Ivory Search vs WP Extended Search
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 | WP Extended Search v2.2.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 90,000+ | 20,000+ |
| Last updated | October 21, 2026 | December 7, 2025 |
| Editions | Ivory Search · Ivory Search Pro ($) · Ivory Search Pro Plus ($) | WP Extended Search |
| Pros | Several search forms, each set up separately; Widget, shortcode and menu search options; Search form customiser in the admin | Search in post meta, authors, taxonomies and selected post types; Several search settings for different search forms; Widget, shortcode and PHP function for search forms; Works with WooCommerce SKUs, attributes and product fields |
| Cons | WooCommerce SKU search and stemming need Pro Plus; Advanced options are locked behind upgrade prompts; Freemius telemetry prompt on activation | Meta and taxonomy joins can slow large sites (no index); Adds settings for every search form, so setup takes some planning |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 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 | Search selected post meta keys, Multiple search settings (custom post type), Search form shortcode, Search widget, Search categories, tags and custom taxonomies, WooCommerce product search fields, bbPress search detection |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | — | WPML, bbPress |
| Requires WordPress | 3.9 | 4.9 |
| Requires PHP | 5.2.4 | 7.0 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 6.9 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| Shortcodes | 1 | 1 |