Disable Search vs Highlight Search Terms
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
Disable Search leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #920, ahead of Highlight Search Terms at #2,739. Over the last 7 days Disable Search climbed 1 place and Highlight Search Terms held its place. Disable Search has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 30K+ active installs against 6K+ for Highlight Search Terms. Downloads this week: Disable Search 553 and Highlight Search Terms 207. Ratings: Disable Search 4.7★ from 16 and Highlight Search Terms 5★ from 40 reviews.
| Metric | Disable Search | Highlight Search Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #920 ▲ 1 | #2,739 ▬ |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 6K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 553 | 207 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (16) | 5★ (40) |
| Last updated | Apr 14, 2025 | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.1 | 1.8.4 |
| Best rank on record | #908 | #2,716 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2009 | Apr 2009 |
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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- Disable Search vs Disable Emojis (GDPR friendly)
- Highlight Search Terms vs String Locator
- Highlight Search Terms vs Customizer Search
- Highlight Search Terms vs Advanced Product Labels for WooCommerce
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Disable Search or Highlight Search Terms?
By active installs, Disable Search: 30K+ sites run it against 6K+ for Highlight Search Terms, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 20, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Disable Search or Highlight Search Terms?
Disable Search, at #920 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Highlight Search Terms at #2,739. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Disable Search or Highlight Search Terms 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.