Instant Back/Forward vs Perform – Optimize Performance
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 Back/Forward leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,671, ahead of Perform – Optimize Performance at #11,919. Over the last 7 days Instant Back/Forward climbed 3 places and Perform – Optimize Performance climbed 13 places. Instant Back/Forward has the largest install base, roughly 50× the next: 10K+ active installs against 200+ for Perform – Optimize Performance. Downloads this week: Instant Back/Forward 996 and Perform – Optimize Performance 46. Ratings: Instant Back/Forward 5★ from 1 and Perform – Optimize Performance 5★ from 2 reviews.
| Metric | Instant Back/Forward | Perform – Optimize Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,671 ▲ 3 | #11,919 ▲ 13 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 996 | 46 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | 5★ (2) |
| Last updated | Sep 12, 2026 | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3.3 | 1.7.0 |
| Best rank on record | #1,671 | #11,866 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2025 | Mar 2019 |
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
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- Instant Back/Forward vs Breeze
- Instant Back/Forward vs Cache Enabler
- Instant Back/Forward vs Hummingbird
- Perform – Optimize Performance vs W3 Total Cache
- Perform – Optimize Performance vs Breeze
- Perform – Optimize Performance vs LiteSpeed Cache
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Instant Back/Forward or Perform – Optimize Performance?
By active installs, Instant Back/Forward: 10K+ sites run it against 200+ for Perform – Optimize Performance, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 23, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Instant Back/Forward or Perform – Optimize Performance?
Instant Back/Forward, at #1,671 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Perform – Optimize Performance at #11,919. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Instant Back/Forward or Perform – Optimize Performance 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.