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Companion Auto Update

By Papin Schipper

Site Administration & Utilities / URL Redirects & 301 Management

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Companion Auto Update Review - In-Depth Analysis

Manage all updates on your WordPress site with ease. Receive email notifications and logs for updates. This plugin is completely free.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.18/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 105+ reviews)

Active Installations

40,000+

Update Frequency

Very Good It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

7.2 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Companion Auto Update is a powerful and completely free plugin that allows you to manage all the updates on your WordPress site. Our aim is to give you the best control over these updates and stay in the know at all times.

We understand that you might not always be able to check if your WordPress site has any updates that need to be installed. Especially when you maintain multiple websites keeping them up-to-date can be a lot of work. This plugin can help you with that. We will keep your site up-to-date and keep you posted about what is happening and notify you when we need your help with something.

If you have a feature suggestion or idea you would like to see in the plugin, we would love to hear about it!

Main features include auto-updating for plugins, themes, core, and translation files, with options to set your preferred update times, filter specific plugins and themes, and receive email notifications about old software, pending updates, and completed updates.

Full control is what this plugin is all about. You can enable or disable automatic updating for plugins, themes, WordPress core updates, and translation files. If you do not want to run the updater for all plugins, you can disable auto-updating for specific ones and receive notifications for updates.

By default, the plugin checks for updates twice a day, but you can customize this frequency. You can also schedule notifications separately from updates to suit your needs. This helps prevent issues that might arise from updates that could cause errors on your site.

Stay informed about what is happening on your website with various email notifications. You can receive emails when updates are available, when a plugin has been updated, or when WordPress has been updated. If you prefer not to receive emails, you can still log in and view the changelog to see what happened.

Comparing to Alternatives

Companion Auto Update is a popular plugin for managing automatic updates with fine-tuning options. It faces competition from several well-known alternatives that offer similar update management features.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Provides detailed control over update timing and delays
Highly rated by users for reliability and ease of use
Free to use with no paid version required
Supports fine-tuning beyond WordPress core auto-updates
Good track record of fixing past vulnerabilities

Weaknesses

Has had multiple security vulnerabilities in the past
No active paid support or pro version available
Some users report bugs accumulating over time
Support responsiveness has been criticized

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 105 reviews, users generally praise the plugin's functionality and reliability. Positive feedback highlights its effectiveness and thoughtful features, while a small minority express concerns about support and bugs.

Positive highlights

"Wonderful plugin albeit a past hiccup" — TekGirlyMama
"Great plugin" — bhtvdmeer
"GREAT" — Hermann Matthias
"Nice options and reliable support." — sankari
"Delaying the updates has really improved the reliability of our site." — dashmore

Common complaints

Bugs accumulating over time
Lack of responsive support

Weaknesses

Past security vulnerabilities including XSS, SQL injection, and CSRF
No pro version limits advanced support options
Support has been described as missing in action by some users

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a free, reliable plugin to manage and fine-tune automatic WordPress updates with detailed control over update delays.

Not ideal for

Users who require guaranteed timely support or need a plugin with a spotless security record and active pro support options.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers comprehensive automatic update management with options to delay updates and fine-tune behavior without any cost.

Final Verdict

Companion Auto Update stands out as a highly rated free plugin that offers detailed control over WordPress automatic updates, appreciated by most users for its reliability and feature set. However, its history of security vulnerabilities and limited support availability may concern some users.

While there are several alternatives available, this plugin remains a strong choice for those prioritizing fine-tuned update management without a paid upgrade. Users should weigh the plugin's benefits against its past security issues and support limitations before deciding.