shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use SearchWP?

Instantly improve the search experience of your WordPress site today with SearchWP, the best WordPress search plugin you can find! - searchwp.com

Depends. Buy it if you run a content-heavy or WooCommerce WordPress site that's losing visitors to bad default search. Skip it if default search works or you need free — Relevanssi and Ivory Search cover that.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14+ public sources. Reviews are largely editorial/affiliate; G2 has only 1 verified review. CVEs found apply to the companion Live Ajax Search plugin, not core SearchWP.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$99/year

Standard

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo
Pro$199/year
Agency$399/year

Best for

  • Content-heavy WordPress sites
  • WooCommerce stores
  • Sites outgrowing default WP search
  • Agencies with many client sites

Not for

  • Small blogs where default search already works
  • Anyone needing a free search plugin
  • Non-WordPress sites entirely
  • Teams wanting hosted enterprise-grade search

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

No free tier; annual renewals run $99–$399/year depending on plan

medium

Companion Live Ajax Search plugin had unauthenticated file-inclusion CVEs; update beyond 1.6.3

low

Money-back guarantee is only 14 days from purchase

low

G2 rating is based on 1 review; lean on editorial reviews instead

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Indexes SKUs, custom fields, and content default search misses
  • Works basically out of the box, per G2 review
  • Logs visitor search queries for content insights
  • Excellent support with lots of tutorials and documentation
  • Powerful rules and weighting engine for tuning results

Cons

  • No free version; premium only
  • G2 rating rests on a single verified review
  • No public security page found on vendor site

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 14 sources - No CVEs found for core SearchWP; its companion Live Ajax Search plugin had file-inclusion CVEs, fixed in 1.6.3.

official x1review x9security x2news x2
  • CVE-2022-3227: Unauthenticated Local File Inclusion in SearchWP Live Ajax Search < 1.6.3, Affected the companion Live Ajax Search plugin, not core SearchWP. Fixed in version 1.6.3.
  • CVE-2022-2535: SearchWP Live Ajax Search before 1.6.x, Moderate-severity vulnerability in the companion Live Ajax Search plugin.
  • Directory traversal vulnerability in SearchWP Live Ajax Search, Acunetix flagged a directory traversal issue in the companion Live Ajax Search plugin.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $99/year

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Strong search results at $99/yr, but no free option
  • Ease of use: 4/5. G2 user: works basically out of the box
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Custom index, weighting rules, extensions, SKU indexing
  • Support quality: 4/5. Reviewers praise tutorials and documentation depth
  • Security posture: 3/5. Companion plugin CVEs; no public security page
  • 4.5/5 G2 rating 1 verified review
  • $99/yr Starting price 1 site license
  • No Free tier Premium only
  • 50,000+ Sites using it Vendor-claimed

Pricing

Standard

$99/year

  • 1 site
  • All core features

Pro

$199/year

  • 5 sites

Agency

$399/year

  • Unlimited sites
  • 14-day money-back guarantee

Security

No CVEs found for core SearchWP; its companion Live Ajax Search plugin had file-inclusion CVEs, fixed in 1.6.3.

  • CVE-2022-3227: Unauthenticated Local File Inclusion in SearchWP Live Ajax Search < 1.6.3Affected the companion Live Ajax Search plugin, not core SearchWP. Fixed in version 1.6.3.⁸
  • CVE-2022-2535: SearchWP Live Ajax Search before 1.6.xModerate-severity vulnerability in the companion Live Ajax Search plugin.⁹
  • Directory traversal vulnerability in SearchWP Live Ajax SearchAcunetix flagged a directory traversal issue in the companion Live Ajax Search plugin.

What users say

Users and reviewers report it works out of the box, finds content default search misses, and has strong support, though independent review volume is thin.

“SearchWP works basically out of the box. The key advantage of this over other options is the ability to pull”
G2 review
“SearchWP has excellent support with lots of tutorials...”
WPForms review
“SearchWP. TranslatePress. WP Accessibility. Advanced Custom Fields.”
Reddit, r/Wordpress

Companies that use it

  • ArcStone13
Full analysis

Based on 14+ public sources. Reviews are largely editorial/affiliate; G2 has only 1 verified review. CVEs found apply to the companion Live Ajax Search plugin, not core SearchWP.

Powerful premium fix for bad WordPress search on big content or store sites; overkill for small blogs — try free Relevanssi.

Methodology

Based on 14+ public sources. Reviews are largely editorial/affiliate; G2 has only 1 verified review. CVEs found apply to the companion Live Ajax Search plugin, not core SearchWP.

Sources

  1. SearchWP Review: The Right Custom Search Plugin for WordPress — WPBeginnerwpbeginner.com
    review
  2. An In-Depth Review of SearchWP — Breakdancebreakdance.com
    review
  3. Is SearchWP the Right WordPress Search Plugin for You? — Oxygen Builderoxygenbuilder.com
    review
  4. SearchWP Review: Is It the Best On-Site Search Plugin? — WPFormswpforms.com
    review
  5. SearchWP Reviews — G2g2.com
    review
  6. SearchWP Review: Is It the Best WordPress Search Plugin? — IsItWPisitwp.com
    review
  7. A Candid Review of the SearchWP Plugin — WP All Importwpallimport.com
    review
  8. SearchWP Live Ajax Search < 1.6.3 — Unauthenticated Local File Inclusion (CVE-2022-3227) — WPScanwpscan.com
    security
  9. SearchWP Live Ajax Search CVE-2022-2535 — GitHubgithub.com
    security
  10. SearchWP is Joining the Awesome Motive Familysearchwp.com
    news
  11. Awesome Motive Acquires SearchWPawesomemotive.com
    news
  12. WordPress search plugins — Relevanssi vs SearchWP — Stack Harborstackharbor.com
    review
  13. FastTracker Case Study — ArcStone (SearchWP + FacetWP)arcstone.com
    review
  14. SearchWP Terms & Conditions (14-day guarantee)searchwp.com
    official

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