Ajax Search Lite vs Search in Place
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 Search in Place at #4,107. Over the last 7 days Ajax Search Lite held its place and Search in Place slipped 1 place. Ajax Search Lite has the largest install base, roughly 23× the next: 70K+ active installs against 3K+ for Search in Place. Downloads this week: Ajax Search Lite 24,720 and Search in Place 305. Ratings: Ajax Search Lite 4.8★ from 264 and Search in Place 4.9★ from 64 reviews.
| Metric | Ajax Search Lite | Search in Place |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #565 ▬ | #4,107 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 70K+ | 3K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 24,720 | 305 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (264) | 4.9★ (64) |
| Last updated | Oct 14, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.14.6 | 1.5.7 |
| Best rank on record | #560 | #4,090 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2012 | Jun 2012 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 4 | 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, Ajax Search Lite or Search in Place?
By active installs, Ajax Search Lite: 70K+ sites run it against 3K+ for Search in Place, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Ajax Search Lite or Search in Place?
Ajax Search Lite, at #565 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Search in Place at #4,107. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Ajax Search Lite or Search in Place 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.