Query Monitor vs What The File
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
Query Monitor leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #239, ahead of What The File at #876. Over the last 7 days Query Monitor climbed 2 places and What The File slipped 2 places. Query Monitor has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 200K+ active installs against 40K+ for What The File. Downloads this week: Query Monitor 70,386 and What The File 1,139. Ratings: Query Monitor 4.9★ from 469 and What The File 4.9★ from 882 reviews.
| Metric | Query Monitor | What The File |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #239 ▲ 2 | #876 ▼ 2 |
| Active installs | 200K+ | 40K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 70,386 | 1,139 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (469) | 4.9★ (882) |
| Last updated | Jun 20, 2026 | Feb 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.0.7 | 1.6.1 |
| Best rank on record | #239 | #869 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2013 | Aug 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
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- Query Monitor vs WP Debugging
- What The File vs Show Current Template
- What The File vs Yoast Test Helper
- What The File vs Template Kit Import
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Query Monitor or What The File?
By active installs, Query Monitor: 200K+ sites run it against 40K+ for What The File, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Query Monitor or What The File?
Query Monitor, at #239 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with What The File at #876. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Query Monitor or What The File 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.