro only | Version management: automatic updates of WordPress, plugins and themes |
| Login limits | Per address and per user name, and on password reset requests | Local brute force protection and the network of other sites | As Basic, plus magic links for a locked out user |
| Two-factor login | Authenticator app, recovery codes, required for the roles you choose | Authenticator app, email and backup codes | As Basic, plus trusted devices |
| Sign in without a password | Opt-in, with a passkey | Pro only | Passwordless logins |
| Bot check on login | Opt-in: a proof of work in the browser, or Cloudflare Turnstile with your own keys | Pro only | reCAPTCHA |
| Passwords | Opt-in check of new passwords against Have I Been Pwned | Password requirements | Password requirements |
| Custom login address | Opt-in, with a way back through wp-config.php or WP-CLI | Hide Login URL | Hide Login URL |
| Activity log | Free. Sign-ins, accounts, role changes, who edited a post or page, plugin and theme changes, key settings, with a keyed hash chain and CSV export | Not on the pages we read; the security dashboard is listed for Pro | User logging: logins, registrations, plugins, themes, posts and pages |
| Backups | Makes none. A check reports when no backup from the last 7 days is found | Scheduled database backups, emailed | Database backups; the Pro and Elite bundles also include Kadence Backups, with daily incremental backups |
| Repair and cleanup | One button for core, plugin and theme files from WordPress.org; injected code removed after you approve the exact change. A one-time cleanup by ENSOMEDIA can be ordered, quoted per case | Not on the pages we read | Not on the pages we read |
| Dashboard for many sites | shieldwave.io, read only, every connected site on the free plan | Solid Central integration: lockouts and updates from one dashboard | Kadence Central in the Elite bundle: unlimited sites, bulk updates |
| Support | WordPress.org forum of the plugin | WordPress.org forum | Support from the Kadence team |
What Ensomedia Security does differently
- It is a malware scanner first. Ensomedia Security reads files and the database for malware and injected code. On the pages we read, Kadence Security scans for known vulnerabilities and the Google blocklist, not for malware in files.
- Every feature is in the free plugin. Passwordless sign-in, the bot check and the activity log are paid in Kadence Security and free in ours. Our paid plans on shieldwave.io add the outside scan, monitoring and reports, not plugin features.
- Nothing changes on its own. Files, users and settings change only when you press a button or turn on a switch. Every connection to shieldwave.io is off until you turn it on.
What each feature sends, and to whom, is on How it works and in the readme on WordPress.org.
Sources
- Kadence Security on WordPress.org, wordpress.org/plugins/better-wp-security, version 10.0.6, updated 14 October 2026, read 22 October 2026: Basic and Pro features, the brute force network, backups, installs and rating.
- Kadence add-ons, liquidweb.com/software/kadence/add-ons, read 22 October 2026: the real-time firewall, Patchstack patching, Kadence Security in the Pro and Elite bundles, Kadence Central in Elite.
- Kadence on Liquid Web, liquidweb.com/software/kadence, read 22 October 2026: the bundle price for one site. The old price page, solidwp.com/pricing, redirected to the Liquid Web hosting price list that day.
- Ensomedia Security: the plugin's code, version 1.1.28 of 22 October 2026, and its readme on WordPress.org. Plan prices: shieldwave.io/pricing.
Something here out of date or wrong? Write to support@shieldwave.io and we will correct it.