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Jetpack Review
Reviewed by Carlos Gil · Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Updated 6 min readEditorially reviewed
Quick facts
- Starting price
- Free plugin; Security $9.95/mo billed yearly in year one ($19.95/mo after)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Best for
- Owners of self-hosted WordPress sites who want real-time backups, malware scanning and spam filtering from one vendor without managing several plugins
- Platforms
- WordPress plugin (self-hosted WordPress), Jetpack mobile app
BestStacked Score
Weighted average of 5 categories. Methodology below.
Quick answer
Is Jetpack worth it for a WordPress site?
Jetpack is a WordPress plugin from Automattic that adds backups, security scanning, a firewall, spam protection, stats, social sharing, newsletters, site search and performance tools to a self-hosted WordPress site. The free plugin covers brute-force protection, basic stats for personal sites and an image CDN. On October 19, 2026, Security (real-time backups with 10 GB, malware scanning, an automatic firewall and Akismet spam filtering) cost $9.95 a month billed yearly in the first year, then $19.95; Complete, the full suite, cost $24.95 a month in year one, then $49.95. Jetpack is worth it if you'd otherwise run separate backup, security and spam plugins. Plan for the second-year price, which is double the first.
- Best for
- Self-hosted WordPress sites that want backups, scanning and spam protection from one vendor with priority support.
- Skip it if
- Your host already includes backups and malware scanning, or you only need a firewall (Wordfence Premium is $149 a year).
- Strongest capability
- Real-time cloud backups with unlimited restores and a 30-day or 1-year activity log, paired with malware scanning.
- Biggest limitation
- First-year prices are half the regular price, and Scan isn't designed to clean sites infected before it was active.
- Current cost
- Free; Security or Growth $9.95/mo billed yearly in year one ($19.95 after); Complete $24.95 ($49.95 after).
The Verdict
Jetpack puts backups, security and growth tools for self-hosted WordPress into one plugin. Security bundles real-time VaultPress backups with unlimited restores, Jetpack Scan malware scanning with one-click fixes, a firewall with automatic rules and Akismet spam filtering; Growth covers stats, social sharing, newsletters and paid content; Complete adds 1 TB of backups, VideoPress hosting, site search, Jetpack Boost's automated critical CSS, Jetpack AI and a CRM. Paid plans get priority support from Automattic's Happiness Engineers, and refunds are available for 14 days on yearly plans. The trade-offs are cost after year one, when prices double, a required WordPress.com account connection, a separate subscription for each site in a multisite network, and Scan's stated limit: it won't fully clean a site that was infected before you installed it. If your host already bundles backups and scanning, you may need only the free plugin. We score Jetpack 7.9/10.
Best for
Small businesses, publishers and WooCommerce stores on self-hosted WordPress that want backups and security handled by one vendor.
Skip if
Your host already provides backups and malware scanning, you can't connect a WordPress.com account, or you run a large multisite network.
AlternativesWordfence, Pressable
The Background
What Is Jetpack?
Jetpack is a plugin for self-hosted WordPress from Automattic, sold alongside Akismet and the Automattic for Agencies program. You install it from WordPress.org and connect a free WordPress.com account, because many of its features run on WordPress.com's cloud. The free plugin adds brute-force login protection, basic stats for personal sites, an image CDN, downtime monitoring, a newsletter and the Jetpack mobile app. Paid bundles add the products Automattic also sells separately: VaultPress Backup, Jetpack Scan and a web application firewall, Akismet anti-spam, VideoPress, Jetpack Search, Jetpack Boost, Jetpack Social, Jetpack Stats, Jetpack AI and Jetpack CRM. It doesn't host your site, replace your host's server-level security or guarantee that a site can't be hacked; it adds backups, scanning and monitoring on top of whatever host you use.
The Product
Jetpack Features: What You Actually Get
VaultPress Backup and activity log
Security and Complete include real-time cloud backups, unlimited restores and one-click rollback from the activity log, which keeps 30 days of events on Security and a year on Complete. Storage starts at 10 GB on Security and 1 TB on Complete. When storage fills, Jetpack deletes older backups, and the retention period can shrink depending on the site's size.
A shop owner rolls the site back from the activity log to the point just before a faulty plugin update.
Scan, firewall and Akismet
Jetpack Scan checks WordPress core, themes and plugins for malware in real time and offers one-click fixes on Security and Complete. The web application firewall runs automatic rules on those plans and manual rules on Free and Growth. Akismet filters comment and form spam (10,000 API calls a month on Security, 60,000 on Complete). Jetpack's FAQ notes Scan isn't designed to fully clean a site infected before it was active, though support can advise.
A small business gets an alert about a compromised plugin file and applies the suggested fix from the dashboard.
Growth: stats, social and newsletters
Growth adds commercial-use stats (10,000 views a month, 100,000 on Complete) with UTM, device and location reports, Jetpack Social Advanced for sharing posts to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mastodon and more, WordAds display ads, PayPal payments, paywalls and paid newsletters. Transaction fees on payments you collect are 2% on paid plans and 10% on Free.
