Cache Images vs Hotlink Protection (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Cache Images has a higher user rating (4/5 from 6 reviews) and leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 300). Both are free WordPress plugins. Cache Images has accumulated 52K+ total downloads while Hotlink Protection has 55K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Cache Images | Hotlink Protection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4/5 | ◄ | 1/5 |
| Total Reviews | 6 | ◄ | 5 |
| Active Installs | 1.0K+ | ◄ | 300 |
| Total Downloads | 52K+ | ► | 55K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 years ago | ◄ | 7 years ago |
| First Released | 2005 | 2009 | |
| Age | 21 years | 17 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.8+ | 4.0.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.2.2 | 3.3.3 |
Rating Breakdown
Cache Images
Hotlink Protection
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Cache Images Reviews
No better than doing it by hand
This plugin doesn’t update the ALT fields of the images from the alt tags, so, basically, it’s exactly the same as just bulk downloading the images from a remote site and bulk uploading them to your l
Fine for tiny sites with a handful of images
When I tried to use this on my blog (which has been running since 2001, and has many thousands of entries), it failed miserably. For many years, I kept images on a different server I run, and linke
The one that really works (till 2019)
The one that really works without messing my HTML, and allowing automatic caching for future posts at the same time. The only thing that I’d like is the ability to change the cached file name (like ca
Hotlink Protection Reviews
No reviews yet
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.