Dam Spam

73 Quality Score

Active Installs

16/30

With only 1,000 active installs, the plugin has a small user base compared to mainstream alternatives like Akismet with 6 million installs, though its popularity score benefits from a high install-to-rating ratio.

Update Freshness

25/25

The plugin was updated within the last week of our data pull, indicating an actively maintained codebase that tracks current WordPress releases.

User Rating

10/15

An 86 out of 100 score from 4 ratings is encouraging but the sample size is too small to draw strong conclusions about long-term reliability.

Support Health

8/15

Zero support threads opened and zero resolved is a red flag; it could mean no issues exist, but more likely reflects the small install base rather than proven support quality.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Tested with WordPress 7.0 and showing full compatibility points, though the plugin does not declare minimum WordPress or PHP version requirements, which is a minor transparency gap.

Scores higher than 32% of indexed plugins

About

Spam protection for WordPress registration, login, comments, and contact forms.

Active Installs 3k+

Rating ★★★★ 4.3/5

Last Updated 2026-09-04 12:04pm GMT

Tested Up To 7.1

Security History

1 known vulnerability, all patched

1 Medium

Most recent: February 17, 2026

View details ▸

What It Does

Dam Spam is a lightweight anti-spam plugin designed to block bots and automated submissions across WordPress registration forms, login pages, comment fields, and contact forms. It works as a broad-spectrum spam filter without requiring API keys or third-party accounts. The plugin handles the most common entry points where junk traffic lands on a WordPress site.

Who It's For

Dam Spam suits small site owners who want a simple, set-and-forget spam solution without paying for services like Akismet or CleanTalk. It fits blogs with active comments, membership sites with open registration, and local businesses running basic contact forms. Users who value low configuration overhead over feature depth will appreciate the approach.

Who Should Skip It

Sites with high comment or registration volumes, or anyone needing detailed spam logs, country-level blocking, or firewall-level protection, should skip this and look at Akismet or Wordfence instead. Enterprise sites or those already running a full security suite with spam filtering built in have no reason to add another layer.

The Bottom Line

Dam Spam earns a quality score of 71.25 out of 100 and delivers on its core promise as a no-fuss spam blocker, but the tiny install base and absent support track record make it a harder sell for risk-averse site owners. It is a reasonable choice for small sites that want a free, simple alternative to Akismet without monthly fees. Larger or high-traffic sites should stick with proven alternatives that have stronger support and bigger user communities.

Choose Akismet when you have comment-heavy traffic and want the industry-standard, battle-tested spam filter with a generous free tier for personal sites.

Really Simple Security 99/100

Pick Really Simple Security when your priority is broader site hardening including SSL and login protection, with anti-spam as a secondary feature.

Wordfence Security 97/100

Go with Wordfence when you need a full security suite that includes spam blocking alongside firewall, malware scanning, and login security.

Jetpack 94/100

Choose Jetpack when you want spam filtering bundled with backups, performance tools, and growth features from a well-known provider.

CleanTalk Anti-Spam 92/100

Pick CleanTalk when you need a dedicated anti-spam firewall with detailed logs and broad form support beyond the basics.