Highlight Search Terms vs Highlighting Code Block
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
Highlighting Code Block leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,717, ahead of Highlight Search Terms at #2,738. Over the last 7 days Highlighting Code Block slipped 7 places and Highlight Search Terms climbed 2 places. Highlighting Code Block has the largest install base, roughly 1.7× the next: 10K+ active installs against 6K+ for Highlight Search Terms. Downloads this week: Highlighting Code Block 358 and Highlight Search Terms 200. Ratings: Highlight Search Terms 5★ from 40 and Highlighting Code Block 4.5★ from 20 reviews.
| Metric | Highlight Search Terms | Highlighting Code Block |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,738 ▲ 2 | #1,717 ▼ 7 |
| Active installs | 6K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 200 | 358 |
| Rating | 5★ (40) | 4.5★ (20) |
| Last updated | Sep 3, 2026 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.8.4 | 2.2.1 |
| Best rank on record | #2,716 | #1,700 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2009 | Dec 2018 |
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, Highlight Search Terms or Highlighting Code Block?
By active installs, Highlighting Code Block: 10K+ sites run it against 6K+ for Highlight Search Terms, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 19, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Highlight Search Terms or Highlighting Code Block?
Highlighting Code Block, at #1,717 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Highlight Search Terms at #2,738. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Highlight Search Terms or Highlighting Code Block 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.