How Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection Affects Your WordPress Speed
How is this scored?
Our Benchmark Methodology
Every speed score on MakeWPFast is based on real performance measurements, not estimates. We install each plugin on a clean WordPress 6.9 setup (PHP 8.3, MariaDB, GeneratePress theme) and measure the difference in three metrics:
TTFB (Time To First Byte) — how many milliseconds the plugin adds to server response time. This is the most important factor (50% of the score) because it directly affects every page load.
Memory usage — how much additional PHP memory the plugin consumes per request (30% of score). High memory usage can cause crashes on shared hosting.
Database queries — how many extra SQL queries the plugin runs per page load (20% of score). More queries mean more database work on every request.
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| A / A- | Negligible impact. Safe to install on any hosting. |
| B+ / B / B- | Light impact. Adds some overhead but manageable on most setups. |
| C+ / C / C- | Moderate impact. May noticeably slow down budget hosting. |
| D+ / D | Heavy impact. Will affect page load times. Consider alternatives. |
| F | Severe impact. Significant resource usage that hurts performance. |
Plugins marked "Not Yet Tested" have not been benchmarked yet. We do not estimate or guess scores — if there is no measured data, there is no grade.
Note: Benchmarks measure a plugin in isolation on a clean install. Real-world impact varies based on your hosting, other plugins, and how the plugin is configured.
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Performance Analysis
Akismet is a WordPress plugin that automatically filters spam on comment and contact form submissions. It’s aimed at sites that get a lot of user input and want to keep the front page clean.
It adds minimal load: TTFB delta of +2ms, memory delta of 0.0MB, queries delta of 1. So it’s light, but if you’re strict about zero impact you might skip it.</p
Maintenance Status
Last updated: 2025-11-12. Requires PHP 7.2+. Trusted by 6.0M+ active installations.
Benchmark data measured in an isolated Docker environment (WordPress 6.8, PHP 8.3, GeneratePress). See our full methodology.
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Alternatives to Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection
| Plugin | Speed Score | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Form 7 | A- | 10M+ |
| WPForms – Easy Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Surveys, & More | A | 6M+ |
| WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – The Most Popular SMTP and Email Log Plugin | A | 4M+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
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