Kadence Central vs iControlWP
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
Kadence Central leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #990, ahead of iControlWP at #6,415. Over the last 7 days Kadence Central climbed 2 places and iControlWP held its place. Kadence Central has the largest install base, roughly 30× the next: 30K+ active installs against 1K+ for iControlWP. Downloads this week: Kadence Central 747 and iControlWP 134. Ratings: Kadence Central 4.2★ from 5 and iControlWP 4.8★ from 63 reviews.
| Metric | Kadence Central | iControlWP |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #990 ▲ 2 | #6,415 ▬ |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 747 | 134 |
| Rating | 4.2★ (5) | 4.8★ (63) |
| Last updated | Aug 19, 2026 | Jun 3, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.0.3 | 5.6.0 |
| Best rank on record | #970 | #6,363 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2017 | May 2012 |
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, Kadence Central or iControlWP?
By active installs, Kadence Central: 30K+ sites run it against 1K+ for iControlWP, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Kadence Central or iControlWP?
Kadence Central, at #990 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with iControlWP at #6,415. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Kadence Central or iControlWP 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.