SiteLock vs Sucuri: Website Security Solution Comparison

May 21, 202610 min read

Today's digital threats are sophisticated and increasingly difficult to combat. Between the threat of malware, hacks, and data loss, organizations and their customers or clients face considerable risks. If websites are compromised, downtime is likely, along with reputational damage that may be costly to repair.

Many business owners and webmasters understand the need for a robust, layered cybersecurity strategy, but struggle to identify which solutions deliver comprehensive protection against the most significant threats. Website security often requires technical expertise, and many site owners don’t have the time or resources to manage this on their own.

Security solutions such as plugins or dedicated platforms remove this burden, providing proactive protection to improve uptime and keep sites secure. Industry leaders such as SiteLock and Sucuri address common threats through malware scanning, mitigation features, and layered defenses. The comparison below breaks down what each solution offers and how they differ.

SiteLock vs Sucuri at a glance

SiteLock and Sucuri are both website security service providers. These companies offer cloud-based tools and solutions designed to detect threats, manage vulnerabilities, and restore hacked sites.

Who? SiteLock and Sucuri both target small to midsize businesses. Clients look to SiteLock or Sucuri for guidance and oversight as they manage digital threats. Both services work with non-technical users to provide accessible solutions, but also offer robust plans that accommodate organizations with complex security needs.
What? Core offerings from SiteLock and Sucuri include tiered service plans that bundle website security functions. These plans offer different features that reflect varying risk levels or operational constraints. They both also offer basic website scanning for free, along with WordPress-specific plugins that provide simplified mechanisms for completing scans and viewing security alerts.
How much? Both providers offer tiered security plans designed to accommodate different budgets and levels of protection. SiteLock plans start at $199 per year, while Sucuri plans begin at $229 per year. Each provider also offers a free WordPress plugin version with core security features, with additional functionality available through paid plans.

What is SiteLock?

SiteLock is a cloud-based website security company that protects websites through scanning, vulnerability patching, and automated malware removal. Founded in 2008, SiteLock began as a small business-focused security solution and aimed to accommodate non-technical users with limited web security knowledge.

Over time, SiteLock expanded its offerings, adding content delivery network (CDN) and web application firewall (WAF) capabilities to its platform.

Leading Certificate Authority and global digital certificate provider, Sectigo, acquired SiteLock in 2021 to equip customers with comprehensive tools for addressing a quickly expanding array of online threats. The acquisition reflected the growing demand for automated website protection as businesses faced increasingly frequent and sophisticated web‑based attacks.

Today, SiteLock continues to accommodate SMBs and other non-technical website owners. SiteLock's current plans and plugins use automated security tools designed to address today’s evolving cyberattacks and threats while simplifying website protection.

What is Sucuri?

Sucuri offers website security and monitoring services. Launched in 2010, Sucuri began with the mission to address security gaps experienced by webmasters with limited tools.

Web hosting company GoDaddy acquired Sucuri in 2017 in an effort to bolster protection for hosting customers while also expanding its security portfolio. Since then, Sucuri has continued to serve small and midsize businesses while also offering enterprise-grade security solutions.

Core security capabilities compared

SiteLock and Sucuri offer many similar security services, reflecting a shared mission to simplify website security while protecting businesses and websites against common digital threats. These providers prioritize early detection but also offer security features designed to limit exposure to malware. Core components include automated tools and cloud‑based monitoring:

Automated/surgical remediation

Automated site security solutions accommodate webmasters with limited time or expertise for manually resolving detected concerns. Both SiteLock and Sucuri use automated tools to identify malicious code and isolate affected files.

These solutions limit the need for hands-on intervention, but the approach differs.

SiteLock includes unlimited automatic malware removal across all plans running continuously in the background, so threats are detected and removed without the site owner lifting a finger. No tickets, no manual access requests, no waiting. Expert support is on hand 24/7 for complex cases requiring deeper intervention.
Sucuri offers unlimited malware removal across all plans, but cleanup is reactive and user-initiated—site owners must identify the issue, log in, submit a removal request, and provide server credentials before the remediation team can begin work.

Automated database cleaning

SiteLock includes a dedicated automated database scanning and cleaning feature that continuously detects and removes malware injections from affected database tables running in the background without requiring any action from the site owner. For non-technical users or businesses where every hour of downtime counts, this means infected databases are cleaned faster and without the friction of manual intervention.

Sucuri addresses database infections as part of its broader remediation workflow, but cleanup is not automatic. Site owners must submit a ticket and provide server credentials before the team can access and clean the database.

SMART Patch WordPress plugin patching

SiteLock's SMART Patch technology directly patches vulnerabilities in WordPress and Joomla core files, themes, and plugins at the CMS level, eliminating the underlying weakness in the codebase itself, with daily automated deployment and rollback functionality. For non-technical users, this means vulnerabilities are genuinely resolved, not just shielded with no action required and no residual risk left behind.

Sucuri provides virtual patching through its WAF, intercepting and blocking known exploit attempts at the network layer before they reach the server. This provides a protective shield around vulnerabilities but does not modify site code, leaving the underlying weakness in place.

Site health visibility

SiteLock's site health dashboard distills your website's overall security posture into a single health score, displayed as a visual health meter accompanied by a prioritized list of security tasks to help improve your security posture and health score. Non-technical users can immediately understand whether their site is at risk without needing to interpret individual scan results or security logs. The accompanying Prioritized Tasks queue acts as your next-best-action list automatically ranked by priority, with visual indicators that flag what's urgent and get you to the fix in one click.

