Are you looking for the best WordPress search filter plugins to help your visitors narrow down your products or content?

Out of the box, WordPress only supports the basic keyword searching and it’s fairly limited. WooCommerce does include a few built-in filter widgets. But they are still quite simple. For any non eCommerce WordPress sites the advanced filtering isn’t available at all by default.

But, there’s some good news and it is that there are many powerful WordPress search and filter plugins which allow you to build custom faceted search systems. These plugins let visitors filter content using custom fields, taxonomies, product attributes and other data across your site.

Why Use WordPress Search Filter Plugins?

In many cases, a single keyword search just isn’t enough to help visitors quickly find what theyare looking for.

eCommerce stores are the most obvious example. Shoppers aren’t usually searching for just a “sweatshirt.” They are looking for one in a specific size. Within a certain price range and in colours they prefer.

A search and filter system, often called faceted search allows users to apply all of those criteria at once. Which makes it so much easier to find the right product. Faceted search can also act as a form of navigation, guiding users toward relevant content without forcing them to browse your site manually.

That said, advanced filtering isn’t limited to online stores. It is just as useful for blogs, directories, portfolios, real estate listings, job boards or even knowledge bases.

Any time visitors need to search content using more than just a keyword. WordPress search filter plugins can dramatically improve usability. Which helps users find content faster, improving overall experience and in many cases increasing conversions or sales.

In today’s WordPress Wednesday post, I will compare the best plugins for improving your website’s search experience. So let’s start.

1. SearchWP

     

SearchWP is a good choice for adding advanced search functionality into WordPress websites. It particularly good for eCommerce stores and business sites.

As a premium plugin, SearchWP offers far more powerful search capabilities than what you find within the WordPress default system. It goes beyond the standard content indexing and can even search the contents of PDF documents. Which makes it a strong option for content-heavy websites.

Key Features

SearchWP allows you to set up an advanced search system without writing any code. It creates a deeper search index that supports WooCommerce products, PDFs, custom fields, metadata and more. The plugin also provides detailed insights into what users are searching for, along with integrations for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, bbPress and other popular tools.

Pros of Using SearchWP

SearchWP integrates smoothly with the default WordPress search. So there’s no code edits that need to be done. It supports multiple search engines. Allowing you to create different search forms that return specific types of results. The search algorithm is highly customizable, including control over how results are ranked. You can also exclude specific content from appearing in search results when needed.

Cons of Using SearchWP

SearchWP can be expensive for smaller websites, as the extensions are spread across different tier pricing plans. Additionally it offers limited multisite support. Since global search across a WordPress multisite network isn’t available and the plugin must be installed on each site individually.

Pricing

SearchWP pricing starts at $99 per year for the base plan with standard extensions. The $149 per year plan adds WooCommerce integration, custom result ordering and search metrics. The $299 per year plan includes all extensions and allows installation on unlimited websites.

2. FacetWP

FacetWP is one of the most widely used search and filter plugins for WordPress. It enables highly customizable faceted search for both standard WordPress sites and WooCommerce stores.

You can build your own faceted search layouts using FacetWP’s visual builder or integrate filters directly into WordPress page builders for example Elementor. This makes it very easy for anyone to add advanced filtering without having to rebuild your layouts from the start.

FacetWP really stands out for its flexibility, especially when working with custom content, custom fields and non-standard data structures.

To see how it works on the front end. FacetWP has three demos: cars, power plants and state parks.

Key Features

FacetWP lets you create search and filter systems for any post type, as well as WordPress users. It offers more than 13 facet input types, including dropdowns, range sliders, checkboxes, search boxes and more. Filters can be built using taxonomies, custom fields and post data such as author or post type.

The plugin integrates with popular custom content tools like Advanced Custom Fields, Pods and Meta Box. You can create custom results templates using FacetWP’s layout builder which is a page builder or your own custom code.

Through page builder integrations, facets can be displayed alongside existing content list widgets for example next to Elementor Pro’s Posts or WooCommerce Products widgets.

FacetWP supports Ajax filtering, allowing users to apply filters without reloading the page. It also integrates with WooCommerce, WP Job Manager, Polylang, and other popular plugins.

