Kint PHP Debugger
Kint is a modern and powerful PHP debugging helper, which requires zero-setup and replaces var_dump(), print_r() and debug_backtrace().
Consider an alternative
Kint PHP Debugger shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 8 years ago, and scores 37/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (90+ active installs)
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.1 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & supportDaily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Kint PHP Debugger stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| debug | >100 |
| debugger | #90 |
| kint | #4 |
| print_r | #46 |
| var_dump | #39 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 12 reviews
About Kint PHP Debugger
From the official readme · v2.0.2Description
This WordPress plugin is a wrapper for the Kint PHP Debugger utility version 1.x. Now instead of using var_dump() or print_r(), you simply use d() with zero, nadda, no formatting required.
Use this tool when you are debugging your website, in place of var_dump(), print_r() and debug_backtrace().
Handy Tools
Some handy tools just for the PHP Developer:
d( $var );to render a collapsible UI container which displays your variable data in “the most informative way”ddd( $var );same as d() except that it also executesdie()to halt execution.
Here are some variations of d() to give you the display you want:
~d( $var );outputs in plain text format.+d( $var );disregards depth level limits and outputs everything!d( $var );shows expanded rich output-d( $var );attempts to ob_clean() the previous output (dump something inside of HTML)
Profiler
Kint even includes a naïve profiler, which can help you analyze which blocks of code take longer than others:
Kint::dump( microtime() ); // just pass microtime()
sleep( 1 );
Kint::dump( microtime(), 'after sleep(1)' );
sleep( 2 );
ddd( microtime(), 'final call, after sleep(2)' );
See screenshot 2 for what is rendered out in your browser.
Admin Bar
“KINT ACTIVE” indicator displays in the WordPress admin bar to alert you when the plugin is active.
Installation
From your WordPress dashboard
- Visit ‘Plugins > Add New’
- Search for ‘Kint PHP Debugger’
- Activate Kint PHP Debugger from your Plugins page.
Once Activated
Whenever you want to dump out the data within a variable, simply use d( $var ) to replace when you do pre + var_dump().
To dump and die, you use ddd( $var );.
Changelog
Version 2.0.2
- Bump to sync versions.
Version 2.0.1
- Removed changing the admin color palette to coffee.
- Removed changing the admin bar background color.
Version 2.0.0
- Updated Kint version.
- Tested against WP 5.1
Version 1.2.1
- Added “KINT ACTIVE” indicator to the WordPress admin bar to alert the plugin is activated.
Version 1.2.0
- Excluded Composer files.
- Tested with WordPress 5.1.
Version 1.1.0 to 1.1.4
- Changed to the kint-php package
- Upgraded Kint to v1.1
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.
Best Kint PHP Debugger alternatives
All debug plugins →FAQ
Kint PHP Debugger: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Is Kint PHP Debugger free?
Yes. Kint PHP Debugger is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Kint PHP Debugger safe to use in 2026?
Kint PHP Debugger shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 8 years ago, and scores 37/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Kint PHP Debugger?
Kint PHP Debugger is active on 90+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 13,676 times since it launched in July 2015. It was downloaded 127 times in the last 30 days.
Does Kint PHP Debugger work with WordPress 7.1?
Kint PHP Debugger is officially tested up to WordPress 5.1.26, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Kint PHP Debugger need?
Kint PHP Debugger requires PHP 5.3 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Kint PHP Debugger last updated?
The latest version, 2.0.2, was released on March 11, 2019 (8 years ago).
Who makes Kint PHP Debugger?
Kint PHP Debugger is developed and maintained by Tonya Mork.
What are the best alternatives to Kint PHP Debugger?
The most popular alternatives to Kint PHP Debugger are WP Crontrol (300K+ installs), Query Monitor (200K+ installs) and Debug Bar (20K+ installs).
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