Instant Indexing vs IndexNow
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
Instant Indexing leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #272, ahead of IndexNow at #329. Over the last 7 days Instant Indexing slipped 1 place and IndexNow climbed 1 place. Instant Indexing has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 200K+ active installs against 100K+ for IndexNow. Downloads this week: IndexNow 4,884 and Instant Indexing 2,121. Ratings: Instant Indexing 3.6★ from 36 and IndexNow 3.2★ from 47 reviews.
| Metric | Instant Indexing | IndexNow |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #272 ▼ 1 | #329 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 200K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 2,121 | 4,884 |
| Rating | 3.6★ (36) | 3.2★ (47) |
| Last updated | Nov 21, 2025 | Jun 26, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.22 | 1.0.4 |
| Best rank on record | #262 | #329 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2019 | Dec 2021 |
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
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Instant Indexing or IndexNow?
By active installs, Instant Indexing: 200K+ sites run it against 100K+ for IndexNow, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Instant Indexing or IndexNow?
Instant Indexing, at #272 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with IndexNow at #329. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Instant Indexing or IndexNow 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.