Page Optimize vs Speculative Loading
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
Page Optimize leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #209, ahead of Speculative Loading at #611. Over the last 7 days Page Optimize held its place and Speculative Loading slipped 1 place. Page Optimize has the largest install base, roughly 2.9× the next: 200K+ active installs against 70K+ for Speculative Loading. Downloads this week: Speculative Loading 2,727 and Page Optimize 490. Ratings: Page Optimize 3★ from 5 and Speculative Loading 5★ from 18 reviews.
| Metric | Page Optimize | Speculative Loading |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #209 ▬ | #611 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 200K+ | 70K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 490 | 2,727 |
| Rating | 3★ (5) | 5★ (18) |
| Last updated | May 21, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 |
| Current version | 0.6.3 | 1.7.0 |
| Best rank on record | #209 | #602 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2020 | Jan 2024 |
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
- Page Optimize vs Instant Back/Forward
- Page Optimize vs Enhanced Responsive Images
- Page Optimize vs bunny.net – WordPress CDN Plugin
- Page Optimize vs SpinupWP
- Page Optimize vs WebP Express
- Speculative Loading vs Flying Pages: Preload Pages for Faster Navigation & Improved User Experience
- Speculative Loading vs Async JavaScript
- Speculative Loading vs Instant Back/Forward
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Page Optimize or Speculative Loading?
By active installs, Page Optimize: 200K+ sites run it against 70K+ for Speculative Loading, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Page Optimize or Speculative Loading?
Page Optimize, at #209 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Speculative Loading at #611. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Page Optimize or Speculative Loading 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.