Autoptimize vs W3 Total Cache
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
W3 Total Cache leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #72, ahead of Autoptimize at #77. W3 Total Cache has the largest install base: 900K+ active installs against 800K+ for Autoptimize. Downloads this week: W3 Total Cache 122,770 and Autoptimize 18,650. Ratings: Autoptimize 4.7★ from 1,428 and W3 Total Cache 4.4★ from 5,420 reviews.
| Metric | Autoptimize | W3 Total Cache |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #77 ▬ | #72 ▬ |
| Active installs | 800K+ | 900K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 18,650 | 122,770 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (1,428) | 4.4★ (5,420) |
| Last updated | Aug 20, 2026 | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.1.15.1 | 2.10.6 |
| Best rank on record | #77 | #71 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2009 | Jul 2009 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 6 | 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
More comparisons
- Autoptimize vs LiteSpeed Cache
- Autoptimize vs WP Super Cache
- Autoptimize vs WP Fastest Cache
- Autoptimize vs WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs LiteSpeed Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs WP Super Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs WP Fastest Cache
- W3 Total Cache vs WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Autoptimize or W3 Total Cache?
By active installs, W3 Total Cache: 900K+ sites run it against 800K+ for Autoptimize, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Autoptimize or W3 Total Cache?
W3 Total Cache, at #72 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Autoptimize at #77. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Autoptimize or W3 Total Cache alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are caching & performance plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
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.