Search & Filter vs Widget Manager Light
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 & Filter leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #792, ahead of Widget Manager Light at #8,403. Over the last 7 days Search & Filter slipped 1 place and Widget Manager Light climbed 9 places. Search & Filter has the largest install base, roughly 67× the next: 40K+ active installs against 600+ for Widget Manager Light. Downloads this week: Search & Filter 1,937 and Widget Manager Light 42. Ratings: Search & Filter 4.5★ from 175 and Widget Manager Light 3.8★ from 11 reviews.
| Metric | Search & Filter | Widget Manager Light |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #792 ▼ 1 | #8,403 ▲ 9 |
| Active installs | 40K+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,937 | 42 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (175) | 3.8★ (11) |
| Last updated | Aug 22, 2026 | Mar 3, 2022 |
| Current version | 1.2.18 | 1.18 |
| Best rank on record | #782 | #8,373 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2013 | Aug 2012 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 1 | 0 |
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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- Widget Manager Light vs HUSKY
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Search & Filter or Widget Manager Light?
By active installs, Search & Filter: 40K+ sites run it against 600+ for Widget Manager Light, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Search & Filter or Widget Manager Light?
Search & Filter, at #792 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Widget Manager Light at #8,403. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Search & Filter or Widget Manager Light 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.