Canonical Link vs Head Meta Data
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
Head Meta Data leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,713, ahead of Canonical Link at #4,766. Over the last 7 days Head Meta Data slipped 5 places and Canonical Link slipped 6 places. Head Meta Data has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 10K+ active installs against 2K+ for Canonical Link. Downloads this week: Head Meta Data 385 and Canonical Link 88. Ratings: Canonical Link 5★ from 1 and Head Meta Data 4.8★ from 19 reviews.
| Metric | Canonical Link | Head Meta Data |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #4,766 ▼ 6 | #1,713 ▼ 5 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 88 | 385 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | 4.8★ (19) |
| Last updated | May 18, 2026 | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.7 | 20260810 |
| Best rank on record | #4,751 | #1,687 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2010 | Nov 2012 |
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, Canonical Link or Head Meta Data?
By active installs, Head Meta Data: 10K+ sites run it against 2K+ for Canonical Link, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 19, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Canonical Link or Head Meta Data?
Head Meta Data, at #1,713 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Canonical Link at #4,766. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Canonical Link or Head Meta Data 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.