harrym

WordPress uses phpass to store passwords. Because WordPress has to work everywere, it uses the portable version of phpass, 
which uses MD5 to hash passwords. MD5 is not a very good hashing algorithm for passwords, because it’s relatively fast.
This plugin switches over to bcrypt, which is the algorithm recommended by phpass, and is a much better option for password 
storage because it is much slower to produce. This makes it much harder for an attacker who’s managed to access your hashed 
passwords to obtain plain text passwords by brute-forcing, or by trying passwords from a dictionary.
Note: this plugin requires PHP 5.3.0 or newer
Be aware that if you use this plugin and then move to a host that does not support bcrypt, you will need to reset any user 
account that you want to log in with.

wp-bcrypt

wp bcrypt switches WordPress's password hashes from MD5 to bcrypt, making it harder for them to be brute-forced if they are leaked.

Bartosz Gadomski

Teydea Studio

WP Password Policy lets you define and enforce password policies for all users on your WordPress site.
Set rules for password length, complexity (uppercase, lowercase, digits, special characters), restricted characters, password expiration, and more. The plugin validates passwords on login, registration, password changes, and during active sessions — automatically redirecting users to reset non-compliant passwords.
Key benefits:
<ul>
<li>Enforce password length and complexity rules from a single settings page.</li>
<li>Set password expiration to ensure users update their passwords regularly.</li>
<li>Require users to confirm their current password before making changes.</li>
<li>Compatible with WordPress multisite networks.</li>
</ul>
Whether you manage a personal blog, a membership site, or a multisite network, WP Password Policy helps you maintain consistent password standards across all user accounts.
Learn more at <a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">wppasswordpolicy.com</a>.
Why password policies matter
Weak passwords remain one of the most common entry points for unauthorized access to WordPress sites. Enforcing password rules helps reduce this risk and supports compliance with security best practices.
<h3>Features</h3>
<h4>Free Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Minimum password length — Set and enforce the minimum number of characters for user passwords.</li>
<li>Maximum password length — Limit password length to prevent denial-of-service attacks caused by hashing very long passwords.</li>
<li>Password complexity rules — Require a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, special characters, and a minimum number of unique characters.</li>
<li>Consecutive username symbols — Restrict how many consecutive characters from the username can appear in the password.</li>
<li>Restricted characters — Block specific characters from being used in passwords.</li>
<li>Maximum password age — Force users to update their passwords periodically (e.g., every 30 days).</li>
<li>Minimum password age — Prevent users from changing their password too frequently, discouraging rapid cycling back to an old password.</li>
<li>Require current password — Add a “Current Password” field to the user profile screen and validate it before allowing password changes.</li>
<li>Custom password hints — Replace the default WordPress password hint with a policy-specific hint based on active rules.</li>
<li>Site Health integration — A Site Health test reports whether your plugin settings are properly configured.</li>
<li>Multisite/network support — Works with both standard and multisite WordPress installations.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/features/ai-integration/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">AI integration</a> — On WordPress 6.9+ with the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/mcp-adapter/" rel="ugc">MCP Adapter</a> plugin, list, configure, and delete password policies through natural language commands from any connected AI provider.</li>
<li>Translation-ready — Localize the plugin into any language.</li>
</ul>
<h4>PRO Features</h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/features/passwords-reuse-prevention/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">Prevent password reuse</a> — Block users from reusing their previous passwords, encouraging new, unique passwords every time.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/features/dedicated-policies-by-user-and-or-role/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">Custom password policies per role or user</a> — Assign different password rules for administrators, editors, WooCommerce customers, or specific users.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/features/restricted-passwords-list/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">Block common, weak passwords</a> — Over 100,000 common passwords are blocked, preventing users from choosing easy-to-guess passwords.</li>
<li>Integrations:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/woocommerce/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">WooCommerce integration</a> — Enforce password policies on WooCommerce login, registration, checkout account creation (including Store API), account details, password change, and password reset forms. Replaces WooCommerce’s built-in password strength meter with your policy rules.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/ultimate-member/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">Ultimate Member integration</a> — Enforce password policies within Ultimate Member registration, login, password reset, and password change forms. Disables Ultimate Member’s built-in password strength option to avoid conflicts.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/tutor-lms/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">Tutor LMS integration</a> — Enforce password policies on Tutor LMS student and instructor registration, login, password change, and password reset forms.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/lifterlms/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">LifterLMS integration</a> — Enforce password policies on LifterLMS registration (including checkout), account password change, and password reset forms. Replaces LifterLMS’s built-in password strength meter with your policy rules.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/learnpress/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">LearnPress integration</a> — Enforce password policies on LearnPress registration, login, and password change forms.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/sensei-lms/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">Sensei LMS integration</a> — Enforce password policies on Sensei LMS registration and login forms.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/buddypress/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">BuddyPress integration</a> — Enforce password policies on BuddyPress registration, login, and password change forms.</li>
<li><a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/integrations/bbpress/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">bbPress integration</a> — Enforce password policies on bbPress login and profile password change forms. Replaces bbPress’s built-in password strength meter with your policy rules.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Priority support and updates — Get premium email support and updates.</li>
</ul>
Learn more about the PRO version at <a href="https://wppasswordpolicy.com/pricing/?utm_source=WP+Password+Policy" rel="nofollow ugc">wppasswordpolicy.com/pricing</a>.
<h3>Video Tutorial</h3>
See the plugin in action:
<iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7g_hWHZ4IFs?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>
<h3>Related Plugins</h3>
Looking for a way to force users to reset their passwords immediately? Check our <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/password-reset-enforcement/" rel="ugc">Password Reset Enforcement</a> plugin — it lets you require password resets site-wide, by role, or for individual users, with WP-CLI support for automation.

WP Password Policy

Define and enforce password policies for your WordPress site with length, complexity, and expiration rules.

wp-bcrypt vs WP Password Policy