ACF: Better Search vs Highlight Searched Terms in Results
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
ACF: Better Search leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #819, ahead of Highlight Searched Terms in Results at #32,857. Over the last 7 days ACF: Better Search climbed 3 places and Highlight Searched Terms in Results climbed 933 places. ACF: Better Search has the largest install base, roughly 4000× the next: 40K+ active installs against 10+ for Highlight Searched Terms in Results. Downloads this week: ACF: Better Search 2,434 and Highlight Searched Terms in Results 26. Ratings: ACF: Better Search 4.9★ from 165 and Highlight Searched Terms in Results 5★ from 1 reviews.
| Metric | ACF: Better Search | Highlight Searched Terms in Results |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #819 ▲ 3 | #32,857 ▲ 933 |
| Active installs | 40K+ | 10+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 2,434 | 26 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (165) | 5★ (1) |
| Last updated | Aug 18, 2026 | Jan 16, 2024 |
| Current version | 4.5.1 | 1.11 |
| Best rank on record | #819 | #30,525 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2016 | Mar 2020 |
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
More comparisons
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- ACF: Better Search vs Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome
- ACF: Better Search vs Disable Search
- Highlight Searched Terms in Results vs Customizer Search
- Highlight Searched Terms in Results vs Disable Search
- Highlight Searched Terms in Results vs SearchWP Live Ajax Search
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, ACF: Better Search or Highlight Searched Terms in Results?
By active installs, ACF: Better Search: 40K+ sites run it against 10+ for Highlight Searched Terms in Results, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 21, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, ACF: Better Search or Highlight Searched Terms in Results?
ACF: Better Search, at #819 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Highlight Searched Terms in Results at #32,857. 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 Highlight Searched Terms in Results 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.