WordPress Directory
WordPress Plugins Losing Users Right Now: 13 Shedding Installs This Month
13 plugins · 9.4M combined installs at risk
Plugins with 100,000+ active installs that lost a significant chunk of their user base in the last 30 days, sorted by steepest decline. A plugin this popular doesn't shed users this fast without a reason: a competitor pulled them away, a pricing change backfired, a CVE spooked admins, or something broke on a WordPress update. This list exists so you don't commit to one mid-slide.
Analysis
February 2026 is showing 209 plugins losing more than 3% of their active install base within a single 30-day window, with 12,287,000 combined installs shifting away from their current homes. That number deserves to sit for a moment before the analysis begins. Active install counts are a collective behavior signal, not a survey or opinion. When site owners deactivate and delete a plugin, or simply stop installing it, they are making a decision based on something concrete: a better option found, a bill that arrived, a security notice read, a site that broke after an update. An audit of your plugin stack that ignores install trajectory is an audit working with half the available information. The 209 plugins in this month's report are not a random scatter. They are a readable pattern.
Steepest Decline: Top 10
- 01
Omnisend · 100K active installs · ★ 4.7
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (50.0% drop), now at 100K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 02
Newsletter
-33.3%Stefano Lissa · 200K active installs · ★ 4.6
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (33.3% drop), now at 200K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 03
Max Mega Menu
-25.0%megamenu · 300K active installs · ★ 4.8
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (25.0% drop), now at 300K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
16 open support threads16% support resolution rate - 04
Post SMTP
-25.0%Saad Iqbal · 300K active installs · ★ 4.7
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (25.0% drop), now at 300K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 05
Really Simple Security
-25.0%Really Simple Plugins · 3.0M active installs · ★ 4.9
Down at least 1.0M active installs over the last 30 days (25.0% drop), now at 3.0M. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 06
Broken Link Checker
-16.7%WPMU DEV · 500K active installs · ★ 3.8
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (16.7% drop), now at 500K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 07
Kirki Customizer Framework
-16.7%Themeum · 500K active installs · ★ 4.5
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (16.7% drop), now at 500K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 08
Hello Dolly
-14.3%Matt Mullenweg · 600K active installs · ★ 4.4
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (14.3% drop), now at 600K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 09
Sucuri Security
-14.3%Sucuri · 600K active installs · ★ 4.2
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (14.3% drop), now at 600K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
- 10
Solid Security
-12.5%StellarWP · 700K active installs · ★ 4.6
Down at least 100K active installs over the last 30 days (12.5% drop), now at 700K. WordPress.org rounds install counts at this scale, so the actual loss is likely larger than what the numbers show.
#11–13
Comparison
| # | Plugin | Author | Active Installs | 30d Decline | 30d Installs Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newsletters, Email Marketing, SMS and Popups by Omnisend | Omnisend | 100K | -50.0% | 100K |
| 2 | Newsletter | Stefano Lissa | 200K | -33.3% | 100K |
| 3 | Max Mega Menu | megamenu | 300K | -25.0% | 100K |
| 4 | Post SMTP | Saad Iqbal | 300K | -25.0% | 100K |
| 5 | Really Simple Security | Really Simple Plugins | 3.0M | -25.0% | 1.0M |
| 6 | Broken Link Checker | WPMU DEV | 500K | -16.7% | 100K |
| 7 | Kirki Customizer Framework | Themeum | 500K | -16.7% | 100K |
| 8 | Hello Dolly | Matt Mullenweg | 600K | -14.3% | 100K |
| 9 | Sucuri Security | Sucuri | 600K | -14.3% | 100K |
| 10 | Solid Security | StellarWP | 700K | -12.5% | 100K |
| 11 | Breadcrumb NavXT | John Havlik | 800K | -11.1% | 100K |
| 12 | Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA | Humanityco | 900K | -10.0% | 100K |
| 13 | W3 Total Cache | BoldGrid | 900K | -10.0% | 100K |
Decline measured over the last 30 days. Data as of February 26, 2026
FAQ
Why are some WordPress plugins losing users so rapidly?
Usually one of four things: a better alternative launched and pulled users away, a pricing or licensing change backfired, a security vulnerability went public and spooked admins, or a major WordPress update broke compatibility. The signals on this page can help tell which.
What's the difference between a declining plugin and an abandoned plugin?
A declining plugin still has an active developer but is losing market share. An abandoned plugin has stopped being maintained entirely. Declining plugins can reverse course; abandoned ones typically cannot.
Should I remove a plugin that is losing users?
Not immediately. But losing 10% of installs over 90 days with no recent update is the point where you want to start evaluating alternatives, before it stops getting security patches entirely.