External Links vs noindex SEO (2026)

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

External Links

External Links

4.8(36)

9.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View External Links
VS
noindex SEO

noindex SEO

5(2)

3.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 months ago
View noindex SEO

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, noindex SEO has a higher user rating (5/5 from 2 reviews) while External Links leads in active installations (9.0K+ vs 3.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. External Links has accumulated 358K+ total downloads while noindex SEO has 46K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5External Links
noindex SEO5/5
Total Reviews
36External Links
noindex SEO2
Active Installs
9.0K+External Links
noindex SEO3.0K+
Total Downloads
358K+External Links
noindex SEO46K+
Support Resolution
N/AExternal Links
noindex SEON/A
Last Updated
8 years agoExternal Links
noindex SEO2 months ago
First Released
2008External Links
noindex SEO2020
Age
18 yearsExternal Links
noindex SEO6 years
WP Requires
2.8+External Links
noindex SEO6.6+
PHP Requires
false+External Links
noindex SEO7.2+
Business Model
FreeExternal Links
noindex SEOFree
Latest Version
6.8.1External Links
noindex SEO2.0.0

Rating Breakdown

External Links

4.8/5(36 reviews)
5
86%
4
11%
3
0%
2
0%
1
3%

noindex SEO

5/5(2 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

External Links Reviews

by Jimmy Lee

Best of its kind!

Hope this one never goes away!!!

by yeoric

Works just fine

The only of all such plugins that I tried that works fine and did not break anything. Would be nice to have icons options, but hey, I’m thankful for it as it is, and the current icon is a good choice.

by FeliceAntonio

Simple and useful

Simple and comfortable to use, really nice style, I was looking for. I’m searching to improve my website, accessibility and usability too and I removed all the target="_blank" on my posts and I marked

noindex SEO Reviews

by Jason Robinson

Wish I had this plugin 5 years ago!

This plugin is a big time saver, is simple, and works like it should. It helps mitigate search spam too!

by autoblogch

Exactly what I was looking for!

A simple tool to add noindex meta tags to some sections of the site without being an overblown plugin. Thanks to the guys who made this plugin!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is External Links or noindex SEO more popular?
External Links has 9.0K+ active installations while noindex SEO has 3.0K+. External Links is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — External Links or noindex SEO?
External Links has a 4.8/5 rating from 36 reviews, while noindex SEO has a 5/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are External Links and noindex SEO free?
External Links is free and noindex SEO is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — External Links or noindex SEO?
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?
External Links was last updated 8 years ago and noindex SEO was last updated 2 months ago.

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