ActivityPub vs WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub)
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
WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #378, ahead of ActivityPub at #2,747. Over the last 7 days WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) climbed 1 place and ActivityPub climbed 4 places. WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) has the largest install base, roughly 17× the next: 100K+ active installs against 6K+ for ActivityPub. Downloads this week: WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) 1,219 and ActivityPub 635. Ratings: ActivityPub 4.9★ from 40 and WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) 5★ from 6 reviews.
| Metric | ActivityPub | WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,747 ▲ 4 | #378 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 6K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 635 | 1,219 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (40) | 5★ (6) |
| Last updated | Sep 2, 2026 | Aug 21, 2026 |
| Current version | 9.3.1 | 4.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #2,743 | #369 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2018 | May 2009 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 1 | 0 |
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
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, ActivityPub or WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub)?
By active installs, WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub): 100K+ sites run it against 6K+ for ActivityPub, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, ActivityPub or WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub)?
WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub), at #378 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with ActivityPub at #2,747. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are ActivityPub or WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) 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.