If you’re thinking about getting a new WordPress website, you’ve probably asked this question — or at least wondered about it. And it’s a fair question. You’re about to invest money in a website, and the last thing you want is for someone to break in and cause havoc. So let me give you an honest, straight-talking answer.
The Short Answer
Yes, WordPress is as safe as any other website can be; if it’s properly set up and maintained. But, and this is an important but, security is not something you can simply switch on and forget about. It requires ongoing attention. The good news is that the vast majority of WordPress hacks are entirely preventable, and most of the risk doesn’t come from WordPress itself at all.
Let me explain.
Why WordPress Gets a Bad Reputation for Security
WordPress powers around 43% of all websites on the internet. That’s almost half the web. Which sounds impressive, but it also means that if a hacker writes a piece of automated software to scan the internet for vulnerabilities, nearly every other website it hits is going to be a WordPress site. It’s not that WordPress is uniquely insecure; it’s simply that the sheer scale of it makes it the most economical target.
Think of it like this: a burglar is more likely to try their luck on a busy high street than a quiet country lane, simply because there are more doors to try.
So yes, WordPress sites get hacked more than most other platforms, but that’s largely down to numbers. The platform itself is actually very well maintained. A dedicated security team at WordPress constantly monitors for threats and releases updates to address them. In fact, security researchers found that in 2025, only 13 vulnerabilities were found in WordPress core; the actual WordPress software itself. That’s really quite remarkable given how widely it is used.
So in short, WordPress is no more at risk of being hacked than most other website platforms, if properly setup and maintained.
So where is the real danger? Read on to see.
Other Things You Can Do to Keep Your WordPress Website Safe
Before we get into plugins (the biggest risk of all) it’s worth covering the other good habits that make a real difference to the security of any WordPress website.
Keep WordPress itself updated. WordPress regularly releases updates that include security fixes. These should be applied promptly. Many good hosting providers will do this automatically, but it’s worth checking. Or you can turn on automatic updates inside your WordPress installation itself.
Keep plugins updated. WordPress now has a feature that allows you to set plugins to automatically update, so you no longer need to keep logging in and checking (although it can sometimes happen that the auto update does not run, so you need to keep an eye out). Keeping plugins updated not only helps ensure any security vulnerabilities are patched, but improvements and new features are added, and conflicts avoided.
Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication. A surprising number of sites get compromised simply because the admin password is weak or has been reused somewhere else. A strong, unique password combined with two-factor authentication makes it dramatically harder for an attacker to get in through the front door.
Choose good hosting. Not all hosting is equal, and the platform your website sits on matters more than many people realise. A good hosting provider does far more than simply keep your site online — they actively protect it. I host mine and my clients’ websites on Hostinger, which performs regular malware scans at the server level. This means that even before a threat has a chance to affect your website’s visitors, it can be detected and dealt with at the infrastructure level. Cheap hosting might save you a few pounds a month, but if something goes wrong, you’ll pay for it in other ways. Good hosting is not an area to cut corners on.
Take regular backups. Even with all the right precautions in place, it is sensible to have regular backups of your website stored somewhere safe. If the worst does happen, you want to be able to restore from a clean copy quickly. Most hosting providers will do automated daily backups of your site which are kept for a number of days. Additionally, install a good backup plugin, I use All in One Migration, and save the backup on an external device, such as your hard drive or a cloud drive. This way, even if the whole server is wiped, you won’t lose your website.
Use a Security Plugin: Why I Recommend Wordfence
Just as you wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, run your home computer without a firewall, antivirus software, and a malware scanner, you shouldn’t run your website without the equivalent protection. That’s exactly what a good WordPress security plugin provides — and the one I use on every single website I build and maintain is Wordfence.
There are several good security plugins out there, and I’m not suggesting the others aren’t worth considering. But Wordfence is my recommendation, and here’s why.
Login alerts. Wordfence can be configured to send you an instant notification whenever someone logs into your website. This might sound like a small thing, but it has actually saved me twice. On both occasions, I received an alert for a login I didn’t recognise, immediately booted the intruder out, blocked their access, and then ran a Wordfence scan to detect and clean up the malware they had already managed to install. Without that alert, those breaches could have gone unnoticed for days — or longer.
