The Freaky Blog
SearchWPUltimate Dashboard8.3/10

SearchWP vs Ultimate Dashboard

Ultimate Dashboard wins 2 of the 2 points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.

At a glance

FeatureSearchWPUltimate Dashboard
Our scoreNot rated8.3/10
Starts at$99/year$58/year (better)
Free versionNoYes (better)
Refund window14 days14 days
BillingSubscriptionSubscription
Active installs–50K+
Last Black Friday––
CategoryAdmin & dev toolsAdmin & dev tools
VendorSearchWPUltimate Dashboard
Black Friday 2026Not announcedNot announced

Which should you choose?

Choose SearchWP if…

  • Online stores that need better product search
  • Sites with custom post types or custom fields
SearchWP reviewVisit SearchWP (opens in a new tab)

Choose Ultimate Dashboard if…

  • Agencies setting up client dashboards
  • Site owners who want a simpler admin area
  • You want to start free
  • You want the lower starting price
Ultimate Dashboard reviewVisit Ultimate Dashboard (opens in a new tab)

Features

SearchWP

  • Custom result ordering
  • Custom fields and taxonomies
  • WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads search
  • Live AJAX search results
  • PDF and office document search
  • Search metrics and statistics

Ultimate Dashboard

  • Dashboard widget control
  • Login screen customizer
  • Login redirect
  • Custom admin pages
  • Custom CSS
  • Settings import and export

Pros and cons

SearchWP

  • Searches custom fields, taxonomies and custom post types
  • Works with WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads
  • Unlimited search queries on every plan
  • 14-day money-back guarantee
  • No free version
  • Only annual subscriptions are offered
  • Priority support starts at the Pro plan

Ultimate Dashboard

  • Free version on WordPress.org with 50,000+ active installations
  • Dashboard widgets and login screen can be set up without code
  • Login redirect hides /wp-admin/ from logged-out visitors on the free version
  • Lightweight plugin with a focused feature set
  • Multisite support needs the Unlimited Sites plan or higher
  • Admin Menu Editor and Admin Bar Editor are only in the paid version
  • Restricting widgets and pages to specific users or roles is a PRO feature

Pricing plans

SearchWP

  • StandardStarts here

    $99/year

    1 site

    • Unlimited search queries
    • Unlimited search engines
    • Standard support

  • Pro

    $199/year

    3 sites

    • Everything in Standard
    • Priority support
    • Built for sites that sell products

  • All Access Bundle

    $399/year

    100 sites

    • Includes SearchWP and WPFilters
    • Unlimited WPFilters queries
    • Unlimited WPFilters elements

Ultimate Dashboard

  • 1 SiteStarts here

    $58/year

    1 site

    • 1 year of support and updates
    • 20% renewal discount
    • No multisite support

  • 5 Sites

    $98/year

    5 sites

    • 1 year of support and updates
    • 20% renewal discount
    • No multisite support

  • Unlimited Sites

    $178/year

    Unlimited sites

    • 1 year of support and updates
    • 20% renewal discount
    • Multisite support

SearchWP vs Ultimate Dashboard questions

Is SearchWP better than Ultimate Dashboard?

On our comparison Ultimate Dashboard comes out ahead on 2 of 2 measurable points. The right pick still depends on what you build.

Which is cheaper, SearchWP or Ultimate Dashboard?

SearchWP starts at $99/year and Ultimate Dashboard starts at $58/year.

Can I get SearchWP or Ultimate Dashboard cheaper on Black Friday?

Both are on our Black Friday tracker. We'll add each discount the moment it goes live.

Both products

Related comparisons