Cache-Control vs Instant Back/Forward
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
Instant Back/Forward leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,665, ahead of Cache-Control at #5,569. Over the last 7 days Instant Back/Forward climbed 8 places and Cache-Control climbed 9 places. Instant Back/Forward has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 10K+ active installs against 1K+ for Cache-Control. Downloads this week: Instant Back/Forward 1,074 and Cache-Control 362. Ratings: Cache-Control 5★ from 6 and Instant Back/Forward 5★ from 1 reviews.
| Metric | Cache-Control | Instant Back/Forward |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #5,569 ▲ 9 | #1,665 ▲ 8 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 362 | 1,074 |
| Rating | 5★ (6) | 5★ (1) |
| Last updated | Aug 30, 2019 | Sep 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.2.5 | 1.3.3 |
| Best rank on record | #5,553 | #1,665 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2016 | Jul 2025 |
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
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- Instant Back/Forward vs SpinupWP
- Instant Back/Forward vs WP Meteor Website Speed Optimization Addon
- Instant Back/Forward vs Breeze
- Instant Back/Forward vs Cache Enabler
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Cache-Control or Instant Back/Forward?
By active installs, Instant Back/Forward: 10K+ sites run it against 1K+ for Cache-Control, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Cache-Control or Instant Back/Forward?
Instant Back/Forward, at #1,665 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Cache-Control at #5,569. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Cache-Control or Instant Back/Forward 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.