Search Meter vs SearchWP Live Ajax Search
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
SearchWP Live Ajax Search leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #793, ahead of Search Meter at #1,355. Over the last 7 days SearchWP Live Ajax Search slipped 3 places and Search Meter climbed 3 places. SearchWP Live Ajax Search has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 40K+ active installs against 20K+ for Search Meter. Downloads this week: SearchWP Live Ajax Search 2,471 and Search Meter 1,226. Ratings: Search Meter 4.3★ from 29 and SearchWP Live Ajax Search 4.7★ from 36 reviews.
| Metric | Search Meter | SearchWP Live Ajax Search |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,355 ▲ 3 | #793 ▼ 3 |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 40K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,226 | 2,471 |
| Rating | 4.3★ (29) | 4.7★ (36) |
| Last updated | Dec 3, 2025 | Aug 8, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.14.1 | 1.8.8 |
| Best rank on record | #1,353 | #774 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2008 | May 2014 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 1 |
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, Search Meter or SearchWP Live Ajax Search?
By active installs, SearchWP Live Ajax Search: 40K+ sites run it against 20K+ for Search Meter, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Search Meter or SearchWP Live Ajax Search?
SearchWP Live Ajax Search, at #793 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Search Meter at #1,355. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Search Meter or SearchWP Live Ajax Search 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.