Advanced Search Widget vs Search Meter
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
Search Meter leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,355, ahead of Advanced Search Widget at #14,193. Over the last 7 days Search Meter climbed 3 places and Advanced Search Widget slipped 190 places. Search Meter has the largest install base, roughly 200× the next: 20K+ active installs against 100+ for Advanced Search Widget. Downloads this week: Search Meter 1,226 and Advanced Search Widget 25. Ratings: Advanced Search Widget 4★ from 2 and Search Meter 4.3★ from 29 reviews.
| Metric | Advanced Search Widget | Search Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #14,193 ▼ 190 | #1,355 ▲ 3 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 25 | 1,226 |
| Rating | 4★ (2) | 4.3★ (29) |
| Last updated | Dec 21, 2013 | Dec 3, 2025 |
| Current version | 0.3 | 2.14.1 |
| Best rank on record | #13,684 | #1,353 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2012 | Jun 2008 |
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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- Search Meter vs Shortcode Widget
- Search Meter vs Disable Search
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Advanced Search Widget or Search Meter?
By active installs, Search Meter: 20K+ sites run it against 100+ for Advanced Search Widget, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Advanced Search Widget or Search Meter?
Search Meter, at #1,355 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Advanced Search Widget at #14,193. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Advanced Search Widget or Search Meter 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.