Sucuri provides a centralized dashboard with detailed security status across individual monitoring categories, including malware scans, file integrity, and blocklist status. This operational view gives technically oriented users granular detail, but does not consolidate that data into a single risk score or visual health indicator.

PCI compliance tools and support with select plans

PCI services address compliance challenges surrounding the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Select SiteLock plans include PCI compliance tools and support designed to simplify the path to PCI DSS certification for non-technical business owners. SiteLock provides the most simplified version of the PCI self-assessment questionnaire available, significantly reducing the time and complexity of the SAQ process. Combined with a PCI-compliant WAF that helps satisfy PCI Requirement 6.6, SiteLock delivers the highest PCI compliance rate in the industry, making it the go-to choice for businesses that need to meet compliance requirements without dedicated security expertise.

Sucuri does not currently provide PCI reporting services.

WordPress security plugin comparison

Both SiteLock and Sucuri offer WordPress security plugins designed to help site owners monitor and improve the security of their websites directly from the WordPress dashboard. These plugins add an additional layer of protection beyond the built-in security features of WordPress.

SiteLock's WordPress plugin:

A free tool that delivers immediate, active protection from the moment it's installed—no account required.
It includes WordPress-specific hardening toggles, built-in login hygiene tools, activity logging, two-factor authentication (2FA), and cloud-based scanning designed to maintain site performance.
Critically, all security checks run in the SiteLock cloud rather than on the web server, keeping the plugin low-impact on resources, unlike server-based security plugins that consume server resources and can slow the site down.
Connecting a free SiteLock account activates Site Health monitoring and on-demand cloud scanning directly within WP Admin.
Users can easily scale protection by connecting paid SiteLock plans that unlock deeper capabilities, including SMART File and Database scanning, WAF, CDN, and full malware remediation—all within the same plugin.

Sucuri's WordPress plugin:

By contrast, this free plugin functions primarily as a monitoring and auditing tool.
It provides file integrity monitoring, activity audits, blocklist monitoring, and hardening options, but delivers limited active protection in the free tier.
Malware scanning is restricted to publicly visible, frontend content via SiteCheck and cannot scan server-side files.
The WAF, deep malware scanning, and cleanup services that Sucuri is known for all sit behind a paid platform plan—thus, meaningful protection requires an additional purchase.

For site owners looking for active security from day one, SiteLock's free plugin delivers significantly more out of the box.

Why many businesses choose SiteLock

SiteLock is purpose-built for businesses that need robust, automated website security and health management without the complexity of managing it manually. SiteLock automates the entire process from detection to remediation and consolidates it into a clear, actionable picture of their security posture, so site owners always know where they stand and what to do next. Customers choose and stay with SiteLock for the following reasons:

Clear site health visibility with prioritized actions. SiteLock consolidates security data into a single site health score, paired with a Prioritized Tasks queue that highlights the most important issues to address. This gives site owners a clear, actionable path to improve security without needing to interpret complex logs or reports.
Automated, surgical malware removal. SiteLock continuously detects and removes malware in the background with automated remediation, eliminating the need to submit tickets or wait for manual cleanup. This “surgical” approach isolates and removes malicious code quickly while minimizing disruption to the rest of the site.
Trust Seal to build customer confidence. The SiteLock Trust Seal provides a visible signal that a website is actively protected, helping reassure visitors and reinforce trust at important conversion points.
Built-in PCI compliance tools and support. Select SiteLock plans include simplified PCI DSS tools such as a streamlined self-assessment questionnaire and PCI-compliant WAF. This helps businesses meet compliance standards without needing dedicated security expertise.
24/7 expert support. While most threats are handled automatically, SiteLock provides access to security experts for complex issues, ensuring businesses have guidance and support whenever deeper intervention is needed.

SiteLock real world use cases

SiteLock's comprehensive website security solution addresses a wide range of common cybersecurity concerns. Core features help businesses prevent attacks and expedite recovery. The following are a few examples of situations in which SiteLock's services could improve both uptime and overall website security.

Reducing the burden on small teams without dedicated security resources. Many SMBs don’t have the time or technical expertise to actively manage website security. SiteLock removes that burden with automated scanning, remediation, and a centralized Site Health dashboard with Prioritized Tasks, so site owners don’t need to interpret technical data or manually resolve threats. This allows teams to stay focused on running their business while SiteLock handles security in the background.
Rapid recovery for compromised websites. When a website is hacked, speed and accuracy are critical. SiteLock’s automated malware detection and removal capabilities quickly isolate and eliminate malicious code without requiring manual intervention. For more complex incidents, expert support is available to restore site functionality and reduce downtime.
Simplifying PCI compliance for online businesses. Retailers and subscription-based services that process payment data must meet PCI DSS requirements, which can be complex and time-consuming. SiteLock helps simplify this process with tools that make it easier for non-technical users to maintain compliance.
Maintaining uptime during high-traffic periods. eCommerce businesses often face increased risk during peak seasons when traffic spikes. Select SiteLock plans combine continuous scanning, a web application firewall, and CDN support to block malicious traffic before it impacts performance. This level of real-time monitoring ensures businesses can maintain site availability during critical revenue periods.

Keep your business secure with SiteLock

Protect your website and your customers from evolving security threats. SiteLock provides businesses with tools to detect vulnerabilities, remove malware, and monitor websites through automated scanning and remediation. With continuous protection and simplified security management, SiteLock helps organizations maintain a secure and reliable online presence.

Learn more about how our tiered service plans can provide robust protection at different price points. Try the WordPress plugin or experience SiteLock's protection in action with a free 30-day trial.

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