CleanTalk alternative
A CleanTalk Alternative for Sites That Want Attacks Stopped Earlier
CleanTalk Security starts at $9 a year per site, or $27 a month for unlimited sites (October 2026). For that you get a firewall, a malware scanner with automatic cleanup, and login protection inside WordPress. We cost more, do less inside the site, and more in front of it.
With Cascadia you get
- Blocked before your server
- Rules written for your site
- Caching and TLS included
- Checked every morning
- Nothing installed on the site
- Drift put back by us
Cascadia vs CleanTalk at a Glance
Three Questions That Decide It
Is Cost the Deciding Factor?
Do You Need Malware Scanning?
Who Checks the Edge Settings?
Side by Side
| CleanTalk | Cascadia | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | –Inside WordPress, as a plugin | At the edge, before your server |
| Price | From $9 a year per site (October 2026) | –$49 a month per domain |
| Malware scanning and cleanup | Scheduled scans, automatic cure | ×Not part of this service |
| Two-factor login | Included | ×Not part of this service |
| Brute force protection | Included in the plugin | wp-login and xmlrpc rules at the edge |
| Caching and TLS | ×Outside its scope | Tuned and kept current |
| Settings checked daily | ×Yours to revisit | Nine settings compared every morning |
Where It Runs
Price
Malware Scanning and Cleanup
Two-Factor Login
Brute Force Protection
Caching and TLS
Settings Checked Daily
What Ships in the Standard Plan Here
CleanTalk Security gives you a firewall, a malware scanner with automatic cleanup, brute force protection, two-factor login, and security logs, all inside WordPress. The edge settings in front of the site, and somebody checking them, are what we add.
- Firewall rules written for how your site is actually used
- Rules for wp-login and xmlrpc set at the edge
- Bot protection and rate limiting configured, not left on defaults
- Caching tuned so logged-in pages and checkout still work
- HTTPS enforced and the TLS minimum kept current
- Nine settings compared every morning against what we set
- A change you did not make put back by us
- Nothing installed on your website
- 90 days of daily history, so you can see what changed and when
- Your account stays yours, and our access can be withdrawn
Where Cascadia Goes Further
A plugin answers each bad request after your server has taken it. Edge rules mean many of those requests never arrive.
Fewer Requests for Your Server to Refuse
Login floods, scanners, and scrapers are turned away at the edge, so your host is not spending its time saying no.
Rules Set for One Site at a Time
A shop and a brochure site need different rules. Ours are written for how your site is used, and risky ones are explained before they go on.
Caching and TLS Looked After
Caching tuned so accounts and checkout still work, browser cache set sensibly, HTTPS enforced, and the TLS minimum kept current.
Checked Every Morning
Nine settings are compared daily with what we set. A change you did not make is reversed and reported the next day.
Who This Comparison Is For
On Price, CleanTalk Wins Easily
$9 a year per site (October 2026) is hard to argue with, and the plugin covers a lot for it. If budget decides this, CleanTalk is the better buy.
Scanning and Cleanup Are Its Strength
Scheduled scans every 12 or 24 hours, or as rarely as every 30 days, check executable files and database tables, and infected files can be cured automatically. We do not scan or clean.
A Plugin Works on Your Server
CleanTalk Security runs as a WordPress plugin, so the requests it blocks have already been received by your host. Usually that is fine. During a long bot run it is not.
Choose CleanTalk if
- Budget is the deciding factor
- You want scanning and cleanup in one plugin
- Someone on staff manages the settings
Choose Cascadia if
- You want traffic stopped before your server
- Nobody is checking the edge settings
- You want caching and TLS set properly
Adding Edge Protection to a Site That Runs CleanTalk
CleanTalk keeps running. Edge Protection installs nothing on the site, so the two work in different places.
- 1
We Read Your Current Edge Settings
We look at what is live and tell you what needs fixing, from TLS 1.0 still allowed to caching set so aggressively that logged-in users see the wrong page.
- 2
We Write the Firewall and Bot Rules
Login and xmlrpc paths, rate limits on the routes that get hammered, and bot protection, with good bots let through.
- 3
We Tune Caching and TLS
Caching is set to how the site is built, HTTPS is enforced, and the TLS minimum is brought current.
- 4
The Daily Comparison Starts
Every morning the live settings are compared with what we set, and the monthly report covers the month just ended.
What Clients Say About Working with Cascadia
“I’ve always dreaded website management, but Cascadia has done an incredible job with my WordPress site, making it one less thing for me to worry about.”
“I’ve worked with Cascadia for several years now. They are always ready to help in any way I ask and can implement my ideas with ease. A company that values their clients!”
“Cascadia has been great to work with! We recently needed some updates, and Cascadia was quick to get them completed! We highly recommend Cascadia Web Services.”
“Cascadia is very responsive and we’re happy with them as our primary IT vendor.”
“They do great work, been using for years. Prompt responses to requests.”
Ready to Move from CleanTalk?
Talk to us about your setupAsk us
CleanTalk Alternative Questions
Straight answers about switching, pricing, and what moves with you.
See Edge ProtectionStill have a question?
What is a CleanTalk alternative?
Any other way to protect a WordPress site. Plugins such as Wordfence and All-In-One Security, bundles such as Jetpack Security, cloud firewalls such as Sucuri, and managed services like this one, which configure the edge in front of your site.
How is Cascadia different from CleanTalk?
CleanTalk Security is a plugin with a firewall, malware scanner, login protection, and two-factor sign-in, all working inside WordPress. We work at the edge, before requests reach your server. We set firewall rules, bot protection, rate limiting, caching, and TLS for how your site is used, and compare nine settings every morning against what we set.
How much does CleanTalk Security cost?
As little as $9 a year per site, or $27 a month for unlimited sites (October 2026). Edge Protection is $49 a month per domain, which is a lot more, for a different job.
Does CleanTalk do anything you do not?
Yes. Malware scanning with automatic cleanup, two-factor login, and security logs inside WordPress. We do none of those.
Should I keep CleanTalk if I use Edge Protection?
If you rely on its scanning or two-factor login, yes. We install nothing on the site, so the two do not overlap.
Will an edge rule block my own customers?
That is what we plan around. Country rules and aggressive rate limits are explained before they go on, exceptions are written for the tools you use, and good bots are let through.
Does this reduce form spam?
Form spam is reduced at the edge as part of the bot rules. CleanTalk also sells a dedicated anti-spam service, and for spam on its own that is the more targeted tool.
What happens when a setting drifts?
You hear about it the next morning in a ticket naming the setting and its previous value. If the change was not yours, we put it back.
Do you need access to my website?
No. We work in your edge account through an invitation you can withdraw at any time.
Do I need managed hosting to buy this?
No. It runs as a standalone monthly service on whatever hosting you already use, and it is also part of Domain Pro at $59 a month per domain.
How quickly does setup start?
Setup starts within two business days, and the first full picture of your settings arrives within a week.
What if I want to leave?
Withdraw our access. The edge account is yours, and every change we made is recorded.
Ready to stop more of it before it arrives?
Forty-nine dollars a month per domain, with the edge configured for your site and checked against what we set every morning.