Brute force protection. Hackers often use automated tools to try thousands of username and password combinations until one works. Wordfence detects this behaviour and can automatically block the IP addresses responsible after a set number of failed login attempts, stopping brute force attacks in their tracks before they have a chance to succeed.
Daily malware scans. Wordfence can be set to run automatic daily scans of your website, checking your files against known malware signatures and flagging anything suspicious. It’s the kind of background vigilance that means problems are caught early — often before they’ve had any visible impact.
These are just a few of the features I find most valuable. Wordfence does considerably more besides, including a web application firewall that filters out malicious traffic before it even reaches your site. If your WordPress website doesn’t have a security plugin installed, adding one should be near the top of your list.
The Real Culprit: Plugins
Here is the thing that most people don’t realise when they think about WordPress security: the risk doesn’t come from WordPress itself — it comes from plugins.
Plugins are the add-ons that extend what WordPress can do. Want a contact form? There’s a plugin for that. Need to connect to a booking system, display a photo gallery, or speed up your website? There’s a plugin for all of those too. And therein lies the problem.
In 2025, security researchers identified over 11,000 new vulnerabilities across the WordPress ecosystem. Of those, around 97% were found in plugins — not in WordPress core. That’s an extraordinary figure, and it really does change the way you should think about the whole subject.
Every plugin is essentially a piece of software written by a third-party developer. Some of those developers are excellent. Others, not so much. Some plugins are abandoned — meaning the developer has moved on and no longer releases updates — leaving known security holes wide open for attackers to exploit.
This is precisely why choosing your plugins carefully is one of the most important things you can do to keep a WordPress website safe.
How to Choose Plugins Wisely
Not all plugins are created equal, and this is something I pay close attention to when building and maintaining websites for my clients. Here are the things I look for:
1. Is it from a reputable developer?
Before installing any plugin, I always check who built it. Has the developer got a track record? Do they have other well-regarded plugins in the WordPress repository? Are there reviews, and what do those reviews say? A plugin from a well-known, trusted developer is always going to be a safer bet than something thrown together by an unknown with no track record. The good new is that WordPress vets all plugins inside the WordPress repository, so installing from there is usually good bet.
2. Is it regularly updated?
This is a big one. A plugin that hasn’t been updated in over a year is a serious red flag, and one I would remove from any site I work on. WordPress actively removes any plugin from its repository that has not been updated in the last 12 months. Wordfence, if installed, will also email you about this so you can remove it.
Regular updates mean the developer is actively maintaining the plugin, fixing bugs, and importantly, patching any security vulnerabilities that come to light. Additionally, you can get conflicts with other plugins, so a good developer will also fix these when they occur. If a plugin is sitting there untouched, you have no idea what known weaknesses might be sitting in there, just waiting to be exploited.
As a general rule: if a plugin hasn’t been updated in more than a year, it should be removed from your website. Full stop. It doesn’t matter how useful it is — an outdated plugin is a liability, not an asset.
3. How many active installations does it have?
A plugin with hundreds of thousands or millions of active installations tells you something important: a lot of people are using it, which means a lot of eyes are watching it, reporting problems, and demanding fixes. Popular plugins tend to be better maintained simply because there is more pressure on the developer to keep them that way.
4. Does it have good reviews and support?
Check the support forum for the plugin in the WordPress repository. Are support questions being answered? Are bugs being acknowledged and fixed? A responsive, engaged developer is a good sign. One who ignores their own support forum is not.
The "Free Plugin with a Pro Version" Trick
Here is a useful little tip I often share with clients, and it’s one I use myself when evaluating a free plugin: look for one that also has a paid “pro” version.
Why? Because if a developer has a pro version of their plugin that people pay for, they have a direct financial incentive to keep it updated, secure, and well-maintained. Their livelihood depends on it. Paying customers expect support, updates, and a plugin that actually works. That commercial pressure tends to result in a much higher standard of ongoing maintenance than you might get from a purely free plugin with no revenue model behind it.
