Customizer Search vs Search Exclude
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
Search Exclude leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #723, ahead of Customizer Search at #804. Over the last 7 days Search Exclude slipped 1 place and Customizer Search slipped 2 places. Search Exclude has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 50K+ active installs against 40K+ for Customizer Search. Downloads this week: Search Exclude 6,029 and Customizer Search 562. Ratings: Customizer Search 5★ from 10 and Search Exclude 4.8★ from 217 reviews.
| Metric | Customizer Search | Search Exclude |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #804 ▼ 2 | #723 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 40K+ | 50K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 562 | 6,029 |
| Rating | 5★ (10) | 4.8★ (217) |
| Last updated | Jun 19, 2025 | Oct 5, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.2.1 | 2.6.8 |
| Best rank on record | #791 | #715 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2017 | Dec 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
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- Search Exclude vs Disable Search
- Search Exclude vs SearchWP Live Ajax Search
- Search Exclude vs ACF: Better Search
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Customizer Search or Search Exclude?
By active installs, Search Exclude: 50K+ sites run it against 40K+ for Customizer Search, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Customizer Search or Search Exclude?
Search Exclude, at #723 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Customizer Search at #804. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Customizer Search or Search Exclude 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.