Long Story Short: If you don’t think your wordpress website needs a security and you don’t want to spend big bucks on it. At least let me convince you with this cheap & affordable security option provided by CleanTalk.
To safeguard my websites from malware, I tested two popular security plugins: Wordfence and CleanTalk. Both are strong contenders in the security plugin arena, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. In this review, I’ll focus on CleanTalk, sharing my experiences as an average user. I’ll delve into aspects such as user-friendliness, affordability, customer service, features, and functionality.
Why CleanTalk stands out to me
Effective Protection:
CleanTalk offers robust protection by filtering out spam and malicious content through its extensive global database. I observed a notable decrease in spam comments and bot registrations, easing the management of my site. The plugin also tracks IP addresses of users attempting repeated unauthorized access and provides options to ban or blacklist them.
User-friendliness:
Pros: Onboarding with CleanTalk is straightforward. The plugin integrates seamlessly with the WordPress dashboard, offering a smooth user experience. Most settings and customizations are found in the General settings, which are well-described, making it accessible even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
Cons: The design is minimalist and largely text-based. The plugin’s reports are presented in lines of descriptive text rather than visual data representations, such as graphs, which can make interpreting the information less intuitive. For example:
2 events have been sent to Security by CleanTalk Cloud on Jul 25 2024 13:53:14.
Information about 5 blocked entries have been sent to Security by CleanTalk Cloud on Jul 25 2024 13:20:04.
Security FireWall database has 20637 Networks (21 k IPs). Last updated at Jul 25 2024 05:29:15.
Malware scanner signatures was updated Jul 23 2024 17:00:43. For now it contains 1567 entries.
Affordable Pricing:
CleanTalk provides a comprehensive suite of security features at a competitive price. Their transparent pricing plans make it an attractive option for those seeking effective website security without breaking the bank. For current pricing, visit their website here.
Customer Service:
CleanTalk’s customer service exceeded my expectations. The team is responsive and supportive, ready to assist with any issues. They offer a dedicated ticketing system for support, and you can also seek help through the WordPress plugin page if needed. (i think).
Features and Functionality:
CleanTalk comes with several useful features:
On command Malware Scans:
Pro: You can initiate manual scans of your files anytime and schedule automatic scans.
Con: Manual scans require the tab to remain open; closing the tab or switching pages stops the scan. Automatic scans run in the background without this restriction.
Strong Firewall
The plugin provides a robust firewall, scans uploaded media, and offers decent traffic control. It includes brute force protection and guards against suspicious login attempts.
In Summary
My experience with CleanTalk has been highly positive. It delivers solid security features, user-friendly design, and excellent customer support—all at an affordable price. CleanTalk is a smart choice for anyone serious about website security, offering a balanced mix of effectiveness and cost-efficiency. If you’re looking for a reliable security solution, I highly recommend giving CleanTalk a try.