Ad Inserter vs Web Stories
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
Ad Inserter leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #198, ahead of Web Stories at #674. Over the last 7 days Ad Inserter held its place and Web Stories slipped 4 places. Ad Inserter has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 300K+ active installs against 60K+ for Web Stories. Downloads this week: Ad Inserter 9,102 and Web Stories 1,451. Ratings: Ad Inserter 4.9★ from 2,428 and Web Stories 4.2★ from 87 reviews.
| Metric | Ad Inserter | Web Stories |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #198 ▬ | #674 ▼ 4 |
| Active installs | 300K+ | 60K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 9,102 | 1,451 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (2,428) | 4.2★ (87) |
| Last updated | Jul 27, 2026 | May 15, 2025 |
| Current version | 2.8.18 | 1.42.0 |
| Best rank on record | #193 | #648 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2010 | Sep 2020 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 1 | 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, Ad Inserter or Web Stories?
By active installs, Ad Inserter: 300K+ sites run it against 60K+ for Web Stories, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Ad Inserter or Web Stories?
Ad Inserter, at #198 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Web Stories at #674. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Ad Inserter or Web Stories 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.