Blog Designer vs WP Blog and Widgets (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, WP Blog and Widgets has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 27 reviews) while Blog Designer leads in active installations (10K+ vs 8.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Blog Designer has accumulated 965K+ total downloads while WP Blog and Widgets has 441K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Blog Designer | WP Blog and Widgets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4/5 | ► | 4.1/5 |
| Total Reviews | 167 | ◄ | 27 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 8.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 965K+ | ◄ | 441K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2015 | 2015 | |
| Age | 11 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.6+ | 4.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.1.8 | 2.6.6 |
Rating Breakdown
Blog Designer
WP Blog and Widgets
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Blog Designer averaged approximately 26 daily downloads while WP Blog and Widgets averaged 30.
Recent Reviews
Blog Designer Reviews
Good but Not Quite Perfect
I’m happy with its main promise – to easily add a nice looking blog page. That does not mean its perfect. But after trying out similar products this works the best for me. I wish it did not erase al
Think Carefully
May be what you want or need for your WordPress site, but proceed carefully. I found the plugin (a) complicated to use, (b) weighted too much towards promoting the paid version (c) a heavily crippled
Best blog plugin and awesome support!
Blog Designer isn’t just an easy to use plugin, it also makes your blog look awesome and their support is one of the fastest and perfect ever. I had an issue and it only took 1 minute for the support
WP Blog and Widgets Reviews
Good for a second blog… BUT…
Good for a second blog, easy to set up… BUT, there was a security issue I thought they fixed, but Wordfence has just notified me (again) that it is still not fixed, listing the version that goes
Excellent
Excellent
The plugin is ok – but after installing it you get endless spam mails
The plugin does what it should. No more, no less. So ok But after WPOnlinesupport got your email address, they trash you with SPAM emails. “Buy these great accessories …” Not once a week, not twice –
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.