Child Theme Configurator vs Custom Category Templates (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Child Theme Configurator
300K+ active installs
Free
Custom Category Templates
3.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Child Theme Configurator has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 278 reviews) and leads in active installations (300K+ vs 3.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Child Theme Configurator has accumulated 7.0M+ total downloads while Custom Category Templates has 61K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Child Theme Configurator | Custom Category Templates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 4.3/5 |
| Total Reviews | 278 | ◄ | 6 |
| Active Installs | 300K+ | ◄ | 3.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 7.0M+ | ◄ | 61K+ |
| Support Resolution | 100% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 9 months ago | ◄ | 10 years ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2011 | |
| Age | 13 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.0+ | 3.4.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.7 | 0.2.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Child Theme Configurator
Custom Category Templates
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Child Theme Configurator averaged approximately 808 daily downloads while Custom Category Templates averaged 4.
Recent Reviews
Child Theme Configurator Reviews
It helped me a lot!
So simple to use and it was so helpful that I couldn’t manage my child theme modifications without it. Many thanks!
Excelente, funciona como deveria
Excelente plugin, funciona perfeitamente. Só uma sugestão: Poderia ter um ambiente simplificado para criar o tema filho. Porque devido a muitas funções que aparecem, pode acabar confundindo muita gent
This plugin is outdated since Divi version 4.25.0
This plugin is outdated since Divi version 4.25.0 . If you use it after that it will make use of code that is too old. The effect of that is that there is no way to add/edit any elements at all. In
Custom Category Templates Reviews
WPML
Thanks for plugin. For WPML sites there will be problem, because of WPML bug https://wpml.org/forums/topic/category-templates-issue/ We resolved it by adding 11 priority in add_filter( ‘category_templ
Ignore the Newb
If you still need someone holding your hand through template development then this plugin might be a bit out of your league. It works perfectly, just an awesome plugin. Great job shazdeh.
Very poor
This sucks! It would give it a minus figure if I could do that! As a newbie to WP, this has got to be one of THE WORST plug-in’s I’ve ever seen. Where’s the documentation? I got this to appear in my d
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.