Pros of Using FacetWP

FacetWP allows you to create filters from almost any type of content on your site, including custom fields. It offers a wide range of facet types, making it suitable for many different use cases. Page builder integrations make it easier to add faceted search to layouts or theme templates. You can also build custom results templates using a simple template tag system. For developers, FacetWP provides a large number of hooks for deeper customization.

Cons of Using FacetWP

FacetWP does not offer a free version, and the premium pricing is higher than many alternatives. It can also feel complex for casual users, although page builder integrations have made it more accessible than in the past.

Pricing

FacetWP is only available as a premium plugin. Pricing starts at $99 for use on up to three sites, while the $249 license supports up to 20 sites. A Professional license at $249 is required if you want to create filters for WordPress users. Aside from user filtering, features are the same across license tiers.

3. JetSmartFilters

JetSmartFilters is a affordable advanced search and filter plugin for WordPress. This plugin was built specifically for users of Elementor and the native WordPress block editor.

The plugin allows you to create faceted search systems for any post type on your site with being fully supported for WooCommerce products. Rather than relying on complex configuration panels JetSmartFilters lets you build filters directly inside your preferred editor.

For example when you use the block editor. You get 15 dedicated blocks for creating and arranging filters. Each filter type has its own block such as checkboxes, number ranges or search fields making it easy to control both functionality and layout.

Key Features

JetSmartFilters lets you build filter systems using dedicated blocks or widgets in Gutenberg and Elementor. It supports true faceted search, allowing users to apply multiple filters at the same time. Ajax-based filtering updates results instantly without requiring a page reload. The plugin includes nine different filter types, including checkboxes, range selectors, search boxes, visual filters, and more.

Pricing

JetSmartFilters is priced at $24 for a single-site license or $49 for unlimited site usage, making it one of the most affordable options for adding advanced filtering to WordPress.

4. ElasticPress

ElasticPress is a powerful advanced search plugin that connects WordPress to Elasticsearch, which makes it a strong option for those website which are high traffic or content heavy.

Elasticsearch builds and manages its own search index using separate processing power. This reduces the load on your WordPress database and improves search performance significantly whicch is especially good for large WooCommerce stores or sites with thousands of posts and products. Plus it also delivers more accurate and relevant search results compared to WordPress’s default search.

ElasticPress supports faceted search. Allowing users to filter results by taxonomies and other data. Available filter types include checkboxes, number ranges, dropdowns and more.

As Elasticsearch adds an extra layer of complexity. ElasticPress isn’t well suited for non technical users. But with that said, devs and advanced site owners prefer it for its scalability, flexibility and performance advantages when working with large datasets.

Key Features

ElasticPress improves performance by offloading search processing to Elasticsearch. Which builds and queries its own index without relying on WordPress database queries. It delivers highly accurate search results and supports faceted search for filtering content. The plugin can filter by custom taxonomies and custom fields. Although some advanced use cases may require custom development.

Pricing

The ElasticPress plugin itself is free. However, it requires access to an Elasticsearch instance.

You can self-host Elasticsearch at no cost since it’s open source or choose a paid hosted Elasticsearch service for easier setup and maintenance. Some managed WordPress hosts also offer Elasticsearch as an add-on or built-in feature.

5. Search & Filter Pro

Search & Filter Pro is a well-known WordPress search and filter plugin which offers both a free version on WordPress.org and a premium upgrade.

This plugin is similar to FacetWP as it gives you the flexibility to build faceted search systems for any post type using custom fields, taxonomies and post data. This makes it suitable for a wide range of sites. All from blogs and directories to WooCommerce stores.

Key Features

Search & Filter Pro includes more than 12 filter input types such as dropdowns, radio buttons, single and multi-select options, search boxes, and date or number range filters. It comes with a drag and drop form builder and supports filtering by taxonomies, custom fields and post data like post type, author and dates.

