Authors Widget vs Novelist (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Authors Widget has a higher user rating (5/5 from 4 reviews) and leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Authors Widget has accumulated 112K+ total downloads while Novelist has 30K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Authors Widget | Novelist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5/5 | 5/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 4 | ► | 9 |
| Active Installs | 1.0K+ | 1.0K+ | |
| Total Downloads | 112K+ | ◄ | 30K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 8 years ago | ► | 8 months ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2016 | |
| Age | 17 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.0.2+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.4.8 | 1.3.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Authors Widget
Novelist
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Authors Widget averaged approximately 25 daily downloads while Novelist averaged 9.
Recent Reviews
Authors Widget Reviews
Works as advertised!
Simple but effective
Great
Does exactly what it says. Very nice.
Does the job
Ive used this for years works great!
Novelist Reviews
perfect plugin for me
I love this plugin. As an author, I’ve tried so many of them to try to add my books easily to my website. This one is ‘the one’. simple to use and easy to keep updated!
Amazing support and plugin
Amazing plugin! It was the first I used of it’s kind and it was a real help for easily creating my author website. Support is super fast too!
great plugin!
I don’t know why more people aren’t using it!
More Authors Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Authors Widget and Novelist
PublishPress Authors is the best plugin for adding authors, co-authors, multiple authors and guest authors to WordPress posts.
Assign multiple bylines to posts, pages, and custom post types with a search-as-you-type input box.
Make up custom-tailored preview lists of the contents easily and place them in widget areas and post contents.
Easily handle authors' payments on a multi-author blog by computing posts' remuneration basing on admin defined rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Authors Widget or Novelist more popular?
Which has better ratings — Authors Widget or Novelist?
Are Authors Widget and Novelist free?
Which plugin has better support — Authors Widget or Novelist?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.