Compact Archives vs SpiceBox
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
SpiceBox leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,271, ahead of Compact Archives at #5,044. Over the last 7 days SpiceBox held its place and Compact Archives slipped 6 places. SpiceBox has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 20K+ active installs against 2K+ for Compact Archives. Downloads this week: SpiceBox 490 and Compact Archives 89. Ratings: Compact Archives 5★ from 9 and SpiceBox 3.8★ from 4 reviews.
| Metric | Compact Archives | SpiceBox |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #5,044 ▼ 6 | #1,271 ▬ |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 89 | 490 |
| Rating | 5★ (9) | 3.8★ (4) |
| Last updated | Feb 16, 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.1.1 | 2.4.6 |
| Best rank on record | #5,034 | #1,256 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2008 | Feb 2018 |
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, Compact Archives or SpiceBox?
By active installs, SpiceBox: 20K+ sites run it against 2K+ for Compact Archives, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 20, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Compact Archives or SpiceBox?
SpiceBox, at #1,271 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Compact Archives at #5,044. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Compact Archives or SpiceBox 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.