AIOS Security vs Solid Security

All In One WP Security & Firewall (AIOS) and Solid Security are both WordPress security plugins covering firewall protection, malware scanning, and login hardening, but they've ended up in very different places as businesses. AIOS, now owned by Team Updraft (the company behind UpdraftPlus), remains a standalone plugin with its own direct pricing.

Solid Security has been renamed twice in recent years - it started as iThemes Security, became Solid Security after Liquid Web's acquisition, and is now being marketed as “Kadence Security,” sold only as part of Liquid Web's bundled Kadence product suite rather than as a standalone purchase. AIOS currently runs roughly 1.4 million active installs against Solid/Kadence Security's approximately 758,000.

Mechanically the two plugins cover similar ground - firewall rules, brute-force login protection, malware scanning, two-factor authentication - but AIOS keeps all of that inside one plugin bought directly from Team Updraft, while Solid/Kadence Security's premium firewall, virtual patching, and backups now only unlock through a Kadence Pro or Elite plan that also includes a theme and other tools you may not need. Buyers comparing the two today aren't just comparing security features anymore; they're comparing a single-purpose plugin against a slice of a larger suite.

Quick verdict: Choose AIOS Security if you want a standalone security plugin with its own direct, transparent pricing. Choose Solid Security (now marketed as Kadence Security) only if you're already using it, or are willing to buy into the wider Kadence bundle it now ships inside - it's no longer sold as a standalone plugin.

AIOS Security vs Solid Security at a glance

Installs above are StatWP's own estimates, drawn from WordPress.org's bucketed reporting rather than an exact published figure, and update automatically rather than reflecting a fixed snapshot.

The two plugins' opposite 30-day trends fit that same story rather than contradicting it: AIOS's decline lines up with a maturing, already-large install base rather than fresh growth, while Solid/Kadence Security's sharp rise plausibly reflects rebrand-driven update and reinstall activity as Liquid Web relaunches it under the Kadence name, rather than a sudden jump in new adopters.

Feature and starting price at a glance

Pricing and feature claims above are each vendor's own, pulled from their pricing pages rather than StatWP data. AIOS's own marketing claims its multi-site pricing runs “up to 93% cheaper” than Wordfence - and against Solid/Kadence Security's $299/year bundle-only entry point, AIOS is also by far the cheaper standalone option for anyone who just wants a security plugin without a theme and commerce suite attached.

What does AIOS Security actually do?

Beyond the install and ratings numbers, Team Updraft's own site positions AIOS around a few specific mechanics:

• Brute-force login protection, malware scanning, and country blocking in the free tier.

• A premium tier adding weekly malware scans and claimed 99.5%-accurate country blocking.

• Enhanced two-factor authentication for premium users.

• Smart 404 error blocking to catch scanning bots probing for vulnerabilities.

• Uptime and response-time monitoring, plus Google blacklist alerts.

Team Updraft's own marketing leans directly on price, claiming AIOS runs “up to 93% cheaper” than Wordfence for multi-site coverage, while also citing over 1 million active installs and a 4.7-star rating.

What does Solid Security actually do?

Liquid Web's own site, now positioning the plugin as Kadence Security, describes a few core mechanics:

• A real-time firewall with automatically updating rules.

• Patchstack-powered virtual patching for known vulnerabilities.

• File change detection to flag unauthorized edits.

• A security dashboard with threat analytics.

• Two-factor authentication and brute-force protection.

Liquid Web markets it as a “multi-layered security system that stops threats before they reach your site,” bundled with daily backups and one-click restore as part of the wider Kadence Pro plan rather than sold on its own.

What features does each one have that the other doesn't?

AIOS Security's clearest differentiator is that it's still a direct, standalone purchase - you can buy exactly the security features you need without also paying for a theme, page builder, or commerce tools, and its country-blocking and uptime-monitoring features are marketed as specific standalone strengths.

Solid Security's (now Kadence Security's) clearest differentiator is Patchstack-powered virtual patching, which can shield a known vulnerability before you've had a chance to update the affected plugin - a feature not part of AIOS's advertised feature set - though getting it today means buying into the broader Kadence suite rather than a single security plugin.

Which should you actually use?

If you want a security plugin you can evaluate and buy on its own, AIOS Security remains the simpler, cheaper, and more direct choice, with a track record dating back to 2013 and a straightforward two-site starting price. If you're already inside the Kadence/Liquid Web ecosystem - using its theme, blocks, or hosting - picking up Solid/Kadence Security as part of a Kadence Pro plan can make sense as one line item in a bundle you're paying for anyway. Buying it purely as a standalone security plugin, however, isn't an option anymore.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between AIOS Security and Solid Security?

AIOS (All In One WP Security & Firewall) is a standalone security plugin, owned by Team Updraft, sold directly with its own pricing. Solid Security has been rebranded twice - most recently to “Kadence Security” under Liquid Web - and is no longer sold as a standalone plugin; it's bundled into Liquid Web's Kadence Pro and Elite plans instead.

Is Solid Security better than AIOS Security?

Not straightforwardly. Solid/Kadence Security has the higher review count and adds virtual patching that AIOS doesn't advertise, but it's only available as part of a larger paid bundle. AIOS remains available and priced as a standalone plugin. Which is “better” depends on whether you want a single security tool or are already buying into the Kadence ecosystem.

Why is Solid Security now called Kadence Security?

Liquid Web, which owns the plugin through its earlier acquisition of iThemes, has been consolidating its security, backup, and theme products under the Kadence brand - the plugin has moved from Better WP Security to iThemes Security to Solid Security and now to Kadence Security as ownership and branding have changed.

Can I still buy Solid Security as a standalone plugin?

Not currently - based on Liquid Web's own pricing pages, its security features are sold only within Kadence Pro or Elite plans, alongside a theme, backups, and other tools, rather than as an individual purchase.

Is AIOS Security free to use?

Yes, a free version is available on wordpress.org, with premium features like weekly malware scans and enhanced two-factor authentication starting at $44.50 for the first year on a two-site plan.

See the live, current numbers for either plugin any time on StatWP's AIOS Security page or StatWP's Solid Security page, or run this comparison yourself with StatWP's compare tool.