A newsletter publisher moves its list in with unlimited subscriber import and puts premium posts behind a paywall.
Complete: video, search, speed and AI
Complete adds VideoPress hosting (1 TB, ad-free), Jetpack Search for up to 100,000 records and 100,000 requests a month, Jetpack Boost's automated critical CSS and performance history, Jetpack AI with what Jetpack calls high request capacity, and the CRM Entrepreneur bundle. Lower plans keep a free tier of each, such as 1 video and 20 AI requests.
A membership site hosts lesson videos on VideoPress and adds instant site search across 50,000 posts.
Feature recap
- Free plugin: brute-force protection, image CDN, basic stats
- Real-time backups with unlimited restores (Security, Complete)
- Malware scanning with one-click fixes and an automatic firewall
- Akismet spam filtering included in Security and Complete
- Stats, social sharing, newsletters and paywalls in Growth
- VideoPress, Search, Boost, Jetpack AI and CRM in Complete
- Priority support on paid plans; forums on Free
- 14-day refund on yearly plans; first-year prices half of regular
The Numbers
Jetpack Pricing: Every Plan Explained
These are USD prices from jetpack.com/pricing on October 19, 2026, read in a browser. Paid bundles were shown at 50% off for the first year, billed yearly, with the regular monthly-equivalent price next to them. Jetpack says it doesn't offer multi-year subscriptions or discounts. Each site needs its own plan.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Included Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Brute-force protection, image CDN, basic stats (personal sites), downtime monitoring, newsletter, 20 AI requests | Every self-hosted WordPress site |
| SecurityBest value | $9.95/mo first year, then $19.95/mo | $119.40 first year, then $239.40/yr (billed yearly) | Real-time backups (10 GB), unlimited restores, Scan, automatic firewall, Akismet 10k calls/mo, 30-day activity log | Sites that need backups and malware scanning |
| Growth | $9.95/mo first year, then $19.95/mo | $119.40 first year, then $239.40/yr (billed yearly) | Commercial stats (10k views/mo), Social Advanced, WordAds, paywall, paid newsletters, unlimited subscriber import; no backups | Publishers growing an audience |
| Complete | $24.95/mo first year, then $49.95/mo | $299.40 first year, then $599.40/yr (billed yearly) | Security and Growth plus 1 TB backups, VideoPress 1 TB, Search 100k records, Boost automation, Jetpack AI, CRM, 1-year activity log | Businesses that want the whole suite |
Pricing scenarios (our calculations from Jetpack's published USD prices, October 19, 2026; billed yearly; tax excluded). Security costs $119.40 in the first year and $239.40 a year after, so two years cost $358.80. Complete costs $299.40 in year one and $599.40 a year after; buying Security and Growth separately costs the same in year one ($238.80) and less after ($478.80), but leaves out 1 TB of backup storage, VideoPress, Search, Boost automation and the CRM. Against a firewall-only plugin, Wordfence Premium is $149 a year with real-time firewall rules and malware signatures but no cloud backups. And if you're choosing a host, Pressable's Signature plans include Jetpack Security, which it values at $239 a year, so a Pressable customer shouldn't buy it twice. Refunds: Jetpack's FAQ promises full refunds within 14 days for yearly plans and 7 days for monthly plans. Agencies with five or more sites get volume discounts of 10% up to 80% through Automattic for Agencies.
Read before you buy
Requirements and limits to know
Jetpack needs a free WordPress.com account connection because many features run on WordPress.com's cloud. Its FAQ says your site should run the latest version of WordPress and be publicly accessible with XML-RPC enabled, so a site behind a login wall or with XML-RPC blocked by a security plugin or host may need changes first.
Multisite networks can use the free features, but Jetpack says each site in the network needs its own paid subscription for paid features. Agencies managing five or more sites should look at Automattic for Agencies' volume discounts instead of buying site by site.
Scan is preventive. Jetpack's FAQ says it detects and prevents attacks but isn't designed to fully clean a site infected before Scan was active; Jetpack's support team can advise on cleanup. If you suspect a site is already compromised, deal with that before relying on Scan.
Scoring
How the score is built
BestStacked weights five sub-scores: ease of use 20%, features 25%, pricing 20%, support 15% and integrations 20%. For Jetpack they come only from Jetpack's own pricing page and FAQ, not from testing, and sit on the same scale as our WordPress review. Ease of use 8.2: one plugin replaces several, with one-click restores and fixes, but it requires a WordPress.com connection and XML-RPC. Features 8.4: backups, scanning, firewall, spam filtering, stats, newsletters, video, search, performance and AI in one product, with the strongest tools reserved for Complete. Pricing 7.2: a useful free plugin and a 14-day refund, offset by first-year discounts that double at renewal, no multi-year option and per-site pricing on multisite. Support 8.0: priority support from Happiness Engineers on every paid plan, community forums on Free. Integrations 7.6: ties to WordPress, Akismet, PayPal, WordAds and the major social networks, but it works only with WordPress. That works out to 7.9 out of 10.