A good example of this is Elementor, the page builder I use to design and build websites. Elementor has a free version that is genuinely useful on its own, but the pro version unlocks a much wider range of features. Because the developers have a substantial paying customer base, they have every incentive to keep the plugin secure, well-maintained, and regularly updated — and the free version benefits directly from all of that commercial investment. That’s exactly the dynamic you’re looking for when evaluating a free plugin.
The Case for Paid Plugins: You Get What You Pay For
There’s a tendency — and I completely understand it — to reach for the free option wherever possible when building a website. But when it comes to plugins, I’d encourage you to think about it differently. The cost of a quality premium plugin is usually modest. The cost of a security breach, a broken website, or hours lost trying to fix something caused by a poorly maintained free plugin is considerably higher.
I use a number of paid plugins in my work, and the difference in quality compared to the free alternatives is, in my experience, significant — not just in terms of features, but in security responsiveness, update frequency, and support. Two that I use regularly and would recommend without hesitation are Crocoblock and Unlimited Elements.
Crocoblock
Crocoblock is a comprehensive suite of plugins built on top of Elementor. Rather than installing a separate plugin for every feature your website needs — dynamic content, advanced filtering, custom post types, booking forms, and so on — Crocoblock gives you a whole suite of plugins that work seamlessly together. This ties in neatly with the principle of keeping your plugin count lean: one well-built suite doing the jobs that would otherwise require many individual plugins. Even if you use many of their plugins, as they are from the same developer they are designed to work together without the risk of conflicts.
From a security standpoint, the Crocoblock team are excellent. When vulnerabilities are discovered, they are patched quickly. Updates are released frequently, and you can tell this is a team that takes the quality and security of their product seriously. Their technical support is outstanding — knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely helpful whether you have a setup question, a problem to solve, or need guidance on the best approach for a particular build.
Unlimited Elements
Unlimited Elements is a superb widget library for Elementor that dramatically extends what the page builder can do. It gives you hundreds of additional design elements and widgets that go well beyond what Elementor provides out of the box, allowing for much more creative and feature-rich designs — without having to bolt on a separate plugin for each individual requirement.
Again, the development team are very much on the ball when it comes to security and updates. But what really sets Unlimited Elements apart, in my view, is the quality of their support. In all my years of working with WordPress plugins, I can count on one hand the developers who have genuinely gone above and beyond — and the Unlimited Elements team are right at the top of that list. They are always ready to help with problems, answer setup questions, and find solutions. I’ve even asked about a way to do something, and when it was not possible and they could, they made it possible and then implemented and released it in the very next update. That level of responsiveness is rare, and it tells you everything you need to know about how seriously they take their product and their users.
This is why I choose these plugins for my clients’ websites. It’s not just about features — it’s about knowing that the people behind the software genuinely care, and that when a security patch or update is needed, it will come promptly.
Fewer Plugins, Fewer Problems
Another principle I work by is this: use one good plugin that does many things, rather than many different plugins to do one thing each.
Every plugin you install on a WordPress website is another potential point of vulnerability. Every plugin needs to be kept updated. Every plugin has the potential to conflict with another plugin. And every plugin adds a small amount of weight to your website, which can affect speed.
So rather than installing five different plugins to handle five different tasks, I always look first for one well-built plugin that can handle several of those tasks at once. This keeps the website leaner, faster, and considerably safer. It also makes maintenance much more straightforward.
When I build a website, I work with a select and carefully chosen set of plugins that I know well. I’ve used them across many client websites, I understand how they behave, I know their strengths and their quirks, and I know they are actively maintained. I’m not experimenting with untested plugins on a client’s live website — I’m working with tools I trust because I’ve seen them perform reliably time and time again.
How Working with a Professional Designer Helps
One of the real advantages of having your website designed and built by an experienced professional, rather than using a DIY website builder or handing it to someone with little experience, is that these decisions are made for you — and made well.
When I build a WordPress website for a client, I bring with me years of experience knowing which plugins to use and which to avoid. I know the ones that are well-maintained, from reputable developers, and that have a solid track record. I keep the number of plugins lean. I know which plugins work well together. I make sure everything is set up correctly from day one. And through my WordPress maintenance service, I can keep the site updated and secure on an ongoing basis — so you don’t have to worry about any of it.
