PluginSift

External Links vs Open Links In New Tab (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
Open Links In New Tab

Open Links In New Tab

4.3(6)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Open Links In New Tab

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, External Links has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 36 reviews) and leads in active installations (9.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. External Links has accumulated 358K+ total downloads while Open Links In New Tab has 11K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5External Links
◄
Open Links In New Tab4.3/5
Total Reviews
36External Links
◄
Open Links In New Tab6
Active Installs
9.0K+External Links
◄
Open Links In New Tab1.0K+
Total Downloads
358K+External Links
◄
Open Links In New Tab11K+
Support Resolution
N/AExternal Links
Open Links In New TabN/A
Last Updated
8 years agoExternal Links
►
Open Links In New Tab1 year ago
First Released
2008External Links
Open Links In New Tab2021
Age
18 yearsExternal Links
Open Links In New Tab5 years
WP Requires
2.8+External Links
Open Links In New Tab5.2+
PHP Requires
false+External Links
Open Links In New Tab5.4+
Business Model
FreeExternal Links
Open Links In New TabFree
Latest Version
6.8.1External Links
Open Links In New Tab1.2.0

Rating Breakdown

External Links

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

Open Links In New Tab

4.3/5(6 reviews)
5
83%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
17%

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

Open Links In New Tab Reviews

by dobem

Great plugin

Simple, practical and free. Works perfectly!

by RussiaCristiana

It does not work

unfortunately it does not work. This topic was modified 3 years ago by RussiaCristiana.

by HowToSolutionsNet

The plugin name says all you need to know

It’s simple and it does the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is External Links or Open Links In New Tab more popular?
External Links has 9.0K+ active installations while Open Links In New Tab has 1.0K+. External Links is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — External Links or Open Links In New Tab?
External Links has a 4.8/5 rating from 36 reviews, while Open Links In New Tab has a 4.3/5 rating from 6 reviews.
Are External Links and Open Links In New Tab free?
External Links is free and Open Links In New Tab is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — External Links or Open Links In New Tab?
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 Open Links In New Tab was last updated 1 year ago.

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