WordPress plugin comparison
Better Resource Hints vs Speculative Loading
Better Resource Hints
by Alex MacArthur
200+ installs5.0
Speculative Loading
by WordPress Performance Team
60K+ installs5.0
At a glance
- Speculative Loading has more active installs: 60K+, against 200+ for Better Resource Hints.
- On a typical day, Speculative Loading is downloaded about 541 times, Better Resource Hints about 3.
- Both are rated 5.0 out of 5.
- Speculative Loading was updated more recently: Aug 26, 2026, against Feb 12, 2019 for Better Resource Hints.
- Speculative Loading is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.1.4, against 5.0.31 for Better Resource Hints.
- Better Resource Hints has been around longer: since 2018, against 2024 for Speculative Loading.
Line by line
Speculative Loading leads on 6 of 6 comparable lines.
| Metric | Better Resource Hints | Speculative Loading |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #12,985 | #615 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 60K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 51 | 13K |
| Rating | 5.0(3) | 5.0(18) |
| Support threads resolved | – | 100% |
| Tested up to | 5.0.31 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.00 | ×1.27 |
| Last release | 7 years ago | 2 months ago |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 7.4 |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
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