String locator vs Special Text Boxes (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, String locator has a higher user rating (4.6/5 from 124 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. String locator has accumulated 1.4M+ total downloads while Special Text Boxes has 254K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | String locator | Special Text Boxes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ◄ | 3.2/5 |
| Total Reviews | 124 | ◄ | 21 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.4M+ | ◄ | 254K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2009 | |
| Age | 13 years | 17 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.9+ | 5.6+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.7 | 6.5 |
Rating Breakdown
String locator
Special Text Boxes
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, String locator averaged approximately 270 daily downloads while Special Text Boxes averaged 24.
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.
Special Text Boxes Reviews
Was Working Well, Until it Didn’t
I’ve been using this plugin for many years and it did exactly what I wanted it to, until recently. After a few updates to WordPress and the improves with PHP, I can no longer type into the “Content” b
old-fasioned
It looks as if the plugin was developed 10 years ago and has not been updated This topic was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by Nikita.
Did not work for me
Gave error message. Don’t know why.
More Text Worth Comparing
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Change Case adds buttons to change text case in the WordPress visual editor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is String locator or Special Text Boxes more popular?
Which has better ratings — String locator or Special Text Boxes?
Are String locator and Special Text Boxes free?
Which plugin has better support — String locator or Special Text Boxes?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.