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Custom Permalinks vs Top Level Categories (2026)

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

Custom Permalinks

Custom Permalinks

4.1(116)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 5 months ago
View Custom Permalinks
VS
Top Level Categories

Top Level Categories

5(4)

2.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View Top Level Categories

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Top Level Categories has a higher user rating (5/5 from 4 reviews) while Custom Permalinks leads in active installations (100K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Custom Permalinks has accumulated 2.5M+ total downloads while Top Level Categories has 91K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.1/5Custom Permalinks
►
Top Level Categories5/5
Total Reviews
116Custom Permalinks
◄
Top Level Categories4
Active Installs
100K+Custom Permalinks
◄
Top Level Categories2.0K+
Total Downloads
2.5M+Custom Permalinks
◄
Top Level Categories91K+
Support Resolution
0%Custom Permalinks
Top Level CategoriesN/A
Last Updated
5 months agoCustom Permalinks
◄
Top Level Categories8 years ago
First Released
2008Custom Permalinks
Top Level Categories2007
Age
18 yearsCustom Permalinks
Top Level Categories19 years
WP Requires
2.6+Custom Permalinks
Top Level Categories2.0.9+
PHP Requires
7.0+Custom Permalinks
Top Level Categoriesfalse+
Business Model
FreeCustom Permalinks
Top Level CategoriesFree
Latest Version
3.1.2Custom Permalinks
Top Level Categories1.0.1

Rating Breakdown

Custom Permalinks

4.1/5(116 reviews)
5
69%
4
9%
3
3%
2
2%
1
18%

Top Level Categories

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

Recent Reviews

Custom Permalinks Reviews

by dondonkiii

Changed the slug but the page turned unavailable

Did not work… I dont think this is a functional plugin. it has 4 stars in total with lots of 1 stars i guess it is what it is. I deleted the plugin and it is fine now.

by saad7777

caused Posts/Pages to redirect to other posts/pages.

blog post are redirecting to some other post. i dunno why. but deactivating this plugin resolved the issue. So the issue must be in the plugin. is there anything i can do in this situation?

by nimonogi

Excellent plugin

Excellent plugin. I would really like to see categories included as well.

Top Level Categories Reviews

by Matthew Stratford

Still works!

It still does exactly what it says on the tin, even after a full version change from 2.x.x to 3.x.x!

by Angua

all I needed

thank you!

by nguacon01

great plugin

This plugin is awesome

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Custom Permalinks or Top Level Categories more popular?
Custom Permalinks has 100K+ active installations while Top Level Categories has 2.0K+. Custom Permalinks is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Custom Permalinks or Top Level Categories?
Custom Permalinks has a 4.1/5 rating from 116 reviews, while Top Level Categories has a 5/5 rating from 4 reviews.
Are Custom Permalinks and Top Level Categories free?
Custom Permalinks is free and Top Level Categories is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Custom Permalinks or Top Level Categories?
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?
Custom Permalinks was last updated 5 months ago and Top Level Categories was last updated 8 years ago.

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