Search Exclude vs Search Regex
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Search Exclude v2.6.8 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.8/5 Visit Details | Search Regex v3.5.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 50,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Last updated | October 5, 2026 | October 6, 2026 |
| Editions | Search Exclude | Search Regex |
| Pros | Simple per-item checkbox in editor, list, quick and bulk edit; Block editor sidebar control included; Free, with no paid tier in the code | Regex search across posts, comments, users, terms, options and meta; Saved presets for repeat searches; WP-CLI command available for scripted runs |
| Cons | Only changes WordPress's built-in search results; Promotional notices for other QuadLayers products appear in admin | Bulk replacements write to the database; mistakes are hard to undo; Only the core WordPress data sources are covered |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Exclude checkbox in post and page editor, Column and quick edit toggle on list screens, Bulk exclude or include from list screens, Filters the main search query, Block editor sidebar control, Settings page under Settings menu, REST endpoint for settings | Regex search and replace, Choose sources: posts, comments, users, terms, options and meta, Save and import search presets, Tools screen for running searches, WP-CLI search-regex command |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | — |
| Plugins | bbPress | — |
| Requires WordPress | 4.7 | 6.6 |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | quadlayers.com | — |