Search Regex vs Search and Replace (2026)

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

Search Regex

Search Regex

4.7(97)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Search Regex
VS
Search and Replace

Search and Replace

3.1(23)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View Search and Replace

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Search Regex has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 97 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Search Regex has accumulated 2.4M+ total downloads while Search and Replace has 207K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.7/5Search Regex
Search and Replace3.1/5
Total Reviews
97Search Regex
Search and Replace23
Active Installs
100K+Search Regex
Search and Replace10K+
Total Downloads
2.4M+Search Regex
Search and Replace207K+
Support Resolution
0%Search Regex
Search and ReplaceN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoSearch Regex
Search and Replace4 months ago
First Released
2007Search Regex
Search and Replace2016
Age
19 yearsSearch Regex
Search and Replace10 years
WP Requires
6.5+Search Regex
Search and Replace3.5+
PHP Requires
7.4+Search Regex
Search and Replace5.6+
Business Model
FreeSearch Regex
Search and ReplaceFree
Latest Version
3.4.1Search Regex
Search and Replace1.36

Rating Breakdown

Search Regex

4.7/5(97 reviews)
5
86%
4
7%
3
3%
2
1%
1
3%

Search and Replace

3.1/5(23 reviews)
5
52%
4
0%
3
0%
2
4%
1
43%

Recent Reviews

Search Regex Reviews

by hakuna4matata

Handy for search-and-replace, but “Delete Matches” is dangerous

This plugin does a great job when you just want to find and replace text across your site. The interface is clear, the regex support works well, and the preview feature is very useful. However, the

by humananimal

Amazing

Dear John, you are so GODLEY!! thank you for this wonderful super helpful plugin! May I buy you a ticket to Disneyland?? 😉

by kelson

Incredibly powerful!

Incredibly powerful search tool for your dashboard, especially useful if, for example, you’ve moved to a new server (or a new site structure), or someone’s changed their name, or any other reason you

Search and Replace Reviews

by gokturk

Dont working plugin

Dont working plugin

by HDPro

Nope

This claimed it changed 50 things but I don’t see anything different

by exciteforlife

no information anywhere on how to use it

my website was sending https to http links. I used this plugin to serah and replace these. There are no instructions anywhere on how to use it. I contacted their support and noone ever came back to me

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Search Regex or Search and Replace more popular?
Search Regex has 100K+ active installations while Search and Replace has 10K+. Search Regex is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Search Regex or Search and Replace?
Search Regex has a 4.7/5 rating from 97 reviews, while Search and Replace has a 3.1/5 rating from 23 reviews.
Are Search Regex and Search and Replace free?
Search Regex is free and Search and Replace is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Search Regex or Search and Replace?
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?
Search Regex was last updated 1 month ago and Search and Replace was last updated 4 months ago.

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