Advanced Sidebar Menu vs Category Checklist Tree (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Category Checklist Tree
5.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Category Checklist Tree has a higher user rating (5/5 from 23 reviews) while Advanced Sidebar Menu leads in active installations (10K+ vs 5.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Advanced Sidebar Menu has accumulated 1.4M+ total downloads while Category Checklist Tree has 125K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Advanced Sidebar Menu | Category Checklist Tree | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 37 | ◄ | 23 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 5.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.4M+ | ◄ | 125K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 months ago | ◄ | 8 years ago |
| First Released | 2011 | 2009 | |
| Age | 15 years | 17 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.2.0+ | 3.4+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 9.8.3 | 1.3.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Advanced Sidebar Menu
Category Checklist Tree
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Advanced Sidebar Menu averaged approximately 57 daily downloads while Category Checklist Tree averaged 132.
Recent Reviews
Advanced Sidebar Menu Reviews
Really useful product
I downloaded and installed it , and while there wasn’t an option of floating icons I wanted, it got the job done
Pro version is a disaster
The pro version of this plugin is a disaster. As soon as you activate it, it renders your menu items invisible. Also to get the full benefit of it you have to install the Classic Sidebar plugin as t
Doesn’t work
I’d love to have a plugin like this but I can’t make it work. Best I can do is make a list of categories, but I can’t get it to list individual posts within a category. Tried everything. Nothing works
Category Checklist Tree Reviews
Not all heroes wear capes
Should be default functionality in core. The WP default is ridiculous and highly confusing for even technical people with busy taxonomy hierarchies.Solves the issue perfectly, thanks for a useful plug
Very useful
I never understood why WordPress allows sub-items to be shown in a flat order if there are some terms selected. That, to me, is simply a bug. This fixes that.
finaly
Such an odd feature of WP since it leave the others children taxonomies all alone at bottom. I have never really looked for a solution in 10 years but it was time.
More Hierarchy Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Advanced Sidebar Menu and Category Checklist Tree
Get a tree view of all your pages directly in the admin menu. Search, add, edit, view, re-order – all is just one click away!
Categories in Hierarchical Order plugin maintains the hierarchical order of categories list in the Category tab under your WordPress Admin Post Editor …
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Advanced Sidebar Menu or Category Checklist Tree more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.