Native Gettext for WordPress
A very light wrapper plugin that uses the native gettext library for faster localization.
Use with caution
Native Gettext for WordPress works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 59/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
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 Native Gettext for WordPress stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| gettext | #4 |
| performance | >100 |
| translation | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
About Native Gettext for WordPress
From the official readme · v1.1.5Description
This plugin has no setting or UI. It just does one thing : use the php-gettext library to handle translations. This results in much faster translation than using the default PHP gettext implementation of WordPress.
If the extension is not available, the plugin will simply do nothing.
You can verify that the plugin is working by looking for an HTTP header: X-Native-Gettext: 1, that will be sent as soon as a string will be translated by the native library.
If your WordPress install is in English, this plugin has no purpose. Otherwise, it can help speed up your install quite a lot.
Requirements:
– php-gettext
– OS-level support for the locale(s) you want to translate to.
For developers
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Best Native Gettext for WordPress alternatives
All gettext plugins →
FAQ
Native Gettext for WordPress: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 14, 2026
Is Native Gettext for WordPress free?
Yes. Native Gettext for WordPress is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Native Gettext for WordPress safe to use in 2026?
Native Gettext for WordPress works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 59/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Native Gettext for WordPress?
Native Gettext for WordPress is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 3,279 times since it launched in February 2022. It was downloaded 81 times in the last 30 days.
Does Native Gettext for WordPress work with WordPress 7.1?
Native Gettext for WordPress is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.0, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Native Gettext for WordPress need?
Native Gettext for WordPress requires PHP 5.3 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Native Gettext for WordPress last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.5, was released on May 22, 2026 (5 months ago).
Who makes Native Gettext for WordPress?
Native Gettext for WordPress is developed and maintained by colinleroy.
What are the best alternatives to Native Gettext for WordPress?
The most popular alternatives to Native Gettext for WordPress are Simple Yearly Archive (6K+ installs), Gettext override translatio… (2K+ installs) and Override String Translations (1K+ installs).
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