No Gutenberg? – Choose Where to Use the Block Editor or the Classic Editor
by Fernando Tellado · Blocks
Also makes 22 other plugins · 31K+ installs across the portfolio →
Decide where the block editor stays and where the Classic Editor comes back. It also removes Global Styles, patterns, block widgets and block CSS.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
9K+
≈9.9K estimated
Momentum
-10%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “blocks” and “woocommerce” for “gutenberg disable” and “gutenberg editor”. “blocks” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “gutenberg disable” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “woocommerce” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “gutenberg editor” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 71 average across 2,522 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →4.9%
of downloads still active
At least 9K of 182.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Blocks plugin keeps 2.1%, across 1,578 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Blocks plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 9 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
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.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 4 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 16 reviews, smoothed to 4.32★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
39
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
19%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.0
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| where | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| choose | #2 | #5 | 0 |
| fse your tag | #5 | #5 | 0 |
| classic editor your tag | #7 | #12 | 0 |
| gutenberg disable | #5 | #9 | 0 |
| remove gutenberg | #5 | #8 | 0 |
| gutenberg your tag | #9 | #13 | up 1 |
| disable gutenberg | #6 | #10 | down 1 |
| global styles | #9 | #14 | down 1 |
| gutenberg editor | #7 | #14 | up 2 |
| classic | #12 | #15 | 0 |
| welcome to the block editor | #4 | #4 | 0 |
| gutenberg plugin | #8 | #14 | 0 |
| woocommerce gutenberg | #5 | #9 | up 2 |
| gutenberg tools | #6 | #10 | 0 |
| gutenberg widgets | #10 | #13 | 0 |
| gutenberg woocommerce | #6 | #10 | up 3 |
| inline editor | #11 | #15 | 0 |
| gutenberg block disable | #7 | #12 | 0 |
| disable gutenberg blocks | #7 | #8 | 0 |
| blocks your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| woocommerce your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
97 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 59 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “blocks” and “woocommerce” for “gutenberg disable” and “gutenberg editor”. “blocks” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “gutenberg disable” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “woocommerce” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “gutenberg editor” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 11.1K · peaks are release surges
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
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
9
releases in the last 12 months
4d ago
latest release · v2.4.0 · 27 Oct 2026
11
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 “9K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 9 months ago and the previous band took 6.1 years to cross, so the real count is still just under 10K.
Install history since 13 Dec 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Daniel Fuchs4mo ago
I’m very grateful for this plugin. I feel that all those full-site-editing and page-builder concepts are built on the flawed assumption that a maximum of choices is what people need. But the more options you have, the more complicated it gets, and with full-site editing and a lot of people playing around with it on a website, every page and post will look different – or you need a LOT of self-discipline. And if you have the technical understanding and patience to master those systems to good effect, you may as well learn PHP and CSS to program your own shortcodes which will do exactly what you want. I for one tried the block editor and found it much more fun to write my own classic theme with a sophisticated design but a minimum of options for the non-technical people who write posts for our website, so it’s all of one piece. And no, old Gutenberg is not to blame. He started his own media revolution, that’s true, and Neil Postman wrote critically about him, but he didn’t invent the block editor. Thank him for that. His full name, by the way, was Johannes Gensfleisch zum Gutenberg, which translates as “John Goose-Meat of the Good Mountain”.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Delia Carballo9mo ago
Es un plugin sencillo que hace exactamente lo que se espera de él: ¡deshacerse completamente de Gutenberg!——It is a simple plugin that does exactly what it is supposed to do: completely get rid of Gutenberg!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Alvaro Torres10mo ago
Thanks for that!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ cf123.7y ago
Thank you so much for this plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Alain Aubry6.0y ago
Gracias Fernando por esta iniciativa, la verdad uso otro plugin para esta funcionalidad, pero otro más siempre es útil. Espero que un dia abandonen la idea de que un editor de bloques es una buena idea … BRAVO !!! This topic was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Alain Aubry.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ elkanah22227.0y ago
I’ve never had any problems with this plugin. I loved the other one with the same name but when it did not work for me once, I started working with this one and it’s pretty cool. Love it big time. This topic was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by elkanah2222.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ pulsme7.2y ago
I like that dropdown option, nice 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Gestoría7.6y ago
Sencillo y práctico
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.1.2 Tested up to WordPress 7.0 2.1.2
- — Version 2.1.1 Fixed headers already sent error on plugin activation 2.1.1
- — Version 2.1.0 Added removal of Patterns submenu from Appearance menu (introduced in WP 6.5+ for all themes) Added removal of Site Editor submenu Added blocking of direct access to Site Editor pages Better compatibility with WordPress 2.1.0
- — Version 2.0.1 Tested up to WordPress 6.9 2.0.1
- — Version 2.0 Complete plugin rewrite with object-oriented approach Added removal of FSE Global Styles and theme.json support Disabled block-based widgets completely Removed block patterns and block directory Added WooCommerce blocks 2.0
- — Version 1.1.0 Fix Fatal Error with prior version 1.1.0
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 14 languages, 2 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
8 of 8 pass · checked 30 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Decide where the block editor stays and where the Classic Editor comes back. It also removes Global Styles,..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 14 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 14 of 14 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("built for", "if you want").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Gutenberg, Block editor, Multisite and 1 more.
- ✓ Headings and lists 9 headings and 5 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 7,784 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-01-29 10K+ → 9K+ down after 2239 days in tier
- 2019-12-13 9K+ → 10K+ up after 100 days in tier
- 2019-09-04 7K+ → 9K+ up after 109 days in tier
- 2019-05-18 5K+ → 7K+ up after 67 days in tier
- 2019-03-12 3K+ → 5K+ up after 39 days in tier
- 2019-02-01 2K+ → 3K+ up
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).
-
Otter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder for Gutenberg Editor & FSE 300K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Classic Editor 8M+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A -
Advanced Editor Tools 1M+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Disable Gutenberg 500K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for No Gutenberg? – Choose Where to Use the Block Editor or the Classic Editor into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/no-gutenberg" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="No Gutenberg? – Choose Where to Use the Block Editor or the Classic Editor — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> No Gutenberg? – Choose Where to Use the Block Editor or the Classic Editor: 9K+ active installs, 5.0★ (16 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/no-gutenberg
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