Custom Permalinks vs External Permalinks Redux (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
External Permalinks Redux
2.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, External Permalinks Redux has a higher user rating (5/5 from 4 reviews) while Custom Permalinks leads in active installations (100K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Custom Permalinks has accumulated 2.5M+ total downloads while External Permalinks Redux has 22K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Custom Permalinks | External Permalinks Redux | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 116 | ◄ | 4 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 2.5M+ | ◄ | 22K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 5 months ago | ► | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2008 | 2011 | |
| Age | 18 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.6+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | 5.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.1.2 | 1.3.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Custom Permalinks
External Permalinks Redux
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Custom Permalinks averaged approximately 263 daily downloads while External Permalinks Redux averaged 8.
Recent Reviews
Custom Permalinks Reviews
Changed the slug but the page turned unavailable
Did not work… I dont think this is a functional plugin. it has 4 stars in total with lots of 1 stars i guess it is what it is. I deleted the plugin and it is fine now.
caused Posts/Pages to redirect to other posts/pages.
blog post are redirecting to some other post. i dunno why. but deactivating this plugin resolved the issue. So the issue must be in the plugin. is there anything i can do in this situation?
Excellent plugin
Excellent plugin. I would really like to see categories included as well.
External Permalinks Redux Reviews
Good one
Works as expected. Maybe you should consider adding the link target.
Almost exactly what I needed.
This plugin does almost exactly what I need out of the box, but I wanted for the URL redirect to go to a new page/tab. Turns out that was easier than I expected. I just had to add the target=”_blank”
Perfect
Simple yet easy functionality – this is exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking about writing this type of plugin myself, because we have a bunch of content on other parts of our domain outside
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Custom Permalinks or External Permalinks Redux more popular?
Which has better ratings — Custom Permalinks or External Permalinks Redux?
Are Custom Permalinks and External Permalinks Redux free?
Which plugin has better support — Custom Permalinks or External Permalinks Redux?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.