WordPress plugin comparison
Highlight Search Terms vs Search Exclude
Highlight Search Terms
by Rolf Allard van Hagen
6K+ installs5.0
Search Exclude
by quadlayers
50K+ installs4.8
At a glance
- Search Exclude has more active installs: 50K+, against 6K+ for Highlight Search Terms.
- On a typical day, Search Exclude is downloaded about 516 times, Highlight Search Terms about 39.
- Highlight Search Terms is rated higher: 5.0 out of 5 from 40 reviews, against 4.8 from 218 reviews.
- Highlight Search Terms was updated more recently: Nov 6, 2026, against Oct 5, 2026 for Search Exclude.
- Highlight Search Terms is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.2, against 7.1.4 for Search Exclude.
- Highlight Search Terms has been around longer: since 2009, against 2012 for Search Exclude.
Line by line
Search Exclude leads on 4 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric | Highlight Search Terms | Search Exclude |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #2,726 | #724 |
| Active installs | 6K+ | 50K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 3.2K | 18.1K |
| Rating | 5.0(40) | 4.8(218) |
| Support threads resolved | – | 100% |
| Tested up to | 7.2 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.82 | ×1.37 |
| Last release | 3 days ago | 1 month ago |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 5.6 |
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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