Better Writing
v1.4by Mike Riethmuller · updated 12 years ago
Helps you write better content with readability scores and preferred terms as you type. Highly configurable.
- Rank
- #27,119
- Down100 vs yesterday
- Active installs (est.)
- ≈ 24
- 20+ reported · High
- Total downloads
- 6K
- 5,975 all-time
- Rating
- 4.2/5
- 5 reviews
- Support resolved
- –
- 0 of 0 threads, last 2 months
Better Writing at a glance
Better Writing is a WordPress plugin by Mike Riethmuller with 20+ active installs, the #27,119 most popular plugin on WordPress.org. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 1 time, 50% fewer than the month before. It’s rated 4.2 out of 5 from 5 reviews. Version 1.4 came out on Jan 20, 2014, more than 12 years ago. It is tested up to WordPress 3.7.41. Among the 61 plugins tagged “Readability”, it ranks #15. It was first released in 2013.
Chart time range
Applies to every chart below. History from Oct 9, 2026, 31 days.
Downloads over time
Download stats33 downloads · the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Better Writing |
|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2026 | 1 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 4 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | 5 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 24, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 22, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 20, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 19, 2026 | 3 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 10, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 9, 2026 | 2 |
Unusual spikes are usually updates, not new installs.
Estimated installs
≈ 24 · +4.3% in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Estimated installs |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 24 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 24 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 24 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 24 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 23 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 23 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 24 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 23 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 23 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 24 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 23 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 23 |
Rank over time
#27,119 · up 20 in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Daily snapshot |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | #27,119 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | #27,019 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | #27,129 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | #27,018 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | #27,009 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | #27,411 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | #27,397 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | #27,277 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | #27,360 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | #27,205 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | #27,313 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | #27,139 |
Growth %
Average +0.36% a day in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Growth |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 4, 2026 | +4.35% |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Nov 2, 2026 | -4.17% |
| Nov 1, 2026 | +4.35% |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 0.00% |
| Oct 30, 2026 | -4.17% |
| Oct 29, 2026 | +4.35% |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 0.00% |
Active installs band
20+ on WordPress.org
View as table
| Date | Daily snapshot |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 20+ |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 20+ |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 20+ |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 20+ |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 20+ |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 20+ |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 20+ |
Search rankings
Where it appears in WordPress.org search for the searches you track, checked every day.
See where Better Writing ranks in search
Track this plugin to check its position for the searches you choose, daily, with an alert when it moves.
Change log
From our daily snapshot of WordPress.orgNo changes yet. When this plugin's name, short description, tags, “Tested up to” or version change, they show here with what happened to its rank next.
Versions in use
Share of active installs on each published version, from WordPress.org.
- v1.4100%
Rating trend
4.2★★★★★5 reviews · steady in the last 30 days
Requirements & info
Version history- Version
- 1.4
- Requires WordPress
- 3.0
- Tested up to
- 3.7.41
- Requires PHP
- –
- First released
- Jan 20, 2013
- Last updated
- Jan 20, 2014
- Releases, last 12 months
- …
Questions about Better Writing
How many websites use Better Writing?
Better Writing is active on 20+ WordPress sites, as WordPress.org reports it. WordPress.org rounds the number down, so the real count is somewhat higher. That makes it the #27,119 most popular plugin on WordPress.org.
How many times has Better Writing been downloaded?
5,975 times in total since 2013. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 1 times. See download stats
When was Better Writing last updated?
Version 1.4 came out on Jan 20, 2014 (12 years ago).
Is Better Writing compatible with the latest WordPress?
Better Writing’s readme says it’s tested up to WordPress 3.7.41, while the current version is 7.1. That doesn’t mean it breaks, but its author hasn’t confirmed it works with the latest releases.
Is Better Writing still maintained?
Its last release was 12 years ago, so it may no longer be actively maintained. No support threads were opened in the last two months.
What rating does Better Writing have?
4.2 out of 5 from 5 reviews on WordPress.org. 60% of them give 5 stars.
What are the best alternatives to Better Writing?
The plugins most like Better Writing, by the tags they share, are Semrush SEO Writing Assistant (8K+), SEO Writing Assistant SEMrush Custom Fields (50+) and WP Readability Analysis (30+). Compare all alternatives
Latest reviews
Analyze reviewsReview stats
4.2
★★★★★
5 reviews
- 5 stars: 3 reviews, 60%
- 4 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- 3 stars: 2 reviews, 40%
- 2 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- 1 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- Positive
- 60%4–5★
- Mixed
- 40%3★
- Critical
- 0%1–2★
- About 1 more 5★ reviews would lift it to 4.3.
- Each new 1★ review takes 4 five-star reviews to balance out.
Compare with competitors
Add up to 1 competitor. No account needed.
| Metric | |
|---|---|
| Estimated installs | ≈ 24 |
| Reported installs | 20+ |
| Rating | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 5 |
| Total downloads | 6K |
| Author | Mike Riethmuller |
| First released | Jan 20, 2013 |
| Version | 1.4 |
| Requires WP | 3.0 |
| Requires PHP | – |
| Last updated | Jan 20, 2014 |
Alternatives to Better Writing
Compare all alternativesPopular plugins with the same tags, the most in common first.
Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
by SEMrush CY LTD
The Semrush SEO Writing Assistant provides instant recommendations for content optimization based on the best-performing articles in Google's top 10.
- Rank
- #2,327
- Installs
- 8K+
- 2.8
SEO Writing Assistant SEMrush Custom Fields
by Enrico Sorcinelli
The SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant plugin read only from post title and post content elements for the real time check.
- Rank
- #20,504
- Installs
- 50+
WP Readability Analysis
by SalvatoreDP
Shows readability analysis of the post or page using Gulpease, Gunning-Fog, Flesch and Flesch-Kincaid readability measurements.
- Rank
- #25,061
- Installs
- 30+
Readability Favorites
by kanedo
This plugin generates a blog post of your favorite Readability links.
- Rank
- –
- Installs
- 10+
Readability Buttons (readability.com)
by Sparanoid
Adds readability.com widget on your site.
- Rank
- #45,077
- Installs
- 10+
- 5.0
tas2580 Readability Index
by tas2580
Calculate and display the Flesch-Reading-Ease-Score of an article.
- Rank
- #46,007
- Installs
- 10+
- 1.0
Side by side:Better Writing vs Semrush SEO Writing AssistantBetter Writing vs SEO Writing Assistant SEMrush Custom FieldsBetter Writing vs WP Readability Analysis