Head-to-head · October 2026
Search & Filter vs Simple Primary Category
Search & Filter comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple Primary Category.
Search & Filter
Search & Filter is a simple search and filtering plugin for WordPress – it is an advancement of the WordPress…
Simple Primary Category
A light-weight WordPress plugin to assign primary category to posts and custom post types.
| Metric | Search & Filter | Simple Primary Category |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 50K+ | 100+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 4.8K | 109 |
| Download trend | +3% | +3.8% |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 5/5 |
| Reviews | 175 | 1 |
| Health score | 74/100 | 32/100 |
| Last updated | 2 months ago | 3 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.1.3 | WP 6.4.13 |
| Support resolved | 0% | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.3+ |
| First released | Sep 2013 | May 2020 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Search & FilterSimple Primary Category
Choose Search & Filter if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 50K+ active sites
- Loved by users — 4.5/5 from 175 reviews
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
Choose Simple Primary Category if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (100+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 2 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.4 (latest is 7.1)
FAQ
Search & Filter vs Simple Primary Category: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 17, 2026
Which is better, Search & Filter or Simple Primary Category?
Search & Filter comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple Primary Category. Choose Search & Filter if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews. Choose Simple Primary Category if you care most about download trend.
Is Search & Filter more popular than Simple Primary Category?
Search & Filter is the more popular of the two with 50K+ active installs, compared with 100+ for Simple Primary Category.
Can I use Search & Filter and Simple Primary Category together?
Both plugins cover category and taxonomy, 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 Search & Filter and Simple Primary Category 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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