Search Exclude vs Search in Place
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
Search Exclude leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #723, ahead of Search in Place at #4,107. Over the last 7 days Search Exclude slipped 1 place and Search in Place slipped 1 place. Search Exclude has the largest install base, roughly 17× the next: 50K+ active installs against 3K+ for Search in Place. Downloads this week: Search Exclude 6,029 and Search in Place 277. Ratings: Search Exclude 4.8★ from 217 and Search in Place 4.9★ from 64 reviews.
| Metric | Search Exclude | Search in Place |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #723 ▼ 1 | #4,107 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 50K+ | 3K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 6,029 | 277 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (217) | 4.9★ (64) |
| Last updated | Oct 5, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.6.8 | 1.5.7 |
| Best rank on record | #715 | #4,090 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2012 | Jun 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
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Search Exclude or Search in Place?
By active installs, Search Exclude: 50K+ sites run it against 3K+ for Search in Place, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Search Exclude or Search in Place?
Search Exclude, at #723 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Search in Place at #4,107. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Search Exclude or Search in Place 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.