Manual Cron
Execute WP-cron manually by clicking a button on the Dashboard. WP-cron is WordPress’ scheduler system, it can execute background jobs like plugin updates.
Consider an alternative
Manual Cron shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 10 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.4 (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 Manual Cron stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| cron | >100 |
| cron job | >100 |
| execute | >100 |
| manual | >100 |
| wp cron | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Manual Cron
From the official readme · v1.0.1Description
Execute WP-cron manually by clicking a button on the Dashboard.
WP-cron is WordPress’ scheduler system, it can execute background jobs like plugin updates.
Manual Cron is a Dashboard widget available for every user.
If you have poorly written plugins WP-cron’s output may not be empty.
Links
Development goes on on GitHub.
Installation
- Upload the plugin files to the
/wp-content/plugins/manual-crondirectory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
Frequently asked questions
What is the use case for Manual Cron?
You can execute cron jobs without leaving WordPress admin. Develepment sites usually have WP-cron disabled.
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 Manual Cron alternatives
All cron plugins →
FAQ
Manual Cron: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is Manual Cron free?
Yes. Manual Cron is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Manual Cron safe to use in 2026?
Manual Cron shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Manual Cron?
Manual Cron is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,033 times since it launched in December 2015. It was downloaded 46 times in the last 30 days.
Does Manual Cron work with WordPress 7.1?
Manual Cron is officially tested up to WordPress 4.4.34, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Manual Cron last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on December 26, 2015 (11 years ago).
Who makes Manual Cron?
Manual Cron is developed and maintained by Viktor Szépe.
What are the best alternatives to Manual Cron?
The most popular alternatives to Manual Cron are WP Crontrol (300K+ installs), Advanced Cron Manager (30K+ installs) and Missed Scheduled Posts Publ… (30K+ installs).
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