Relevanssi – A Better Search vs Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Relevanssi – A Better Search
100K+ active installs
Free
Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter
80K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Relevanssi – A Better Search has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 404 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 80K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Relevanssi – A Better Search has accumulated 7.7M+ total downloads while Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter has 2.1M+. Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter has a higher support resolution rate (67% vs 50%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Relevanssi – A Better Search | Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 404 | ◄ | 262 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 80K+ |
| Total Downloads | 7.7M+ | ◄ | 2.1M+ |
| Support Resolution | 50% | ► | 67% |
| Last Updated | 2 weeks ago | ◄ | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2012 | |
| Age | 17 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.9+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.1+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.26.1 | 4.13.5 |
Rating Breakdown
Relevanssi – A Better Search
Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Relevanssi – A Better Search averaged approximately 2,866 daily downloads while Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter averaged 523.
Recent Reviews
Relevanssi – A Better Search Reviews
Best Support for a very useful plugin for foodblogs
I was really at my wits’ end because the keyword ‘pasta’ couldn’t be found. So I got in touch with support and Mikko helped me straight away. I’d tried to sort it out on my own beforehand, but without
buen plugin pero….
es un excelente plugin pero debería hacer búsqueda por número de parte del producto
Maybe for small sites
Not if you have 200,000 plus posts and add a few more everyday.
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
More Better Search Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Relevanssi – A Better Search and Ajax Search Lite – Live Search & Filter
This plugin adds to default WordPress search engine the ability to search by content from selected fields of Advanced Custom Fields plugin.
Better Search replaces the default WordPress search with a better search engine that gives contextual results sorted by relevance.
Extends the default fulltext search with relevance, jet speed and ability to search any posts, metadata, taxonomy, shortcode content and more data.
Our FREE plugin makes your website’s search fast and more relevant. searchIQ helps you to manage content more effectively with real-time analytics.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.