Custom Permalinks vs External URL Featured Image (2026)

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

Custom Permalinks

Custom Permalinks

4.1(116)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 5 months ago
View Custom Permalinks
VS
External URL Featured Image

External URL Featured Image

3.9(8)

400 active installs

Free

Updated 5 years ago
View External URL Featured Image

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Custom Permalinks has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 116 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 400). Both are free WordPress plugins. Custom Permalinks has accumulated 2.5M+ total downloads while External URL Featured Image has 13K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.1/5Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image3.9/5
Total Reviews
116Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image8
Active Installs
100K+Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image400
Total Downloads
2.5M+Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image13K+
Support Resolution
0%Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured ImageN/A
Last Updated
5 months agoCustom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image5 years ago
First Released
2008Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image2017
Age
18 yearsCustom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image9 years
WP Requires
2.6+Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image4.0+
PHP Requires
7.0+Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Imagefalse+
Business Model
FreeCustom Permalinks
External URL Featured ImageFree
Latest Version
3.1.2Custom Permalinks
External URL Featured Image1.0.3

Rating Breakdown

Custom Permalinks

4.1/5(116 reviews)
5
69%
4
9%
3
3%
2
2%
1
18%

External URL Featured Image

3.9/5(8 reviews)
5
63%
4
13%
3
0%
2
0%
1
25%

Recent Reviews

Custom Permalinks Reviews

by dondonkiii

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.

by saad7777

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?

by nimonogi

Excellent plugin

Excellent plugin. I would really like to see categories included as well.

External URL Featured Image Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Custom Permalinks or External URL Featured Image more popular?
Custom Permalinks has 100K+ active installations while External URL Featured Image has 400. Custom Permalinks is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Custom Permalinks or External URL Featured Image?
Custom Permalinks has a 4.1/5 rating from 116 reviews, while External URL Featured Image has a 3.9/5 rating from 8 reviews.
Are Custom Permalinks and External URL Featured Image free?
Custom Permalinks is free and External URL Featured Image is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Custom Permalinks or External URL Featured Image?
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?
Custom Permalinks was last updated 5 months ago and External URL Featured Image was last updated 5 years ago.

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