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Debug Bar

By WordPress.org

Developer Tools & Customization / Debugging & Development Tools

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

Debug Bar Review - In-Depth Analysis

Debug Bar adds a debug menu to the admin bar, showing query, cache, and debugging information. It's essential for developers.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.36/10

User Rating

4.1/5 (based on 69+ reviews)

Active Installations

20,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Debug Bar adds a debug menu to the admin bar that shows query, cache, and other helpful debugging information.

A must for developers!

When WP_DEBUG is enabled it also tracks PHP Warnings and Notices to make them easier to find.

When SAVEQUERIES is enabled the mysql queries are tracked and displayed.

To enable these options, add the following code to your wp-config.php file:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

define( 'SAVEQUERIES', true );

Add a PHP/MySQL console with the Debug Bar Console plugin.

There are numerous other add-ons available to get more insight into, for instance, the registered Post Types, Shortcodes, WP Cron, Language file loading, Actions and Filters and so on. Just search the plugin directory for 'Debug Bar'.

Comparing to Alternatives

Debug Bar is a popular debugging tool for WordPress with several alternatives offering similar developer-focused features.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to use interface
Helps efficiently find bugs
Widely recognized and recommended in developer documentation
Lightweight with minimal impact on site performance

Weaknesses

Lacks detailed usage instructions within the plugin
Not updated frequently, leading to compatibility issues
Limited debugging information displayed by default
Some users experience PHP errors with newer WordPress versions

User Sentiment Analysis

With a majority of 5-star ratings, users generally find Debug Bar helpful and easy to use, though a notable minority report issues and lack of updates.

Positive highlights

'Simple and easy' - Lene
'Simple and useful' - Mehedi Hasan
'A plugin without which I cannot imagine my work' - iworks (Marcin Pietrzak)
'Finding bugs is very easy and efficient' - Michael Galli

Common complaints

Only memory usage is displayed, lacking comprehensive debug info
Translation errors occur with WP_DEBUG enabled in WordPress 6.7
Plugin appears abandoned with no updates for over a year causing PHP errors

Weaknesses

Compatibility issues with latest WordPress versions
Lack of recent maintenance and updates
Limited debugging features compared to some alternatives

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers seeking a straightforward, lightweight debugging tool integrated into WordPress with basic functionality.

Not ideal for

Users needing comprehensive debugging features or those requiring a plugin with active maintenance and frequent updates.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic debugging capabilities such as memory usage display and simple bug tracking.

Final Verdict

Debug Bar remains a useful tool for developers looking for a simple and easy-to-use debugging plugin integrated into WordPress. Its strong points include ease of use and efficiency in bug detection, making it a valuable asset for many users.

However, the plugin suffers from a lack of recent updates and limited debugging features, which may cause compatibility issues and reduce its effectiveness compared to alternatives. Users requiring more comprehensive or actively maintained tools might consider other options.