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Akismet

Spam / BotUnverified

Akismet is the anti-spam service built into WordPress by default. Every comment or form submission is checked against a central database that learns from spam caught across millions of sites, so a spam campaign hitting one site improves filtering for all of them. It requires no per-site rules or CAPTCHAs.

akismet.com ↗2005 (USA, Automattic)
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Category
Spam / Bot
Best for
WordPress and general site owners
Pricing
Free for personal sites; commercial from ~$9.95/mo
Founded
2005 (USA, Automattic)

HOW IT WORKS

Because Automattic builds both WordPress and Akismet, the integration is native: the plugin ships with WordPress and with Jetpack, and setup is an API key. Personal, non-commercial sites can use it free; commercial and business use moves to paid plans, priced by site count and volume.

Akismet is a spam filter, not a security suite: it does not scan for malware, block attacks, or act as a WAF. It is the low-effort answer to comment and form spam specifically, and pairs with whatever security stack a site already runs.

Category context: Filters comment spam, form spam, and abusive bot traffic. Usually a small footprint and quick win.

WHAT IT DOES

  • Cloud anti-spam for comments and contact forms
  • Central spam database trained across millions of sites
  • Bundled with WordPress core and Jetpack
  • Spam stats and a discard mode for the worst spam

BEST FOR

  • WordPress sites wanting zero-config comment and form spam filtering
  • Personal sites that qualify for the free tier
  • Anyone preferring a database filter over CAPTCHAs

ALTERNATIVES TO AKISMET

Spam / Bot
CleanTalk

Cloud-based anti-spam plus bot and brute-force protection.

Compare →
WP Security
Jetpack Security

Automattic-built WordPress security bundle. Tightly integrated with WordPress core.

Compare →
WP Security
Wordfence

The most-installed WordPress security plugin. Application-level WAF + malware scanner.

Compare →

AKISMET FAQ

What is Akismet?

Akismet is a cloud-based anti-spam service from Automattic, built into WordPress by default. It checks comments and form submissions against a central database trained across millions of sites and filters out spam automatically, without CAPTCHAs or per-site rules. Setup is just an API key.

Is Akismet free?

Akismet is free for personal, non-commercial WordPress sites. Commercial and business sites need a paid plan, which starts around $9.95 per month and scales by the number of sites and the volume of checks. The plugin ships with WordPress and with Jetpack.

Akismet vs CleanTalk?

Both are cloud anti-spam services that filter without CAPTCHAs. Akismet is the WordPress default with the deepest WordPress integration and a free personal tier; CleanTalk is low-cost paid-only, covers more platforms, and adds a brute-force shield. Both do the same core job well; the choice is mostly ecosystem and pricing fit.

Editorial independence

HostList is independent. This profile is editorial; HostList accepts no sponsorship, affiliate commission, or paid placement from Akismet or any security vendor.