rationalwp

RationalCleanup removes unnecessary WordPress features, hardens security, and improves performance. All 24 options are toggleable with sensible defaults that balance security and compatibility.
<h4>Features</h4>
Head Tags 
Remove unnecessary meta tags and links from the document head:
<ul>
<li>Remove WordPress generator meta tag (hides version number)</li>
<li>Remove WLW manifest link</li>
<li>Remove RSD link</li>
<li>Remove shortlink</li>
<li>Remove REST API discovery link</li>
<li>Remove RSS feed links</li>
</ul>
Frontend Bloat 
Remove scripts and styles that most sites don’t need:
<ul>
<li>Remove emoji detection scripts and styles</li>
<li>Remove jQuery Migrate from frontend</li>
<li>Remove Gutenberg block library CSS</li>
<li>Remove global styles and SVG filters</li>
</ul>
Security 
Harden WordPress against common attack vectors:
<ul>
<li>Disable XML-RPC completely (prevents brute force and DDoS attacks)</li>
<li>Prevent user enumeration (blocks author archives and REST API user endpoints)</li>
<li>Obfuscate login error messages (prevents username discovery)</li>
</ul>
Performance 
Reduce unnecessary WordPress overhead:
<ul>
<li>Disable self-pingbacks</li>
<li>Throttle Heartbeat API (reduces server load)</li>
<li>Extend autosave interval (reduces database writes)</li>
</ul>
Features 
Disable major WordPress subsystems:
<ul>
<li>Disable comments system completely</li>
<li>Disable block editor (force classic editor)</li>
<li>Disable REST API for non-authenticated users</li>
</ul>
Admin Cleanup 
Declutter the WordPress admin dashboard:
<ul>
<li>Remove WordPress Events and News widget</li>
<li>Remove Quick Draft widget</li>
<li>Remove At a Glance widget</li>
<li>Remove Activity widget</li>
<li>Remove Site Health Status widget</li>
</ul>
<h4>Opinionated Defaults</h4>
RationalCleanup uses sensible defaults:
<ul>
<li>Security options: Enabled by default (XML-RPC disabled, user enumeration blocked)</li>
<li>Head cleanup: Mostly enabled (safe, no compatibility issues)</li>
<li>Frontend cleanup: Emoji and jQuery Migrate removal enabled</li>
<li>Breaking features: Disabled by default (comments, block editor, REST API restrictions)</li>
<li>Admin widgets: Disabled by default</li>
</ul>
<h4>RationalWP Menu</h4>
This plugin uses a shared parent menu for all RationalWP plugins. When activated, you’ll see a RationalWP menu in your admin sidebar containing links to all installed RationalWP plugins.

RationalCleanup

Clean up legacy WordPress bloat, improve security, and optimize performance with toggleable, opinionated defaults.

brainvireinfo

You can now disable XML-RPC to avoid Brute force attack for given IPs or can even enable access for some IPs. XML-RPC on WordPress is actually an API that gives developers who build mobile apps, desktop apps and other services, the ability to talk to a WordPress site. The XML-RPC API that WordPress provides gives developers, a way to write applications (for you) that can do many of the things that you can do when logged into WordPress via the web interface.
<h4>Features</h4>
Block XML-RPC by following way.
<ul>
<li>Disable pingback.ping, pingback.extensions.getPingbacks and Unset X-Pingback from HTTP headers, that will block bots to access specified method.</li>
<li>Disable/Block XML-RPC for all users.</li>
</ul>

Manage XML-RPC

Enable/Disable XML-RPC for all or based on IP list, also you can control pingback and Unset X-Pingback from HTTP headers.

RationalCleanup vs Manage XML-RPC