Link Manager vs External Links in New Window / New Tab
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
External Links in New Window / New Tab leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,048, ahead of Link Manager at #1,116. Over the last 7 days External Links in New Window / New Tab held its place and Link Manager climbed 2 places. External Links in New Window / New Tab has the largest install base, roughly 1.5× the next: 30K+ active installs against 20K+ for Link Manager. Downloads this week: External Links in New Window / New Tab 446 and Link Manager 177. Ratings: Link Manager 4.5★ from 33 and External Links in New Window / New Tab 4.5★ from 77 reviews.
| Metric | Link Manager | External Links in New Window / New Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,116 ▲ 2 | #1,048 ▬ |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 177 | 446 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (33) | 4.5★ (77) |
| Last updated | Nov 28, 2017 | Aug 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 0.1-beta | 1.45 |
| Best rank on record | #1,106 | #1,017 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2012 | Sep 2010 |
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, Link Manager or External Links in New Window / New Tab?
By active installs, External Links in New Window / New Tab: 30K+ sites run it against 20K+ for Link Manager, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 20, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Link Manager or External Links in New Window / New Tab?
External Links in New Window / New Tab, at #1,048 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Link Manager at #1,116. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Link Manager or External Links in New Window / New Tab 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.