PluginSift

Debug Bar vs Safe Mode (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
Safe Mode

Safe Mode

4.2(5)

100 active installs

Free

Updated 7 years ago
View Safe Mode

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Safe Mode has a higher user rating (4.2/5 from 5 reviews) while Debug Bar leads in active installations (20K+ vs 100). Both are free WordPress plugins. Debug Bar has accumulated 2.1M+ total downloads while Safe Mode has 7.8K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.1/5Debug Bar
►
Safe Mode4.2/5
Total Reviews
69Debug Bar
◄
Safe Mode5
Active Installs
20K+Debug Bar
◄
Safe Mode100
Total Downloads
2.1M+Debug Bar
◄
Safe Mode7.8K+
Support Resolution
N/ADebug Bar
Safe ModeN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoDebug Bar
◄
Safe Mode7 years ago
First Released
2010Debug Bar
Safe Mode2012
Age
16 yearsDebug Bar
Safe Mode14 years
WP Requires
3.4+Debug Bar
Safe Mode3.0.1+
PHP Requires
false+Debug Bar
Safe Modefalse+
Business Model
FreeDebug Bar
Safe ModeFree
Latest Version
1.1.8Debug Bar
Safe Mode1.1.3

Rating Breakdown

Debug Bar

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

Safe Mode

4.2/5(5 reviews)
5
80%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
20%

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

Safe Mode Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Debug Bar or Safe Mode more popular?
Debug Bar has 20K+ active installations while Safe Mode has 100. Debug Bar is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Debug Bar or Safe Mode?
Debug Bar has a 4.1/5 rating from 69 reviews, while Safe Mode has a 4.2/5 rating from 5 reviews.
Are Debug Bar and Safe Mode free?
Debug Bar is free and Safe Mode is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Debug Bar or Safe Mode?
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 Safe Mode was last updated 7 years ago.

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