WP Hive’s Memory Usage Measurement Math Doesn’t Add Up
In the past, we have looked at the performance impact and memory usage increase caused by WordPress firewall plugins that provide real protection. We recently ran across a website called WP Hive that provides claimed measurements of the performance impact and memory usage caused by plugins. We were interested in seeing how the results compared to our testing. What we found was that the results don’t add up.
As an example of that, look at the memory usage results for one of the plugin’s we have tested, Wordfence Security:
The claimed average increase in memory usage of 4443.44 KB is only slightly higher than the 4090.26 KB increase recorded in our test, so that seems plausible.
The problem is that the change recorded for their individual tests is consistently below the claimed average. With none being even being 600 KB.
The sum of the individual tests is 6109.74 KB, so that wouldn’t explain the other value either.
The average of the performance numbers also didn’t match the individual test, but the difference was smaller.
Comparing Apples to Oranges
WP Hive rates Wordfence Security as failing to have a “minimal impact on memory usage”:
Based on our testing against comparable plugins that seems accurate, but WP Hive is basing that on comparing it to all other plugins:
The memory usage of this plugin is more than the average memory usage of other plugins on WordPress.org + 200KB
Different types of plugins are going to have very different memory usage, so that rating seems of limited value.
Misleading in General
Other information on WP Hive is misleading, at best. At the top of the website is a banner promoting exclusive offers:
Clicking on that takes you to a page that emphasizes the exclusivity again:
Get the WP Hive special WordPress coupons and deals, curated
exclusively for you, in one single page.
If look at the links for the various offers, they are all affiliate links, so not really exclusive. But more importantly, there is no disclosure that they are affiliate links.
They also post paid reviews of plugins without disclosing that they are sponsored.