Head-to-head · September 2026
Debug Bar vs Developer Tool
Debug Bar comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Developer Tool.
Debug Bar
Adds a debug menu to the admin bar that shows query, cache, and other helpful debugging information.
Developer Tool
Developer Tool helps you to debug your working environment. It shows you notices / warnings / errors which…
| Metric | Debug Bar | Developer Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 20K+ | <10 |
| Downloads (30 days) | 44.5K | 45 |
| Download trend | -8.9% | +73.1% |
| Rating | 4.1/5 | — |
| Reviews | 69 | 0 |
| Health score | 65/100 | 21/100 |
| Last updated | 7 months ago | 7 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.0.6 | WP 5.2.28 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | 5.3+ |
| First released | Nov 2010 | Feb 2019 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Debug BarDeveloper Tool
Choose Debug Bar if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 20K+ active sites
Choose Developer Tool if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.2 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: debug
FAQ
Debug Bar vs Developer Tool: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Which is better, Debug Bar or Developer Tool?
Debug Bar comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Developer Tool. Choose Debug Bar if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews. Choose Developer Tool if you care most about download trend.
Is Debug Bar more popular than Developer Tool?
Debug Bar is the more popular of the two with 20K+ active installs, compared with <10 for Developer Tool.
Can I use Debug Bar and Developer Tool 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 Debug Bar and Developer Tool free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
Powered by PageForge
Want thousands of pages that rank like these? Build them in an afternoon.
This directory runs on the same engine as PageForge. Turn any spreadsheet, CSV or API into thousands of fast, SEO-ready WordPress pages — with schema, internal links and AI-written copy baked in.
- CSV, Google Sheets & API data sources
- AI content, schema & internal links per page
- Works with Elementor, Gutenberg, Yoast & Rank Math
- Free on WordPress.org — no credit card
