String locator vs Search Exclude (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Search Exclude has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 215 reviews) while String locator leads in active installations (100K+ vs 50K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. String locator has accumulated 1.4M+ total downloads while Search Exclude has 2.0M+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | String locator | Search Exclude | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ► | 4.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 124 | ► | 215 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 50K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.4M+ | ► | 2.0M+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | 50% | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 2 days ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2012 | |
| Age | 13 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.9+ | 4.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.7 | 2.6.4 |
Rating Breakdown
String locator
Search Exclude
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, String locator averaged approximately 270 daily downloads while Search Exclude averaged 1,318.
Recent Reviews
String locator Reviews
Great
Great
Great for support
I’ve used this plugin now a dozen times to track down plugins conflicts for my customers. Truly one of the best debug utilities, up there with Query Monitor!
A translation passepartout
Some plugins don’t allow translations in a standard way. For those, there is String locator.
Search Exclude Reviews
I didn’t know how desperately I needed this plugin
It took me literally years to find out that (for instance) the download pages of my freebies could and would come up in every search result on my page. Thanks to this plugin they don’t anymore and it
Did exactly what was needed
Very helpful plugin
Very Useful & Powerfull
This plugin is THE key to helping our website visitors and customers find what they are looking for. (By blocking all the less important pages that happen to contain popular keywords.)
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as String locator and Search Exclude
Relevanssi replaces the default search with a partial-match search that sorts results by relevance. It also indexes comments and shortcode content.
Search Regex adds a powerful set of search and replace functions to WordPress posts, pages, custom post types, and other data.
Advanced WordPress custom search plugin. Provides Search Form Customizer, WooCommerce Search, AJAX Search & Live Search support!
Search & Replace data in your database with WordPress admin, replace domains/URLs of your WordPress installation.
The Best Ajax Live Search and Filter for WordPress. Live suggestions, Custom Post types, Custom fields, Categories, WooCommerce & Elementor support
Set up find and replace rules that are executed AFTER a page is generated by WordPress, but BEFORE it is sent to a user's browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is String locator or Search Exclude more popular?
Which has better ratings — String locator or Search Exclude?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.