Simple Download Monitor vs The Hits Counter
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
Simple Download Monitor leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,149, ahead of The Hits Counter at #37,277. Over the last 7 days Simple Download Monitor climbed 2 places and The Hits Counter climbed 3,984 places. Simple Download Monitor has the largest install base, roughly 2000× the next: 20K+ active installs against 10+ for The Hits Counter. Downloads this week: Simple Download Monitor 1,147 and The Hits Counter 14.
| Metric | Simple Download Monitor | The Hits Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,149 ▲ 2 | #37,277 ▲ 3984 |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 10+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,147 | 14 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (158) | no ratings |
| Last updated | Sep 11, 2026 | Feb 10, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.1.1 | 1.0 |
| Best rank on record | #1,149 | #34,593 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Oct 2009 | Jul 2015 |
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, Simple Download Monitor or The Hits Counter?
By active installs, Simple Download Monitor: 20K+ sites run it against 10+ for The Hits Counter, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Simple Download Monitor or The Hits Counter?
Simple Download Monitor, at #1,149 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with The Hits Counter at #37,277. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Simple Download Monitor or The Hits Counter 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.