WordPress plugin comparison
Cache External Scripts vs W3 Total Cache
At a glance
- W3 Total Cache has more active installs: 900K+, against 800+ for Cache External Scripts.
- On a typical day, W3 Total Cache is downloaded about 10,014 times, Cache External Scripts about 6.
- Cache External Scripts is rated higher: 5.0 out of 5 from 25 reviews, against 4.4 from 5,420 reviews.
- W3 Total Cache was updated more recently: Oct 20, 2026, against May 11, 2019 for Cache External Scripts.
- W3 Total Cache is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.1.4, against 5.2.30 for Cache External Scripts.
- W3 Total Cache has been around longer: since 2009, against 2015 for Cache External Scripts.
Line by line
W3 Total Cache leads on 6 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric |  Cache External Scripts |  W3 Total Cache |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #7,480 | #73 |
| Active installs | 800+ | 900K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 147 | 598.6K |
| Rating | 5.0(25) | 4.4(5.4K) |
| Support threads resolved | – | 50% |
| Tested up to | 5.2.30 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.00 | ×3.22 |
| Last release | 7 years ago | 19 days ago |
| Requires PHP | – | 7.4 |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
Tags they share
More comparisons
Is one of these yours?
Track your plugin against its rivals every day: rank, installs, downloads, ratings and their releases, with alerts when anything moves.
Start free