Comment Referrers vs Native PHP Sessions
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
Native PHP Sessions leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,599, ahead of Comment Referrers at #17,460. Over the last 7 days Native PHP Sessions slipped 1 place and Comment Referrers slipped 129 places. Native PHP Sessions has the largest install base, roughly 125× the next: 10K+ active installs against 80+ for Comment Referrers. Downloads this week: Native PHP Sessions 4,419 and Comment Referrers 17.
| Metric | Comment Referrers | Native PHP Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #17,460 ▼ 129 | #1,599 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 80+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 17 | 4,419 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.9★ (16) |
| Last updated | Dec 9, 2016 | Dec 4, 2025 |
| Current version | 0.2 | 1.4.5 |
| Best rank on record | #17,331 | #1,596 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2008 | Sep 2014 |
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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- Comment Referrers vs Back In Stock Notifier for WooCommerce | WooCommerce Waitlist Pro
- Native PHP Sessions vs Throws SPAM Away
- Native PHP Sessions vs Cookies for Comments
- Native PHP Sessions vs Disable Comments RB
- Native PHP Sessions vs Subscribe to Comments
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Comment Referrers or Native PHP Sessions?
By active installs, Native PHP Sessions: 10K+ sites run it against 80+ for Comment Referrers, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Comment Referrers or Native PHP Sessions?
Native PHP Sessions, at #1,599 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Comment Referrers at #17,460. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Comment Referrers or Native PHP Sessions 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.