Autoptimize vs Image Placeholders
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
Autoptimize leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #77, ahead of Image Placeholders at #659. Over the last 7 days Autoptimize held its place and Image Placeholders slipped 2 places. Autoptimize has the largest install base, roughly 13× the next: 800K+ active installs against 60K+ for Image Placeholders. Downloads this week: Autoptimize 39,879 and Image Placeholders 2,895. Ratings: Autoptimize 4.7★ from 1,428 and Image Placeholders 3.5★ from 2 reviews.
| Metric | Autoptimize | Image Placeholders |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #77 ▬ | #659 ▼ 2 |
| Active installs | 800K+ | 60K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 39,879 | 2,895 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (1,428) | 3.5★ (2) |
| Last updated | Sep 26, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.1.16 | 1.3.0 |
| Best rank on record | #77 | #643 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2009 | Oct 2023 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 9 | 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, Autoptimize or Image Placeholders?
By active installs, Autoptimize: 800K+ sites run it against 60K+ for Image Placeholders, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Autoptimize or Image Placeholders?
Autoptimize, at #77 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Image Placeholders at #659. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Autoptimize or Image Placeholders 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.