Ajax Search Lite vs Jetpack Search
Updated 13 Oct 2026. 18 features compared side by side.
Free live AJAX search bar from WPDreams with category filters and stats; Ajax Search Pro adds an index table, synonyms, file search and rich…
Automattic's cloud search for WordPress with an instant overlay, filters and spelling correction; free for small sites, paid by record and request volume.
Choose Ajax Search Lite if…
- You need PDF & document search and search analytics
- You also want multilingual support
- You want the more complete feature set (84/100 vs 57/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Jetpack Search if…
- You need external or hosted index
Ajax Search Lite includes 3 features that Jetpack Search lacks, including PDF & document search, Search analytics and Multilingual support; Jetpack Search has 1 that Ajax Search Lite lacks, including External or hosted index. Both include 12 of the 18 features we track. 2 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Ajax Search Lite Jetpack SearchRelevance & indexing7/76/7
Pro relevance options assign weights to title, content, terms and fields; Lite only has ordering options.
Automatic relevance with traffic-based boosting; field weights only via developer query filters.
Lite can search any custom field; Pro adds repeaters and special ACF field types.
Only allowlisted meta keys are indexed; others must be mapped with code.
Lite matches categories and tags; Pro adds custom taxonomy terms and terms as results.
Categories, tags and a fixed list of taxonomies are indexed and filterable.
Pro indexes PDF and Office contents with the index table, via local parsers or the Media Service.
PDF contents are not indexed.
Partial-word matching with optional exact mode in both versions; no typo tolerance documented.
Spelling correction and language analysis handle typos and word forms.
Pro synonym lists (index table engine), with AI synonym suggestions from Search AI.
Language analysis matches word forms in 38 languages; no custom synonym lists.
Lite excludes categories and posts; Pro adds rule-based exclusions and result priorities to pin content.
Whole post types can be excluded in settings; no per-post exclusion or pinning.
WooCommerce2/21/2
Lite searches products and their meta fields; documented SKU search and attribute filtering are Pro.
Product result format with price; SKU matching is not documented.
Pro's index table can return WooCommerce variations as results, per vendor support.
Could not confirm whether individual variations are indexed or returned.
Search experience5/55/5
Dropdown results appear as visitors type, plus a live loader on the results page.
Instant overlay can open as visitors type, with autocomplete suggestions.
Lite has category and post type checkboxes; price, attribute, field and date filters are Pro.
Filters for taxonomies, dates and post types, plus WooCommerce price, stock, rating and attributes.
Pro supports unlimited search bars, each with its own configuration and shortcode.
Search blocks build custom embedded results pages; core settings are site-wide.
Keyword highlighting in results and on the single result page.
Search terms highlighted in Minimal and Expanded formats with a configurable colour.
Shows keyword suggestions (Google, titles, terms) when nothing matches, not true spell correction.
Spelling correction included on free and paid plans.
Insights & scale3/41/4
Lite statistics track search phrases, result counts and devices; Pro also shows popular phrases.
Jetpack does not record what visitors type into the site search form.
Self-hosted only: searches the WordPress database or a local index table.
Content is indexed and searched on WordPress.com infrastructure.
Compatible with WPML, Polylang and qTranslate-X.
Multiple languages on the same site are not supported yet.
Pro can search across selected blogs in a multisite network.
No documentation found on searching across a multisite network.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Ajax Search Lite Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Lite | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Pro Single (annual) | €39 per year, 1 site |
| Pro Single (lifetime) | €99 lifetime, 1 site |
| Pro Multi (lifetime) | €229 lifetime, 3 sites |
| Pro Agency (lifetime) | €799 lifetime, 25 sites |
| Pro via CodeCanyon (Regular) | $139 one-off, 1 site |
Jetpack Search Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Search Free | Free per month, 1 site |
| Jetpack Search | $99.96 per year, 1 site |
Downloads trend
Ajax Search Lite
8,873 downloads last week
Jetpack Search
1,130 downloads last week
Verdict
Ajax Search Lite scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 57/100) and includes PDF & document search, search analytics and multilingual support that Jetpack Search does not. Jetpack Search still has the edge on external or hosted index. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Ajax Search Lite: paid version (Pro). Jetpack Search: not included. Pro indexes PDF and Office contents with the index table, via local parsers or the Media Service.
Ajax Search Lite: included. Jetpack Search: not included. Lite statistics track search phrases, result counts and devices; Pro also shows popular phrases.
Ajax Search Lite: not included. Jetpack Search: included. Content is indexed and searched on WordPress.com infrastructure.
Ajax Search Lite: included. Jetpack Search: not included. Compatible with WPML, Polylang and qTranslate-X.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Ajax Search Lite or Jetpack Search?
Ajax Search Lite scores higher on our feature checklist (84/100 against 57/100) and includes PDF & document search, search analytics and multilingual support that Jetpack Search does not. Jetpack Search still has the edge on external or hosted index. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Ajax Search Lite includes 17 of the 18 features we track, against 13 for Jetpack Search. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Ajax Search Lite free?
Ajax Search Lite has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at €39/yr.
Is Jetpack Search free?
Jetpack Search has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $99.96/yr.
Feature data last changed 13 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Ajax Search Lite or Jetpack Search. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.