ActiveLayer is an AI-powered spam protection service for WordPress forms and comments.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $4/month
- Category
- Security
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for ActiveLayer
ActiveLayer vs Password Protected
Password Protected wins 1 of the 1 points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.
At a glance
| Feature | ActiveLayer | Password Protected |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.1/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Starts at | $4/month | See website |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Refund window | – | – |
| Billing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 300K+ (better) |
| Last Black Friday | – | – |
| Category | Security | Security |
| Vendor | Awesome Motive | Password Protected |
| Black Friday 2026 | Not announced | Not announced |
Which should you choose?
Choose ActiveLayer if…
- Sites with spam on contact forms and comments
- Agencies managing many client sites
Choose Password Protected if…
- Private sites, client previews and staging sites
- Sites that need one shared password for a section
Features
ActiveLayer
- AI spam checks
- No CAPTCHAs
- Form plugin integrations
- Detection signals
- Unlimited sites
Password Protected
- Password protect the whole site
- Protect pages, posts and products
- Partial content protection
- Role and IP access rules
- Multiple passwords
- Bot protection
Pros and cons
ActiveLayer
- No CAPTCHA for visitors
- Free plan with 200 checks
- Integrations with major form plugins
- Confidence scores and detection signals
- Free plan covers only 200 checks, one time
- No money-back guarantee listed on the pricing page
- Paid plans are priced by check volume
Password Protected
- Free on WordPress.org
- Can protect the whole site, single pages, or only part of a page
- Lightweight, with no user accounts required
- Pro pricing is not shown on the WordPress.org plugin page
- Ownership moved from Ben Huson to WPExperts in 2022, according to WP Tavern
- Visitors without the password see no site content, so it does not suit public sites
Pricing plans
ActiveLayer
Free
Free
Unlimited sites
- 200 checks total
- Full API access
- No credit card required
ProStarts here
$4/month
Unlimited sites
- 5,000 checks per month
- Email support
- Billed yearly
Enterprise
$149/month
- 500,000+ checks per month
- Custom SLA
- Dedicated support
Password Protected
Plans not listed. See Password Protected pricing
ActiveLayer vs Password Protected questions
Is ActiveLayer better than Password Protected?
On our comparison Password Protected comes out ahead on 1 of 1 measurable points. The right pick still depends on what you build.
Which is cheaper, ActiveLayer or Password Protected?
ActiveLayer starts at $4/month and Password Protected starts at See website.
Can I get ActiveLayer or Password Protected cheaper on Black Friday?
Both are on our Black Friday tracker. We'll add each discount the moment it goes live.
Both products
Easily make your entire WordPress content private in minutes.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- See site
- Category
- Security
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for Password Protected