Better Search Replace
by WP Engine · Search
Also makes 14 other plugins · 3.5M+ installs across the portfolio →
A simple plugin to update URLs or other text in a database.
74 health vs 60 average across 606 Search plugins
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Biggest win: Support resolution
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Daily downloads
Since 2022-10-05 · 1,421 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peaks are release surges
205.4K
now · peak 842.7K
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
2
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v1.4.11
11
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 94% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “1M+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Modeled within the band wp.org reports; tightens as we track daily.
Install history · since 2015-03-10 · 1,485 observations
Estimated value
What this plugin might earn a year, and what it might sell for. Modeled from public signals; we don't see anyone's books.
Est. annual revenue
Est. acquisition value
No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price. A declining trend compresses what a buyer would pay.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2026-07-13The newest reviews report a mistranslated checkbox and database corruption that broke sites, a real dip from the mostly five-star praise running through the older reviews, while gripes about Pro-only features show up throughout.
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ darquelf1mo ago
The Portuguese translation is misleading. In English, the checkbox says ‘Case-Insensitive’, but in Portuguese it’s translated as ‘Sensível à caixa-alta’ (Case-sensitive).If the subtext says it’s already case-sensitive by default, why the fkn checkbox? This terrible translation caused me to rework my entire site.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ accordionmaniac4mo ago
Replaces all instances of the string, with one instance of the string that it finds in the database, everywhere. Completely out of your control. This topic was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by accordionmaniac.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous4mo ago
Using it for years, doing it’s job well 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ urmirun6mo ago
Used Better Search Replace while moving my site. It did the basic job fine & was easy to run. But some useful options are locked in Pro, which was a bit annoying. Still ok for quick replace tasks tho.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hakeemstone6mo ago
Used it to update old URLs after site move. Did the job smooth, no big issue. UI is simple & easy to get. Saved a lot of time tbh. Would be 5 star if a bit faster on large DB, but still solid plugin 👍
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Juarez Meireles6mo ago
Se você não quer passar raiva, fique longe deste plugin. Instalei para somente para alterar alguns links de saída que haviam em postagens de cupons e produtos Woo. Ele realmente fez o trabalho. Troucou. Porém, bagunçou tudo no banco de dados com coisas que não tinha nada relacionado à estes links.Todos os botões de saída do site, independente do url de saída, ficaram com um mesmo url que nunca foi inserido no plugin. Trocou a descrição de todas as categorias para um mesmo texto que era o texto de uma das lojas que sou parceiro(dealstore).Se ele alterasse só o que solicitamos, era maravilhoso. Mas ele alterou foi tudo. O pior é que só percebi 10 dias depois. Agora é trabalhar vários dias para recuperar os valores reais em diversos campos.Mas tirando esse bug, o plugin é bom.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ KeithRowley8mo ago
I’ve done the job before, migrating a site to a new url. This made the job easier and presented no false steps or problems. Thank you. This topic was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by KeithRowley.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ andyrogers8mo ago
This is about the free version of this plug. I tried Better Search Replace to change a couple of words on the website. It left me hanging, neither completing the process nor enabling me to restore my site. It deliberately did not change the menu items and asked me to buy their paid version to complete the replacement. Hiding the facts from the free users was dishonest, and I had to restore the website. The plug developer should tell users upfront what would happen if it were used for free. However, I completed the job using their competitor’s plug in that replaced EVERYTHING. Th BSR plugin should be removed from this website because it offers incomplete job and a disservice to the free users. It should not be promoted on this site for free to attract buyers, while hunting for those who use it for free to force them buy it. They should understand that offering a free version is the price they pay for their plugin to be promoted to the broad market. This topic was modified 7 months ago by andyrogers. Reason: Add the name of the plugin
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.4.11 New: Requires WordPress 6.2+ New: Requires PHP 8.1+ Fix: Core tables altered to have compound primary keys are now properly handled during search and replace Fix: SQL injection vulnerability on multibyte charsets (GBK, B 1.4.11
- — Version 1.4.10 Fix: Improved security and stability 1.4.10
- — Version 1.4.9 Security: The plugin now uses its own update mechanism from WP Engine servers New: Dependencies have been updated 1.4.9
- — Version 1.4.8 No changes as this was a pro-only release for Better Search Replace Pro 1.4.8
- — Version 1.4.7 Fix: The case-insensitive setting once again allows case-insensitive strings to be matched within serialized data, fixing a regression introduced in version 1.4.6 1.4.7
- — Version 1.4.6 Changed: Serialized text strings are now only deserialized when containing a match, resulting in faster performance Security: Table names are now escaped when displaying search results 1.4.6
Known vulnerabilities
via Wordfence Intelligence2 disclosed vulnerabilities on record for this plugin, all fixed in the current version. Sites on older versions stay exposed until they update.
- 2022-08-01 CVE-2022-2593 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') Affects <= 1.4 Patched in 1.4.1
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 83 languages, 10 at 90% or more
Plus 59 more locales with partial translations.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
No tier crossings observed yet.
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Search & Replace Everything – Quick and Easy Way to Find and Replace Text, Links 20K+ installs · 4.4★ · 4 shared tags A -
Better Find and Replace – AI-Powered Suggestions 40K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
CM Search And Replace – Optimize content edits with a powerful search and replace tool 2K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
Slider Revolution Search Replace 900+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D -
Go Live Update Urls 90K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A -
Real-Time Find and Replace 70K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A
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Drop a live Pulse card for Better Search Replace into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/better-search-replace" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Better Search Replace — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Better Search Replace: 1M+ active installs, 4.3★ (544 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-25. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/better-search-replace