Category Posts Widget vs Media Library Categories (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Media Library Categories
20K+ active installs
Free
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 20K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Category Posts Widget has accumulated 1.8M+ total downloads while Media Library Categories has 560K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Category Posts Widget | Media Library Categories | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ◄ | 4.2/5 |
| Total Reviews | 79 | ◄ | 52 |
| Active Installs | 40K+ | ◄ | 20K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.8M+ | ◄ | 560K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 10 months ago |
| First Released | 2007 | 2013 | |
| Age | 19 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.8+ | 4.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.3+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.9.22 | 2.0.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Category Posts Widget
Media Library Categories
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Category Posts Widget averaged approximately 84 daily downloads while Media Library Categories averaged 87.
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.
Media Library Categories Reviews
Not working anymore
Actually a helpful plugin. But has not been working with WPBakery Page Builder for some time now. Among other things, it blocks adding new images to a gallery. This topic was modified 2 years,
Simple and great
Simple and great plugin for adding category taxonomy to WordPress media.
Works Great
This plugin is great, super helpful. I have been using it to create categories for media items that I then use with Loopers in Theme.co’s Pro theme with Grids and Sliders. Saved me tons of work.
More Category Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Category Posts Widget and Media Library Categories
Tags, Categories and WordPress terms are easy with TaxoPress. Add a Tag or Category to Pages, manage your WooCommerce Categories and Tags and more.
Search and Filtering for Custom Posts, Categories, Tags, Taxonomies, Post Dates and Post Types
Automatically toggle the parent categories when a sub category is selected.
Associate images from your media library to categories, tags and custom taxonomies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Category Posts Widget or Media Library Categories more popular?
Which has better ratings — Category Posts Widget or Media Library Categories?
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Which plugin has better support — Category Posts Widget or Media Library Categories?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.