The plugin offers dedicated eCommerce integrations for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads and many other popular WordPress eCommerce plugins. As it can be integrated with Advanced Custom Fields for working with custom fields and supports dynamic filters that update based on the current results to avoid zero result pages. Ajax filtering is available to update results without reloading the page. For front-end display. Plus it integrates well with Elementor Pro, Beaver Builder and Divi.

Pros of Using Search & Filter Pro

Search & Filter Pro lets you create filters using nearly any type of content on your site. It offers a wide variety of filter and facet types, making it comparable to FacetWP in terms of flexibility. Page builder integrations allow non-developers to control the design of results layouts easily. The premium version is also very affordable, especially when compared to higher-priced alternatives like FacetWP.

Cons of Using Search & Filter Pro

If you’re not using a page builder, there’s no built-in results templating system. While it integrates with the third-party Custom Layouts plugin, customizing layouts without a builder typically requires PHP. There are also fewer developer hooks for advanced customization, and unlike FacetWP, Search & Filter Pro does not support creating search forms for WordPress users.

Pricing

Search & Filter offers a limited free version available on WordPress.org. For most serious projects, the premium version is recommended. Pricing starts at $20 for a single-site license or $75 for unlimited sites.

6. Ajax Search Pro

Ajax Search Pro is a premium WordPress search plugin that includes a built-in filtering system. This plugin can be used to create advanced product filters for online stores, directories and other content heavy websites.

The plugin is compatible with many of the popular page builders you find for WordPress like Elementor and WPBakery. Plus it allows you to create multiple search bars with different configurations. This makes Ajax Search Pro a great choice for both designers and developers who need flexible, reusable search systems for client projects.

Key Features

Ajax Search Pro offers advanced search functionality with a relatively simple setup process. It includes more than 400 options for fine-tuning search behavior and appearance. You can choose from over 60 pre designed themes for styling search forms. The plugin supports WooCommerce and WordPress multisite installations and it provides customizable indexing with support for all WordPress content types.

Pricing

Ajax Search Pro is priced at $99.

7. Ivory Search

Ivory Search is a great and free WordPress search plugin which replaces the default search system with a more capable and flexible alternative. With the plugin it allows you to create custom search forms with Ajax support which improves both accuracy and user experience.

The plugin includes a wide range of customization options. Which lets you control which content types are indexed, exclude specific search terms and fine-tune how searches behave across your site.

Key Features

Ivory Search offers a user friendly setup with a simple settings interface. It supports searching WooCommerce products, images and file attachments and lets you create unlimited custom search forms. Each search form can be configured independently. Which gives you more control over how search works in different parts of your site. The plugin also integrates with bbPress, WPML, Polylang, WooCommerce and other popular WordPress tools.

Pricing

Ivory Search is completely free to use.

8. Relevanssi

Relevanssi is often seen as the main competitor to SearchWP. It largely because it offers a generous free version which covers many of the features which you can found within SearchWP’s basic plan.

But, unlike SearchWP, Relevanssi supports WordPress multisite networks and membership-based websites. However with this added flexibility comes with a more complex setup process that may feel complicated for beginners.

Key Features

Relevanssi includes a feature-rich free plan with advanced search capabilities. It supports searching phrases, comments, tags and other content types, and integrates with popular membership plugins. The plugin also provides autocomplete-style search suggestions to improve the user experience.

Pros of Using Relevanssi

The biggest advantage of Relevanssi is its free version, which is more than sufficient for small blogs and business websites. Search results are ranked by relevance rather than publish date which helps users find more accurate results. Relevanssi offers deep indexing support for a wide range of content types including PDFs, documents, ePub files and more. It also integrates with many popular plugins such as WPML, WooCommerce, and a2Member.

Cons of Using Relevanssi

Relevanssi has a steep learning curve, as the settings interface can be difficult to understand without technical experience. It also requires significant database space, with the plugin documentation warning that indexing can consume hundreds of megabytes. In addition, Relevanssi may conflict with certain third-party plugins, including BuddyPress, Beaver Builder, NextGEN Gallery and Sensei.

Pricing

To access advanced features such as PDF indexing, multisite support, and additional integrations, you’ll need the premium version. Relevanssi Premium costs $118.39 per year or $396.59 for a one-time lifetime license.