The Tradeoffs
Jetpack Pros and Cons
What we love
- Real-time backups with unlimited restores on Security
- Malware scanning, automatic firewall and Akismet in one plan
- Free plugin covers login protection, CDN and basic stats
- Complete adds video hosting, search, Boost and AI
- Priority support on every paid plan
- 14-day refund on yearly plans
What could be better
- Prices double after the first year
- Requires a WordPress.com account connection and XML-RPC
- Scan isn't built to clean pre-existing infections
- Each multisite site needs its own subscription
- Older backups are deleted when storage fills
- No multi-year discount
The Audience
Who Should Use Jetpack?
Best for: small businesses on shared hosting
If your host doesn't back up in real time or scan for malware, Security adds both, plus spam filtering, for $119.40 in the first year.
Best for: publishers and newsletter writers
Growth adds commercial stats, social auto-sharing, paywalls and paid newsletters, with 2% transaction fees instead of the free plan's 10%.
Skip if: your host already covers backups and scanning
Managed hosts such as Pressable include Jetpack Security, and others include their own backups. Keep the free plugin and avoid paying twice.
The Methodology
How We Reviewed Jetpack
This is an editorial review, not a hands-on test. We didn't install Jetpack for this review and make no claims about backup speed, malware detection rates or site-speed gains. It's based on Jetpack's own pricing page and its FAQ, read in a browser on October 19, 2026, including the plan comparison table. Competitor prices come from Wordfence's and Pressable's own pricing pages the same day. BestStacked is a Jetpack affiliate through Automattic's Impact program and may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page; that relationship plays no part in the score, and Automattic didn't review or approve this page.
Our editorial evaluation considers product information, official documentation, pricing, features and professional experience. It is not a claim of documented hands-on testing.
Our review methodology →What changed
- : First published. Editorial review based on Jetpack's pricing page, plan comparison table and FAQ, read in a browser on October 19, 2026.
The Field
Jetpack vs The Competition
Prices below were read on each vendor's own pricing page on October 19, 2026, in USD.
| Tool | Starting Price | Free plan | Best Feature | BS Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jetpack | Free plugin; Security $9.95/mo billed yearly in year one ($19.95/mo after) | Yes | VaultPress Backup and activity log | 7.9/10 |
| Wordfence | Free; Premium $149/yr | Yes | Firewall and malware scanner with real-time rules on Premium | —No BestStacked review yet |
| Pressable | Signature 1 $25/mo, or $250/yr | No | Managed WordPress hosting with Jetpack Security included | 8/10 |
Wordfence: Wordfence's free plugin delays firewall rules and malware signatures by 30 days; Premium ($149 a year) gets them in real time, and Care ($590) and Response ($1,250) add hands-on help and incident response. It doesn't include cloud backups, so pair it with a backup plugin or a host that backs up.
Pressable: Pressable is Automattic's managed WordPress host. Its Signature plans include Jetpack Security, hourly and daily backups and 24/7 support, so a Pressable site doesn't need a separate Security plan.Read our Pressable review →
In The Wild
How People Actually Use Jetpack
A local business site on shared hosting
Install the free plugin, then add Security for $119.40 in year one to get real-time backups, malware scanning and spam filtering. Budget $239.40 a year from year two.
A WooCommerce store
Security backs up changes in real time with unlimited restores. Complete adds 1 TB of backup storage and site search for large catalogs at $299.40 in year one.
An agency with 20 client sites
Buying site by site adds up quickly; Automattic for Agencies lists 40% off at 20 or more licenses. Check whether your hosting partner already includes Jetpack Security.
The Ecosystem
Jetpack Integrations
Jetpack works inside WordPress and connects to these services, per its pricing page on October 19, 2026.
- →Self-hosted WordPress (connected to a free WordPress.com account)
- →Akismet anti-spam
- →Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mastodon and more via Jetpack Social
- →PayPal payments and WordAds
- →Jetpack mobile app
- →Automattic for Agencies licensing dashboard
Jetpack runs only on WordPress and needs a WordPress.com account connection. Check what your host already includes before buying a paid plan.
Common Questions
Jetpack FAQ
The Final Word
Should You Use Jetpack?
Jetpack is the simplest way to add real-time backups, malware scanning, a firewall and spam filtering to a self-hosted WordPress site from one vendor, with priority support on every paid plan. Start with the free plugin; add Security if your host doesn't already back up and scan your site; consider Complete only if you'll use VideoPress, Search, Boost or the CRM. Budget for the second-year price, which doubles, and remember that each site needs its own plan. If you're choosing hosting at the same time, Pressable includes Jetpack Security; if you only want a firewall, Wordfence Premium costs less. We score Jetpack 7.9/10.
Yes, if
you run self-hosted WordPress without backups or scanning from your host and want them from one vendor with support
No, if
your host already covers backups and malware scanning, you can't connect a WordPress.com account, or you run a large multisite network
About the reviewer
Carlos Gil
Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Carlos Gil is the Founder & Editor of The Best Network, bestselling author of The End of Marketing, and a LinkedIn Top Voice. His digital marketing career began in 2008 and spans corporate roles at LinkedIn and BMC Software, consulting for global brands, creator partnerships, and building his own businesses.
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