ACF: Better Search vs Ajax Search Lite
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Ajax Search Lite leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #565, ahead of ACF: Better Search at #821. Over the last 7 days Ajax Search Lite held its place and ACF: Better Search climbed 1 place. Ajax Search Lite has the largest install base, roughly 1.8× the next: 70K+ active installs against 40K+ for ACF: Better Search. Downloads this week: Ajax Search Lite 22,340 and ACF: Better Search 2,374. Ratings: ACF: Better Search 4.9★ from 165 and Ajax Search Lite 4.8★ from 264 reviews.
| Metric | ACF: Better Search | Ajax Search Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #821 ▲ 1 | #565 ▬ |
| Active installs | 40K+ | 70K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 2,374 | 22,340 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (165) | 4.8★ (264) |
| Last updated | Aug 18, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.5.1 | 4.14.6 |
| Best rank on record | #819 | #560 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2016 | Nov 2012 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 4 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, ACF: Better Search or Ajax Search Lite?
By active installs, Ajax Search Lite: 70K+ sites run it against 40K+ for ACF: Better Search, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, ACF: Better Search or Ajax Search Lite?
Ajax Search Lite, at #565 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with ACF: Better Search at #821. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are ACF: Better Search or Ajax Search Lite alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.