Charitable vs Donation Thermometer (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Donation Plugins top 10: Charitable at #2 and Donation Thermometer at #6. Charitable leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Charitable
Charitable – Donation & Fundraising Platform (Donation Forms, Recurring Donations & Fundraising Campaigns)
The best WordPress donation plugin. Create fundraising donation forms, accept recurring donations, easy donor management, add crowdfunding, and more.
Donation Thermometer
Displays a fully customisable thermometer for tracking donations or any other goal.
Who leads on what
Charitable leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Charitable ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Donation Plugins.
Charitable has more users: 10,000+ active installs against 2,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Charitable has 217, Donation Thermometer has 12. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Charitable has more reviews behind its score: 217 against 12.
Charitable was updated more recently, on August 28, 2026; Donation Thermometer on August 18, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Charitable
Pick Charitable if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Donation Thermometer
Donation Thermometer does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Charitable vs Donation Thermometer side by side
| Charitable | Donation Thermometer | |
|---|---|---|
| Donation Plugins ranking | #2 | #6 |
| Rating | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 217 | 12 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 2,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,201,360 | 104,757 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 28, 2026 | Aug 18, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 19, 2015 | Apr 5, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 5.2 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Charitable ratings
Donation Thermometer ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Charitable nor Donation Thermometer can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Donation Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Charitable vs Donation Thermometer: common questions
Is Charitable better than Donation Thermometer?
Charitable leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Charitable ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Donation Plugins.
Which has more users, Charitable or Donation Thermometer?
Charitable ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Donation Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Charitable or Donation Thermometer?
Charitable has more users: 10,000+ active installs against 2,000+.
Are Charitable and Donation Thermometer free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Charitable may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Donation Thermometer may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Charitable and Donation Thermometer
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More Donation Plugins comparisons
- Better Payment vs Charitable
- Better Payment vs Donation Thermometer
- Charitable vs Donorbox
- Charitable vs Accept Donations with PayPal & Stripe
- Charitable vs GiveWP
- Charitable vs Donations via PayPal
- Charitable vs Donation Platform for WooCommerce
- Charitable vs Stripe Payment Forms by WP Full Pay
- Charitable vs Paymattic
- Donation Thermometer vs Donorbox
- Donation Thermometer vs Accept Donations with PayPal & Stripe
- Donation Thermometer vs GiveWP
Weekly · free
What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.