Why So Slow?
This plugin will allow you to easily remove bloat and turn off unused features, in order to streamline your website and reduce file requests.
Consider an alternative
Why So Slow? shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (90+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 2 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.6 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Why So Slow? stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| better | >100 |
| bloat | >100 |
| performance | >100 |
| security | >100 |
| speed | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
About Why So Slow?
From the official readme · v2.1Description
This plugin will allow you to easily remove bloat and turn off unused features, in order to streamline your website and reduce file requests.
It also includes the following additional functionality:
– Include instant.page library (v5.1.0) with settings
– Add Server-Timing headers to enable better debugging
– Use passive event listengers to improve scroll performance
This plugin is NOT a caching plugin, but should play well with any caching plugin you decide to use.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
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FAQ
Why So Slow?: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 1, 2026
Is Why So Slow? free?
Yes. Why So Slow? is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Why So Slow? safe to use in 2026?
Why So Slow? shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Why So Slow??
Why So Slow? is active on 90+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,210 times since it launched in June 2019. It was downloaded 81 times in the last 30 days.
Does Why So Slow? work with WordPress 7.1?
Why So Slow? is officially tested up to WordPress 6.6.9, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Why So Slow? need?
Why So Slow? requires PHP 7.0 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Why So Slow? last updated?
The latest version, 2.1, was released on September 28, 2024 (2 years ago).
Who makes Why So Slow??
Why So Slow? is developed and maintained by bettersecurity.
What are the best alternatives to Why So Slow??
The most popular alternatives to Why So Slow? are Better Passwords (200+ installs), Better Admin Users Search (100+ installs) and Better Headers (80+ installs).
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