Breeze 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 Breeze at #160. W3 Total Cache has the largest install base, roughly 3× the next: 900K+ active installs against 300K+ for Breeze. Downloads this week: W3 Total Cache 138,570 and Breeze 53,710. Ratings: Breeze 3.6★ from 133 and W3 Total Cache 4.4★ from 5,420 reviews.
| Metric | Breeze | W3 Total Cache |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #160 ▬ | #72 ▬ |
| Active installs | 300K+ | 900K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 53,710 | 138,570 |
| Rating | 3.6★ (133) | 4.4★ (5,420) |
| Last updated | Oct 20, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.6.3 | 2.11.0 |
| Best rank on record | #155 | #71 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2017 | Jul 2009 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 7 | 14 |
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, Breeze or W3 Total Cache?
By active installs, W3 Total Cache: 900K+ sites run it against 300K+ for Breeze, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 30, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Breeze or W3 Total Cache?
W3 Total Cache, at #72 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Breeze at #160. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Breeze 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.