Debug Bar vs What Template (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, What Template has a higher user rating (5/5 from 3 reviews) while Debug Bar leads in active installations (20K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Debug Bar has accumulated 2.1M+ total downloads while What Template has 22K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Debug Bar | What Template | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 69 | ◄ | 3 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 2.1M+ | ◄ | 22K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Age | 16 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.4+ | 3.1+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.1.8 | 0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Debug Bar
What Template
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Debug Bar averaged approximately 1,771 daily downloads while What Template averaged 8.
Recent Reviews
Debug Bar Reviews
Simple and easy
It works…
Works perfectly
Finding bugs is very easy and efficient with that plugin. I can highly recommend it.
Seemingly abandoned
Debug Bar is still listed in WordPress’s own developer documentation as a go-to debugging tool, yet it hasn’t been updated in over a year and throws PHP errors. It’s a clear example of Automattic prom
What Template Reviews
Great
Just what I was after. Very simple and to the point. Now I don’t have to take steps to ensure I have identified the correct template.
Still awesome.
Extremely simple but useful tool.
Simple and effective
It’s easy to get lost in so many template files. What Template just makes your live easier. Simple as that. Thanks for an awesome plugin!
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Debug Bar and What Template
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Query Monitor is the developer tools panel for WordPress and WooCommerce.
Log PHP, database and JavaScript errors via WP_DEBUG with one click. Conveniently create, view, filter and clear the debug.log file.
Simply and easy-to-use the customize for Admin and Frontend. A lot of custom filters and actions, and included the developer tools.
A profiler to measure the performance of your WordPress plugins and themes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Debug Bar or What Template more popular?
Which has better ratings — Debug Bar or What Template?
Are Debug Bar and What Template free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.