External Links – nofollow, noopener &… vs Extend Link (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
External Links – nofollow, noopener &…
90K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, External Links – nofollow, noopener &… has a higher user rating (4.3/5 from 247 reviews) and leads in active installations (90K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. External Links – nofollow, noopener &… has accumulated 1.7M+ total downloads while Extend Link has 12K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | External Links – nofollow, noopener &… | Extend Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ◄ | 3/5 |
| Total Reviews | 247 | ◄ | 2 |
| Active Installs | 90K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.7M+ | ◄ | 12K+ |
| Support Resolution | 100% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 week ago | ◄ | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2011 | 2016 | |
| Age | 15 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.2+ | 5.8+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.2+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.64 | 2.0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
External Links – nofollow, noopener &…
Extend Link
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, External Links – nofollow, noopener &… averaged approximately 1,227 daily downloads while Extend Link averaged 10.
Recent Reviews
External Links – nofollow, noopener &… Reviews
Almost nothing at free version
Almost nothing at free version.
Essential Plugin for SEO Control Over External Links
This plugin is exactly what I needed to manage external link behavior on my site. The ability to customize nofollow and dofollow rules by domain is a huge win for SEO, especially for trusted citations
Garbage
Messed my whole site up.
Extend Link Reviews
doesn’t work with the Gutenberg editor :(
The idea is great and a great job but it doesn’t work with the Gutenberg editor 🙁 When the plugin is updated by adding the functionalities under the existing “open in new window” button in the Gutenb
Makes adding a Link Class easy.
Easy to use for adding a Link Class attribute for your links in the TinyMCE editor.
More Nofollow Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as External Links – nofollow, noopener &… and Extend Link
Automatically insert rel=nofollow and target=_blank to all the external links into your website posts, pages or menus. Support exclude domain.
The external links plugin for WordPress lets you process outgoing links differently from internal links.
Adds a checkbox in the insert/edit link popup for including rel="nofollow".
Improves your blog's search engine optimization by "noindexing" pages you choose. Now also for page-based (as opposed to date-based) archives.
Control search engine indexing with robots directives using HTML meta tags or HTTP headers.
Remove type attribute from script and style tags added by WordPress
Frequently Asked Questions
Is External Links – nofollow, noopener &… or Extend Link more popular?
Which has better ratings — External Links – nofollow, noopener &… or Extend Link?
Are External Links – nofollow, noopener &… and Extend Link free?
Which plugin has better support — External Links – nofollow, noopener &… or Extend Link?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.