Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter vs Search & Filter (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter
80K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 262 reviews) and leads in active installations (80K+ vs 50K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter has accumulated 2.1M+ total downloads while Search & Filter has 950K+. Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter has a higher support resolution rate (67% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter | Search & Filter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 4.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 262 | ◄ | 174 |
| Active Installs | 80K+ | ◄ | 50K+ |
| Total Downloads | 2.1M+ | ◄ | 950K+ |
| Support Resolution | 67% | ◄ | 0% |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 3 months ago |
| First Released | 2012 | 2013 | |
| Age | 14 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.5+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.13.5 | 1.2.18 |
Rating Breakdown
Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter
Search & Filter
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter averaged approximately 523 daily downloads while Search & Filter averaged 182.
Recent Reviews
Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter Reviews
Works as advertised & thanks for support!
Already got thanks from a couple of our website users for the “new, fast search”. Special thanks to Ernest for quick support in our a bit peculiar fine-tuning case.
Long time happy user
This plugin does so much, but more importantly, Ernest and the team provide stellar support, which makes this such a worthy purchase. Have used for 5+ years on various projects.
Fantastic Plugin and Support!
Ajax Search Pro does exactly what I needed it to do: search a complex database of 23,000 rows with simple user controls. I had a very specific situation and Ernest at Ajax support unfailingly and pati
Search & Filter Reviews
The instructions on how to change the settings to version 3.X are insufficient a
We were using version 2.X.The instructions on how to change the settings to version 3.X are insufficient and unclear. In addition, when upgrading from 2.X to 3.X, a database error occurs (in secret
Could be developed.
I tried to test the starter (free) version of the plugin with Kadence theme. It is great that is supports filtering via custom taxonomies. The UI of the plugin is outdated. The only way to define filt
The Support is Excellent!
I had an odd problem, which was certain posts and pages appearing in results despite not containing the search term. I submitted a support ticket and got a quick response. Their support was extremely
More Search Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.