Spam is a bummer, as I’m sure most of you agree. Here are some antispam tools we’ve personally used. This first one is great

Anti-spam

Pros

• super simple, no configuration
• integrates seamlessly with any theme
• free

So far no cons. Crazy, I know.

Another strategy is to use 2 plugins together. For example, I’ve had excellent results using Antispam Bee and Spam Free WordPress. Antispam Bee alone sometimes misses spam posted by a spambot and since a blog can receive thousands of these per month, even a small percentage can mean quite a lot of spam removal to deal with. By adding Spam Free WordPress into the mix you can pretty much eliminate automated (spambot) comment spam. Unfortunately it fails to catch some of the manual spam added by real people which is where Antispam Bee shines since it’s using the Project Honeypot which publishes a list of the top URLs, domains, and keywords being promoted by comment spammers. Project Honey Pot also publishes a list of the top IP addresses being used by comment spammers.

Plugins

Antispam Bee

Pros

• uses Project Honeypot
• integrates seamlessly with any theme
• free

Cons

• doesn’t always work against automated (spambots) comment spam
• support seems to be non existent or only in German

Spam Free WordPress

Pros

• blocks 100% of automated (spambots) comment spam
• free

Cons

• may need some work to fit in with your theme
• can be tricked by human spammers (actual people paid to add spam manually)

Service

Akismet

Pros

• free for personal use
• integrates seamlessly with any theme

Cons

• doesn’t categorize as accurately as you’d hope (false positives as high as 10%)
• can cost a lot if you receive lots of comments