Ivory Search vs Essential Blocks
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Ivory Search v5.5.20 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details | Essential Blocks v6.5.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 90,000+ | 200,000+ |
| Last updated | October 21, 2026 | October 19, 2026 |
| Editions | Ivory Search · Ivory Search Pro ($) · Ivory Search Pro Plus ($) | Essential Blocks · Essential Blocks Pro ($) |
| Pros | Several search forms, each set up separately; Widget, shortcode and menu search options; Search form customiser in the admin | Large block library with patterns for the block editor; WooCommerce product grid and add-to-cart blocks; Works within the standard WordPress block editor |
| Cons | WooCommerce SKU search and stemming need Pro Plus; Advanced options are locked behind upgrade prompts; Freemius telemetry prompt on activation | Several blocks and features are marked PRO; Feed and AI blocks call third-party services and need keys or accounts |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | — |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Custom search forms, Search form shortcode, Search widget, Search item for menus, WooCommerce SKU search ($), Word stemming in search ($), Upgrade prompts for locked features | Block library registered from block.json files, WooCommerce product grid and add-to-cart blocks, Fluent Forms block, NFT gallery block fed by OpenSea, Openverse image search block, AI features through an OpenAI API key, Pro-only blocks and conditions flagged is_pro ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Analytics | — | WP Insights usage tracker (opt-in) |
| Social | — | Facebook Graph API, Instagram Graph API |
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | — | Fluent Forms |
| Other | — | Google Maps API, OpenSea API, Openverse API, OpenAI API, Templately |
| Requires WordPress | 3.9 | 5.8 |
| Requires PHP | 5.2.4 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | Only if you agree |
| External services | — | graph.facebook.com, graph.instagram.com, maps.googleapis.com, app.templately.com, api.opensea.io, api.openverse.org, api.openai.com, send.wpinsight.com |
| Blocks | — | 60 |
| Shortcodes | 1 | — |