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Plan a move Radar no. 49 · Quiet

Heartbeat Control

By WP Media

What it does: Changes how often the WordPress Heartbeat API runs.

Why it’s listed: No update for over three years, and it is tested only up to WordPress 6.3. Performance plugins often include this setting now. Its latest reviews average 3.7 stars, against 4.2 overall.

View on WordPress.org ↗ Checked Reviewed by Abhishek Deshpande

Active installs
70k+
Last updated
2023-08-31
Tested up to
6.3.14
Rating
4.2 / 5 (68)
Version
2.0.1
Maintainers
2

Is Heartbeat Control still maintained?

It has gone over two years without an update.

Quiet: No update for over a year.

Placements are our opinion, based on public evidence. Risk here means a plugin may not get a fix if a problem appears. It doesn’t mean we found a flaw, unless we show an advisory. Going quiet alone never puts a plugin in Replace now.

Updates No release since 2023-08-31. That was 3 yr 2 mo before our check. WordPress.org plugin directory · checked 2026-10-31
Compatibility Tested up to WordPress 6.3.14. WordPress 7.1.4 was current on 2026-10-31. WordPress.org plugin directory · checked 2026-10-31
Security No public advisories found. A quiet record is not proof of safety. wpvulnerability.net · checked 2026-10-31
Reviews The latest 10 reviews average 3.7 stars, against 4.2 overall. 3 of them gave 1 or 2 stars. Newest activity: 2024-06-17. These reviews are somewhat lower than the overall score. WordPress.org reviews · checked 2026-10-31
Maintainers 2 listed contributors. 0 of 2 recent support threads are marked resolved. WordPress.org plugin directory · checked 2026-10-31
Usage 4,133 downloads in the last 30 days, including updates. 96.87% of sites run version 2.0. WordPress.org stats · checked 2026-10-31

What to do next

  1. Back up the site, and use a staging copy for any change.
  2. Check whether your cache plugin already controls Heartbeat.
  3. If not, try one of the alternatives below.

If it works today, no need to panic. Plan the change around your next update.

Recommended alternatives to Heartbeat Control

LiteSpeed Cache ↗

A cache plugin with Heartbeat settings.

7M+ installs · 4.8 stars · Updated 2026-10-20 · Tested 7.1.4

Admin and Site Enhancements ↗

A toolkit with Heartbeat settings.

200k+ installs · 5.0 stars · Updated 2026-10-26 · Tested 7.1.4

Speed Optimizer ↗

A performance plugin with Heartbeat settings.

1M+ installs · 4.2 stars · Updated 2026-10-20 · Tested 7.1.4

Each listed plugin was updated in the last six months, is tested with WordPress 7.0 or newer, and had no open advisory in WPVulnerability when we checked. We have not tried them ourselves. No one pays to appear here.

Latest reviews

Dates show last activity. Titles are written by WordPress.org users.

Also on this radar: Speed and fonts

No one can pay to appear on the radar or to change a placement. How we stay independent

Something wrong, or updated since we checked? Suggest a correction

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