A website is only as good as its maintenance. Having someone who knows what they are looking at keeping an eye on things gives you real peace of mind.
FAQs
Is WordPress safe for a small business website?
Yes, absolutely. WordPress is used by millions of small businesses, large corporations, news organisations, and government bodies around the world. When set up correctly with good plugins, strong passwords, and regular maintenance, it is a very secure platform. The key is that security needs to be treated as an ongoing commitment, not a one-time setup.
Can WordPress be hacked?
Any website can be hacked, regardless of the platform it runs on. The question is really about risk and prevention. The good news is that the overwhelming majority of WordPress hacks exploit known weaknesses in outdated or poorly maintained plugins, which means they are almost entirely preventable with proper maintenance and good plugin choices.
Why do so many WordPress sites get hacked?
Primarily because WordPress is so widely used that it becomes an attractive target for automated attacks. Most of those attacks look for known vulnerabilities in plugins; particularly ones that haven't been updated. A site with well-maintained, regularly updated plugins from reputable developers is far less likely to be successfully attacked.
How often should WordPress be updated?
WordPress core, themes, and plugins should ideally be updated as soon as updates are available. At a minimum, updates should be checked and applied at least once a month. Leaving updates unattended for extended periods significantly increases your risk.
What is the biggest security risk on a WordPress website?
By a significant margin, the biggest risk comes from plugins; particularly those that are outdated, from unknown developers, or no longer actively maintained. Weak passwords and login credentials are also a common entry point.
Should I use free or paid plugins?
Both can be perfectly safe, depending on the plugin. The key is not whether it is free or paid, but whether it is actively maintained and from a reputable developer. As a useful guideline, a free plugin that also has a paid pro version is often a good sign; the commercial revenue gives the developer a financial reason to keep the plugin well-maintained and secure. That said, some entirely free, open-source plugins are excellent. It's about knowing what to look for.
How do I know if my WordPress site has been hacked?
Signs can include: your website suddenly redirecting visitors to a different site, strange new pages or content appearing that you didn't create, Google showing a warning when someone searches for your site, your hosting provider suspending your account, or an unusually slow or broken website. If you suspect a hack, contact your hosting provider immediately and seek professional help to assess and clean the site.
Is it worth paying for WordPress maintenance?
Yes, in most cases it is very much worth it if you are not able to do so yourself. Keeping a WordPress website secure and running well requires regular attention: updates, backups, security checks, and monitoring. Unless you have the time and knowledge to do this yourself consistently, a professional maintenance service is a smart investment. It's considerably cheaper than dealing with a hacked website.
Does having more plugins make my WordPress site less secure?
Yes, generally speaking. Each plugin you add is another piece of software that needs to be maintained, another potential point of vulnerability, and another thing that could conflict with something else. Keeping your plugin count lean, using one capable plugin where possible rather than several, is a good security and performance habit.
Will using WordPress hurt my SEO?
Not at all — quite the opposite. WordPress is an excellent platform for SEO when set up correctly. It gives you full control over your page titles, meta descriptions, heading structure, URLs, and more. With the right SEO plugin, like Rank Math, you have everything you need to build a well-optimised website. Google has no preference for or against WordPress. It’s also the best if you want to include a blog, which is essential for SEO and marketing. WordPress was originally a blogging platform, so your blogs go out into the WordPress community as well as being found in search engines.
Final Thoughts
So, is WordPress safe from hackers? The honest answer is: yes, provided it is built and maintained properly. The platform itself is solid and well-looked-after. The risk lies almost entirely in how it is used, and in particular which plugins are installed, how well those plugins are maintained, and whether the site is being kept up to date.
If you are thinking about getting a new WordPress website, the best thing you can do is work with someone who takes these things seriously, uses a carefully considered set of trusted plugins, and keeps the site in good shape after it goes live.
That’s exactly what I do for every website I build.
If you’d like to talk about a new website, or if you have an existing WordPress site that you’re worried about, feel free to get in touch — I’m always happy to help.
Ian Middleton is a website designer based in the UK. He has built and maintained WordPress websites for a wide range of clients, from small businesses and sole traders to photographers and e-commerce stores.