Download Monitor vs Real Media Library
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
Real Media Library leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #457, ahead of Download Monitor at #509. Over the last 7 days Real Media Library climbed 1 place and Download Monitor climbed 2 places. Real Media Library has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 100K+ active installs against 80K+ for Download Monitor. Downloads this week: Download Monitor 35,556 and Real Media Library 5,302. Ratings: Download Monitor 4.5★ from 524 and Real Media Library 4.8★ from 291 reviews.
| Metric | Download Monitor | Real Media Library |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #509 ▲ 2 | #457 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 80K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 35,556 | 5,302 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (524) | 4.8★ (291) |
| Last updated | Sep 7, 2026 | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Current version | 5.2.9 | 4.23.4 |
| Best rank on record | #509 | #456 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2008 | Feb 2020 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 4 | 0 |
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, Download Monitor or Real Media Library?
By active installs, Real Media Library: 100K+ sites run it against 80K+ for Download Monitor, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 14, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Download Monitor or Real Media Library?
Real Media Library, at #457 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Download Monitor at #509. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Download Monitor or Real Media Library 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.