WordPress REST API (Version 2) vs WP REST Cache (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
WordPress REST API (Version 2)
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, WP REST Cache has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 42 reviews) while WordPress REST API (Version 2) leads in active installations (10K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WordPress REST API (Version 2) has accumulated 534K+ total downloads while WP REST Cache has 370K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | WordPress REST API (Version 2) | WP REST Cache | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 34 | ► | 42 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | 10K+ | |
| Total Downloads | 534K+ | ◄ | 370K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | 100% | |
| Last Updated | 8 years ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2019 | |
| Age | 17 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.6+ | 4.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0-beta15 | 2026.1.3 |
Rating Breakdown
WordPress REST API (Version 2)
WP REST Cache
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, WordPress REST API (Version 2) averaged approximately 21 daily downloads while WP REST Cache averaged 236.
Recent Reviews
WordPress REST API (Version 2) Reviews
TOTAL IGNORANCE TO USERS
As we stated, this plugin was way long abandonded, and integrated in WP, and even after request https://wordpress.org/support/topic/why-there-is-no-clear-indication-that-it-is-no-longer-used/ the de
PHP 7.2 compatibility errors on rest-api
Can you please confirm/deny the PHP 7.2 compatibility? I’m receiving this error report on a PHP 7.2 compatibility test: FILE: /nas/content/live/devreplicon1/wp-content/plugins/rest-api/lib/endpoints/c
Bug
Call to undefined function get_registered_meta_keys() in wp-content\plugins\rest-api\lib\fields\class-wp-rest-meta-fields.php on line 244
WP REST Cache Reviews
Does the job
Nice one! Decreased response time by almost 60%.
Absolutely fantastic!
This plugin is excellent and works exactly as advertised. Definitely worth a perfect rating. I do think the FAQ could be expanded a little more to mention process_cache_relations for custom REST en
Works great but honestly it could be so much better
Using this plugin has made my API for filtering products go from finishing the filtering and reaching the user in 2.3 seconds to reaching the user in about 200 ms. A huge improvement indeed. Ho
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.