Plugins Deactivator vs Softaculous
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
Softaculous leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,550, ahead of Plugins Deactivator at #15,008. Over the last 7 days Softaculous climbed 1 place and Plugins Deactivator climbed 119 places. Softaculous has the largest install base, roughly 100× the next: 10K+ active installs against 100+ for Plugins Deactivator. Downloads this week: Softaculous 564 and Plugins Deactivator 19.
| Metric | Plugins Deactivator | Softaculous |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #15,008 ▲ 119 | #1,550 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 19 | 564 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | no ratings |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2021 | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.1 | 2.4.1 |
| Best rank on record | #14,854 | #1,535 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2020 | Apr 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
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Plugins Deactivator or Softaculous?
By active installs, Softaculous: 10K+ sites run it against 100+ for Plugins Deactivator, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 31, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Plugins Deactivator or Softaculous?
Softaculous, at #1,550 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Plugins Deactivator at #15,008. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Plugins Deactivator or Softaculous 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.