Image Placeholders vs WebP Express
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
WebP Express leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #167, ahead of Image Placeholders at #659. Over the last 7 days WebP Express held its place and Image Placeholders slipped 3 places. WebP Express has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 300K+ active installs against 60K+ for Image Placeholders. Downloads this week: WebP Express 6,301 and Image Placeholders 2,899. Ratings: Image Placeholders 3.5★ from 2 and WebP Express 4.4★ from 162 reviews.
| Metric | Image Placeholders | WebP Express |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #659 ▼ 3 | #167 ▬ |
| Active installs | 60K+ | 300K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 2,899 | 6,301 |
| Rating | 3.5★ (2) | 4.4★ (162) |
| Last updated | Aug 26, 2026 | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3.0 | 0.25.15 |
| Best rank on record | #643 | #165 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Oct 2023 | Aug 2018 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 2 |
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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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Image Placeholders or WebP Express?
By active installs, WebP Express: 300K+ sites run it against 60K+ for Image Placeholders, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Image Placeholders or WebP Express?
WebP Express, at #167 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Image Placeholders at #659. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Image Placeholders or WebP Express 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.