Head-to-head · October 2026
Back To The Theme vs Debug Bar
Debug Bar comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against Back To The Theme.
Back To The Theme
A tool to observe how a page loads in different themes simultaneously. Useful for debugging plugins or…
Debug Bar
Adds a debug menu to the admin bar that shows query, cache, and other helpful debugging information.
| Metric | Back To The Theme | Debug Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 10+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 46 | 57.1K |
| Download trend | -4.2% | +32.5% |
| Rating | — | 4.1/5 |
| Reviews | 0 | 69 |
| Health score | 23/100 | 81/100 |
| Last updated | 8 years ago | 4 days ago |
| Tested up to | WP 5.1.27 | WP 7.0.7 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | 5.6.0+ | 5.4.0+ |
| First released | Feb 2019 | Nov 2010 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Back To The ThemeDebug Bar
Choose Back To The Theme if…
You prefer its feature set and workflow — it holds its own on the fundamentals.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.1 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Debug Bar if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Proven at scale on 20K+ active sites
- Actively developed — last update 4 days ago
- Momentum — downloads up 32.5% vs the previous 30 days
Both compete in: debug
FAQ
Back To The Theme vs Debug Bar: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 20, 2026
Which is better, Back To The Theme or Debug Bar?
Debug Bar comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against Back To The Theme. Choose Debug Bar if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
Is Back To The Theme more popular than Debug Bar?
Debug Bar is the more popular of the two with 20K+ active installs, compared with 10+ for Back To The Theme.
Can I use Back To The Theme and Debug Bar together?
Both plugins cover debug, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are Back To The Theme and Debug Bar free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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