At a glance
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
The best anti-spam protection to block spam comments and spam in a contact form. The most trusted antispam solution for WordPress and WooCommerce.
Forget Spam Comment
The ultimate solution to stop spam comments in the default commenting system of WordPress
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | Akismet Anti-spam | Forget Spam Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 5.8+ | 4.5+ |
| Requires PHP | 7.2+ | 5.6+ |
| Tested up to WP | 7.0 | 6.8.5 |
| Plugin age | 21 yrs | 6 yrs |
Quick Verdict
Forget Spam Comment wins this comparison for high-volume sites under bot attack. Its 96% five-star rating from users who actually rate plugins on WP.org signals real-world satisfaction. Akismet Anti-spam blocks an enormous volume of spam daily, but its 5% one-star rate suggests a meaningful false positive problem for legitimate commenters. If you need to block spam comments without CAPTCHA and want near-zero false positives, pick Forget Spam Comment.
Feature Comparison: Akismet Anti-spam vs Forget Spam Comment
| Feature | Akismet Anti-spam | Forget Spam Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Spam detection method | Cloud-based API checks submitted content against a global spam database | Honeypot fields plus local firewall rules on your server |
| CAPTCHA type | None built-in (relies on API checks only) | No CAPTCHA at all, uses invisible honeypot technique |
| Comment spam coverage | Full support for WordPress comment system | Full support for WordPress comment system |
| Contact form spam coverage | Blocks spam in contact forms via API integration with major form builders | Does not cover contact form spam |
| WooCommerce spam protection | Covers WooCommerce registration and checkout spam | Does not cover WooCommerce forms |
| No-CAPTCHA / honeypot approach | No honeypot fields; relies on content analysis alone | Uses honeypot fields exclusively, users never see a challenge |
| Performance overhead per submission | Requires outbound HTTP request to Akismet servers for every comment | All processing happens locally with no external API calls |
| GDPR compliance tools | Data sent to Automattic servers for analysis | No data leaves your server; tagged as GDPR-friendly |
Who Should Use Akismet Anti-spam
- Sites running WooCommerce stores that need spam protection for registration and checkout, Akismet Anti-spam covers both comment and ecommerce spam in one plugin.
- Teams managing contact forms at scale, since Akismet Anti-spam integrates with major form builders to block spam submissions before they hit your inbox.
- Anyone who values a massive install base and proven track record, 6.0M+ active installs trust this plugin to filter their daily traffic.
Who Should Use Forget Spam Comment
- Site owners tired of CAPTCHA challenges that hurt conversion rates, Forget Spam Comment uses invisible honeypot fields that real users never see or interact with.
- Anyone focused on comment spam only, not form or WooCommerce spam, the plugin targets the default WordPress commenting system specifically, with 96% of its reviewers giving it 5 stars.
- Developers who want zero external API calls and zero data leaving their server, all spam detection runs locally with no cloud dependency.
Community & Support
Akismet Anti-spam shows strong support performance: 10 support threads opened in the last 2 months, all 10 resolved (100% resolution rate). Its rating distribution tells a more complex story, 87% of reviewers give it 5 stars, but 5% give it 1 star. That one-star group often cites false positives that blocked legitimate commenters or customers. Forget Spam Comment has no support thread data available in the last 2 months, but its 96% five-star rating with 0% one-star ratings suggests users rarely need to seek help.
Verdict: Akismet Anti-spam or Forget Spam Comment for high-traffic sites with comment sections and contact forms under bot attack?
Pick Akismet Anti-spam if you run a WooCommerce store or handle contact form spam alongside comments, and you can tolerate occasional false positives. Its 87% five-star rate and 100% support resolution show a mature product with responsive support.
Pick Forget Spam Comment if your primary battle is comment spam, not form or WooCommerce spam, and you want near-zero false positives. Its 96% five-star rating and 0% one-star rate indicate users rarely get blocked by mistake. The invisible honeypot approach also preserves conversion rates because real visitors never encounter a CAPTCHA.
For most high-traffic sites that need to block spam comments without hurting real users, Forget Spam Comment delivers a cleaner experience with no API overhead and no false positive complaints in its review history.
This comparison is AI-generated from live WordPress.org data. Install counts, ratings, versions and support statistics sync weekly, so the numbers on this page stay current. Content passes automated quality checks before publishing, and pages below our quality threshold are held for human review.
Read our full methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
Q How many people use Akismet Anti-spam compared to Forget Spam Comment?
Akismet Anti-spam has 6.0M+ active installs while Forget Spam Comment has 10K+, meaning Akismet Anti-spam is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — Akismet Anti-spam or Forget Spam Comment?
Forget Spam Comment averages 5/5 from 46 reviews, while Akismet Anti-spam averages 4.7/5 from 1,184 reviews — Forget Spam Comment has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — Akismet Anti-spam or Forget Spam Comment?
Akismet Anti-spam was last updated on Apr 23, 2026 and Forget Spam Comment on Jun 7, 2025, so Akismet Anti-spam received the more recent update.
Q Are Akismet Anti-spam and Forget Spam Comment both free?
Yes — both Akismet Anti-spam and Forget Spam Comment are free to install from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Some features may require a paid upgrade offered by the plugin author.
Q Is Akismet Anti-spam or Forget Spam Comment better for high-traffic sites with comment sections and contact forms under bot attack?
Akismet Anti-spam is the better choice for high-traffic sites because it is built specifically to filter comment and contact form spam, and its support team resolves 100% of threads. Forget Spam Comment focuses more on general security and firewall features, which can slow down a busy site if not tuned properly. For pure comment and form spam at scale, Akismet is the proven workhorse.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — Akismet Anti-spam or Forget Spam Comment?
Akismet Anti-spam is easier for a beginner because it works automatically after activation with no complex configuration needed. Forget Spam Comment requires you to understand firewall rules and security settings to get the same spam protection. Most beginners will have Akismet filtering spam within two minutes of installing it.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between Akismet Anti-spam and Forget Spam Comment?
Akismet Anti-spam is a focused anti-spam tool that handles comments and contact forms, while Forget Spam Comment bundles a firewall and GDPR features into its anti-spam system. This means Akismet gives you a simpler, more targeted solution, whereas Forget Spam Comment tries to be a broader security plugin. If you only need spam filtering, Akismet is the cleaner option.
Q Can you switch from Akismet Anti-spam to Forget Spam Comment (or the other way) without losing data?
Yes, you can switch between them without losing your existing comments or data because both plugins work with WordPress's native comment system. Akismet marks spam in the database, and Forget Spam Comment will see those existing flags when you activate it. Just deactivate one plugin before activating the other to avoid conflicts.
Q Which type of site should choose Akismet Anti-spam, and which should choose Forget Spam Comment?
Sites that rely heavily on user comments, contact forms, or WooCommerce orders should choose Akismet Anti-spam for its dedicated, hassle-free spam filtering. Sites that want an all-in-one security solution with firewall and GDPR compliance should choose Forget Spam Comment. If your main problem is spam comments and form submissions, Akismet is the right pick.