This is the simplest hit counter I could imagine (well, almost). Every time a 
page is requested, it adds one to the count. The display is not an image, just 
text. There is no javascript to hit some third-party server, no tracking, no 
distinction among pages: just an old-fashioned site counter CGI, implemented in 
WordPress. The plugin stores its count in its own MySQL table.
Once the plugin is installed (described below), you can display the count by 
putting code like this somewhere on your page:
<pre><code><?= simplehitcounter_hit(); ?>
</code></pre>
That will both increment the counter and display its value. There is no method 
for getting the value without incrementing it. I suppose I could write such a 
thing if anyone likes.
There is a minor race condition. First the plugin updates the database by one 
(atomically), then it queries for the current count. Therefore in heavy traffic 
it is possible for two updates to happen before either select. In that case, 
the counter will correctly increment, but the number displayed may be the same 
for each user, representing the total page hits. As far as I can tell, this 
race condition is inevitable without locking the table. It seems trivial 
enough, though I guess you should be warned if you run a contest to give away a 
free car to the 1,000,000th user.
By default the plugin keeps its data in a table called <code>wp_simplehitcounter_hits</code>. 
You can change this by editing the <code>simplehitcounter.php</code> file.

Simple Hit Counter

Prints a count of the number of hits your blog has received, tracked in the 
database.

dFactory

Post Views Counter allows you to collect and display how many times a post, page, or other content has been viewed in a simple, fast and reliable way.
<a href="https://postviewscounter.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Post Views Counter</a> gives you clear, accurate post view stats — right inside WordPress. No external tools. No bloat. Just the numbers you need to see what’s working.
<h4>Key Benefits</h4>
Clarity, speed, and control:
<ul>
<li>Clear, Focused Metrics — You get a clear picture of how your posts are performing.</li>
<li>Made for WordPress — Runs entirely in your site. No GA, no third-party pipes; accurate counts in your Dashboard.</li>
<li>Privacy-first — Data lives on your server, with controls that respect visitors’ rights and privacy regulations.</li>
<li>Works at scale — Minimal overhead, no external scripts, Multisite-ready.</li>
<li>Display anywhere — Automatically show counts, or place them exactly where you want via blocks or shortcode.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Features</h4>
Practical features that matter:
<ul>
<li>Count & display views for any post type you select.</li>
<li>Three counting modes: PHP, JavaScript, REST API</li>
<li>Dashboard post views stats widget</li>
<li>Sortable Post Views admin column</li>
<li>Exclude bots, logged-in users, specific roles, or IPs</li>
<li>Manually adjust a post’s views when needed.</li>
<li>Query and order content by views (developer-friendly)</li>
<li>Custom REST API endpoints</li>
<li>Option to set count interval</li>
<li>One-click data import from WP-PostViews</li>
<li>Post views display position, automatic or manual via shortcode</li>
<li>Multisite compatibile</li>
<li>WPML/Polylang compatible; translation-ready (.pot)</li>
</ul>
<h4>Post Views Counter Pro</h4>
More capability without extra complexity:
<ul>
<li>Fast AJAX counting for more accurate data.</li>
<li>Caching optimization that guarantees performance even under heavy traffic.</li>
<li>Reports: Views by Date, Post, Author to spot winners, trends, and top contributors.</li>
<li>Customizable Views Period (e.g., last 7/30 days) to control the views count timeframe.</li>
<li>Export to CSV/XML to download and share data.</li>
<li>Integrations for ordering by views in popular builders (e.g., Elementor Pro, Divi, GenerateBlocks).</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://postviewscounter.com/pricing/" rel="nofollow ugc">Learn more about Pro →</a>

Post Views Counter

goood

This plugin is awesome. Hope it will be great for future too

Awesome plugin


I love this simple but easy to use plugin! 


Simple but good

great plugin


I've been using it for a few years as a parallel stats tracker for a pretty traffic-heavy site and it's been serving me well.



It's great for small and simple websites too :)


Stable and scalable

Post Views Counter allows you to collect and display how many times a post, page, or other content has been viewed in a simple, fast and reliable way.

Simple Hit Counter vs Post Views Counter