Debug Bar vs Development Assistant (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Debug Bar

Debug Bar

4.1(69)

20K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Debug Bar
VS
Development Assistant

Development Assistant

3(2)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 5 months ago
View Development Assistant

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Debug Bar has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 69 reviews) and leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Debug Bar has accumulated 2.1M+ total downloads while Development Assistant has 2.1K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.1/5Debug Bar
Development Assistant3/5
Total Reviews
69Debug Bar
Development Assistant2
Active Installs
20K+Debug Bar
Development Assistant10
Total Downloads
2.1M+Debug Bar
Development Assistant2.1K+
Support Resolution
N/ADebug Bar
Development AssistantN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoDebug Bar
Development Assistant5 months ago
First Released
2010Debug Bar
Development Assistant2024
Age
16 yearsDebug Bar
Development Assistant2 years
WP Requires
3.4+Debug Bar
Development Assistant5.0.0+
PHP Requires
false+Debug Bar
Development Assistant7.4.0+
Business Model
FreeDebug Bar
Development AssistantFree
Latest Version
1.1.8Debug Bar
Development Assistant1.2.10

Rating Breakdown

Debug Bar

4.1/5(69 reviews)
5
74%
4
4%
3
1%
2
1%
1
19%

Development Assistant

3/5(2 reviews)
5
50%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
50%

Recent Reviews

Debug Bar Reviews

by Lene

Simple and easy

It works…

by Michael Galli

Works perfectly

Finding bugs is very easy and efficient with that plugin. I can highly recommend it.

by James Hunt

Seemingly abandoned

Debug Bar is still listed in WordPress’s own developer documentation as a go-to debugging tool, yet it hasn’t been updated in over a year and throws PHP errors. It’s a clear example of Automattic prom

Development Assistant Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Debug Bar or Development Assistant more popular?
Debug Bar has 20K+ active installations while Development Assistant has 10. Debug Bar is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Debug Bar or Development Assistant?
Debug Bar has a 4.1/5 rating from 69 reviews, while Development Assistant has a 3/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are Debug Bar and Development Assistant free?
Debug Bar is free and Development Assistant is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Debug Bar or Development Assistant?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Debug Bar was last updated 1 month ago and Development Assistant was last updated 5 months ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.