SearchWebCode vs WhatRuns

Last verified July 2026 · competitor facts from public sources · our index built August 2026

Short version: WhatRuns is a detector, a free browser extension (and web app) that names the technologies on whatever page you're viewing, and, on paid plans, lists sites using a catalogued technology. SearchWebCode is a search engine for raw source: query any literal string or regex across the whole index and read the full matched source of every result. Use WhatRuns to label a single site's stack in a click; use SearchWebCode to find and verify sites by arbitrary code and export the list.

WhatRuns is best known as a free browser extension that tells you "what runs" on the page you're looking at, its analytics, framework, CMS, hosting, ad networks, fonts, and WordPress plugins or themes. That makes it a fast, friendly technology detector. SearchWebCode sits in a different category: a source-code search engine that indexes the raw HTML, JavaScript, and CSS of the web and lets you search it for any string or regex. The differences below all follow from detector-on-one-page versus search-across-the-index.

What is WhatRuns?

WhatRuns identifies the technologies on a site by matching against a catalogue of known fingerprints and presents them in a tidy panel, with a companion web app and paid plans that turn that detection into lists of sites using a given technology, plus alerts when a site's stack changes. Its strength is convenience: install the extension, open a site, read its stack without touching source. Like any fingerprint-based tool, it reports the technologies it has been built to recognize.

What SearchWebCode is

SearchWebCode doesn't work from a catalogue. It searches the actual source of pages for any literal string or regular expression, so you can ask "which sites contain this exact string", a specific plugin path, one tracking ID, an unusual SDK version, a competitor's affiliate code, whether or not any detector has named it. Every result opens the full matched source with your query highlighted, so you see exactly why it matched.

At a glance

	SearchWebCode	WhatRuns
Category	source-code search engine	tech detector (extension + web app)
Query model	any literal string or regex	a catalogue of known technologies
Scope of a query	the whole index at once	the page you're viewing (lists on paid plans)
Finds un-catalogued footprints	yes, search anything in source	no, limited to detected tech
Shows the matched source	yes, full page source	a stack panel, not the source
Pricing model	pay-as-you-go, $0.05 / search	free extension; paid plans for lists

Detecting one site vs searching them all

WhatRuns answers "what does this site run?" one page at a time, the right tool when you're on a site and want its stack. SearchWebCode answers the inverse, "which sites run this?", by searching every indexed page for a footprint at once and returning the ranked list. On the free extension WhatRuns is a per-site lookup; getting the full list of sites using a technology is a paid feature, and it's bounded by the catalogue. A source search isn't: if you can write the string, you can find the sites that ship it.

Seeing the evidence

A detector abstracts a page down to a list of labels, easy to read, but it hides the code the label came from. SearchWebCode keeps the evidence: every result opens the complete page source with each match highlighted, so you can confirm a version string, see what else loads nearby, and rule out an incidental reference. For security, OSINT, or any claim you need to defend, the source itself is the deliverable.

When WhatRuns is the better choice

You're browsing a site and want its stack labelled instantly, for free, without leaving the page.
You want a lightweight extension for quick, casual tech-spotting.
Your questions are about catalogued technologies, and a clean panel is all you need.

When SearchWebCode is the better choice

You need to find every site containing an arbitrary string or regex no catalogue tracks.
You need to read the full matched source to verify or investigate a result.
You're mapping sites by a shared tracking ID, plugin path, or SDK version for OSINT or security work.
You'd rather pay per search and export the domains than manage another subscription.

Browse the technology directory → Search WordPress plugin paths →

← All comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Is SearchWebCode the same as WhatRuns?

No. WhatRuns is a technology detector, a browser extension and web app that names the stack on a page from a catalogue of fingerprints. SearchWebCode is a source-code search engine: you search the raw HTML, JavaScript, and CSS for any string or regex and read the full matched source of every result.

Can WhatRuns find sites by an arbitrary string?

Generally no. WhatRuns reports technologies it has catalogued for a page, and lists sites using them on paid plans. SearchWebCode can find any literal string or regex in page source, including plugin paths, tracking IDs, and SDK versions nobody has fingerprinted.

Does SearchWebCode have a browser extension?

No. SearchWebCode is web-based: you run a search and browse matching sites with their full source. WhatRuns' core interface is a browser extension that profiles the page you're on.

How much does SearchWebCode cost?

Pay-as-you-go at $0.05 per search from a prepaid balance, with a few free searches to start and no subscription. WhatRuns' extension is free, with paid plans for site lists and change alerts.