Secure alternatives to WordPress: a security-first comparison

This is our blog, and we offer one of the options below. We compare by what each type of platform does and by what each vendor publishes, so you can check our reasoning against theirs.

A secure alternative to WordPress should shrink what can be attacked, not just move it somewhere else. Look for fewer parts that need patching, no plugins you must trust, a clear owner for every update, access control on the editor, and a full change history with a way back. Then read what the vendor publishes, rather than its marketing.

1. A small attack surfaceWhat runs when a visitor opens a page? A database, server code and plugins are all things that can be attacked. Pre-built pages run none of them.
2. A clear patching ownerFor every layer, from the server to the editor, know who applies the updates, and how quickly.
3. No plugins to trustEach plugin is someone else's code on your site. Patchstack found 91% of new WordPress vulnerabilities in 2025 were in plugins.
4. Access control on the editorKnow who can change the site, and whether you can remove a person's access.
5. A change history with a way backEvery change saved, and a quick way to return to an earlier version.

Be wary of any platform that promises it cannot be hacked. A fair vendor tells you what it protects, what it leaves with you and what it cannot promise. That is also how we write about Unpress.

Four main types of platform exist: self-hosted WordPress, managed WordPress hosting, hosted website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, and static-first platforms with a separate editor. They differ in what runs when a visitor opens a page, and in who patches each layer. The table compares them on security.

Two details of the static-first row. The public pages carry no database or server code, so the editor login, forms and outside scripts are what can be attacked. We and our infrastructure provider patch the platform, so there is nothing for you to patch. The Wix and Squarespace rows come from their own security pages.

Wix and Squarespace both publish security pages, and they say different things. Wix lists SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS Level 1 and several ISO certifications. Squarespace lists free SSL, denial-of-service protection and a 24-hour security operations centre, and its page does not mention SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Neither page shows a date.

The full lists. Wix states ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701, TLS 1.2 or higher, AES-256 at rest, two-factor sign-in, roles and permissions, and a bug bounty. Squarespace states free SSL on correctly added domains, denial-of-service protection, a 24-hour security operations centre, two-factor sign-in and responsible disclosure.

Hosted builders take the server off your hands, which removes a large share of what goes wrong on a self-run WordPress site. They also publish more certifications than we can claim. Neither page says how it vets third-party apps, so check each add-on you install.

A static-first platform builds your pages ahead of time and serves them as plain files, so nothing runs on the server when a visitor arrives. That removes whole types of attack: SQL injection against a database, exploits in plugins and code run on the server. It does not remove risks around the editor login, forms and outside scripts.

The saving comes from the design, not from a special product. The wp2shell attack on WordPress core in July 2026 chained a database injection to remote code execution. A site with no database and no server code on its public pages has nothing for that chain to run against. The remaining risks move to the editing system and to anything you add, such as forms and scripts from other companies.

• 39.6%

  of all websites run WordPress

  W3Techs, 22 October 2026

• 58.3%

  of websites with a known CMS run WordPress

  W3Techs, 22 October 2026

• 91%

  of new WordPress vulnerabilities in 2025 were in plugins

  Patchstack, State of WordPress Security in 2026

• 46%

  of new vulnerabilities had no fix when disclosed

  Patchstack, State of WordPress Security in 2026

• 26%

  of vulnerability attacks blocked in Patchstack's test of popular hosts

  Patchstack, State of WordPress Security in 2026

• 5 hours

  weighted median time to first exploit, heavily exploited flaws

  Patchstack, State of WordPress Security in 2026

Unpress is our static-first CMS, built and hosted by Digital Monday, and the option we offer in this comparison. It serves pre-built pages from a global network, keeps every change in version history with a quick way back, and runs on infrastructure from a SOC 2 Type 2 certified provider. Digital Monday itself is not certified.

• What it covers. No database or server code on the public site, HTTPS on every site, protection against floods of traffic, version history with rollback, and an editor kept apart from the public pages.
• What it leaves to you. Your own accounts and computers, who you give editing access to, and which outside scripts you add.
• What it does not do. It is not for online stores or members' areas, and it does not make a site immune to every attack.

How Unpress keeps a site secure sets out the detail, including what we cannot claim. If you are on WordPress and want to move, we do it for you.

Choose by what your site must do. If you sell online or run a members' area, a hosted builder or a store platform will fit. If you run WordPress and someone updates it every week, stay. If you have a brochure site and nobody wants to patch it, a static-first platform removes the most work.

A quick test: list the five things you most dislike about running your site today. If patching and plugin updates head the list, look at hosted builders and static-first platforms. If a shop or a members' login is on it, start with the store and builder options.

Whichever you pick, a move should keep your content, addresses and rankings. That is what our SEO work looks after, and why we redirect every changed address.