Category Posts Widget vs Launchpad Popular Posts (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Category Posts Widget has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 79 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Category Posts Widget has accumulated 1.8M+ total downloads while Launchpad Popular Posts has 1.0K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Category Posts Widget | Launchpad Popular Posts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ◄ | N/A |
| Total Reviews | 79 | ◄ | 0 |
| Active Installs | 40K+ | ◄ | 10 |
| Total Downloads | 1.8M+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 6 years ago |
| First Released | 2007 | 2019 | |
| Age | 19 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.8+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.3+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.9.22 | 1.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Category Posts Widget
Launchpad Popular Posts
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Category Posts Widget Reviews
It does exactly what it says
Good plugin to display your latest posts on a widget and filter them according to your preferences.
This solution worked in minutes — not days or weeks!
This plugin is exactly what they say it is: Simple Thorough Does it well It solved all of my issues within minutes. I had spent hours over a couple weeks using various workarounds and pl
A must have plugin.
Useful and easy to use. No support needed.
Launchpad Popular Posts Reviews
No reviews yet
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Category Posts Widget and Launchpad Popular Posts
Easy to show posts, pages, custom posts in customizable grid, list, slider, accordion... Available as Widgets (for Elementor), Shortcode, and Blocks.
List the most recent posts with post titles, thumbnails, excerpts, authors, categories, dates and more!
Redirect your visitors to another page than the post content when they click on the post title.
Display posts, pages, and taxonomies in beautiful carousel, slider, and grid layouts with advanced filtering. Customizable, Developer-friendly.
The ultimate widget for displaying posts, custom post types or sticky posts with an array of options.
Load your content from posts, page, tags or custom post type and display it anywhere in WordPress including in Gutenberg editor
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Category Posts Widget or Launchpad Popular Posts more popular?
Which has better ratings — Category Posts Widget or Launchpad Popular Posts?
Are Category Posts Widget and Launchpad Popular Posts free?
Which plugin has better support — Category Posts Widget or Launchpad Popular Posts?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.