Broken Link Checker vs External Links in New Window / New Tab
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
Broken Link Checker leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #125, ahead of External Links in New Window / New Tab at #1,048. Over the last 7 days Broken Link Checker slipped 1 place and External Links in New Window / New Tab held its place. Broken Link Checker has the largest install base, roughly 17× the next: 500K+ active installs against 30K+ for External Links in New Window / New Tab. Downloads this week: Broken Link Checker 258,492 and External Links in New Window / New Tab 438. Ratings: Broken Link Checker 3.8★ from 604 and External Links in New Window / New Tab 4.5★ from 77 reviews.
| Metric | Broken Link Checker | External Links in New Window / New Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #125 ▼ 1 | #1,048 ▬ |
| Active installs | 500K+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 258,492 | 438 |
| Rating | 3.8★ (604) | 4.5★ (77) |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2026 | Aug 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.4.15 | 1.45 |
| Best rank on record | #119 | #1,017 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Oct 2007 | Sep 2010 |
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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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Broken Link Checker or External Links in New Window / New Tab?
By active installs, Broken Link Checker: 500K+ sites run it against 30K+ for External Links in New Window / New Tab, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Broken Link Checker or External Links in New Window / New Tab?
Broken Link Checker, at #125 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with External Links in New Window / New Tab at #1,048. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Broken Link Checker or External Links in New Window / New Tab 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.