Debug Bar vs Admin Bar Tools
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
Debug Bar leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,351, ahead of Admin Bar Tools at #10,518. Over the last 7 days Debug Bar slipped 1 place and Admin Bar Tools slipped 41 places. Debug Bar has the largest install base, roughly 67× the next: 20K+ active installs against 300+ for Admin Bar Tools. Downloads this week: Debug Bar 14,655 and Admin Bar Tools 30. Ratings: Debug Bar 4.1★ from 69 and Admin Bar Tools 4.8★ from 8 reviews.
| Metric | Debug Bar | Admin Bar Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,351 ▼ 1 | #10,518 ▼ 41 |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 300+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 14,655 | 30 |
| Rating | 4.1★ (69) | 4.8★ (8) |
| Last updated | Oct 15, 2026 | Jan 18, 2021 |
| Current version | 1.2.0 | 4.0 |
| Best rank on record | #1,311 | #10,264 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2010 | Jun 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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- Admin Bar Tools vs Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors
- Admin Bar Tools vs WP Debugging
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Debug Bar or Admin Bar Tools?
By active installs, Debug Bar: 20K+ sites run it against 300+ for Admin Bar Tools, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 27, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Debug Bar or Admin Bar Tools?
Debug Bar, at #1,351 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Admin Bar Tools at #10,518. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Debug Bar or Admin Bar Tools 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.