Co-Authors Plus vs Authors Widget (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Co-Authors Plus

3.5(77)

20K+ active installs

Free

Updated 5 months ago

View Co-Authors Plus

Authors Widget

5(4)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago

View Authors Widget

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Authors Widget has a higher user rating (5/5 from 4 reviews) while Co-Authors Plus leads in active installations (20K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Co-Authors Plus has accumulated 1.4M+ total downloads while Authors Widget has 112K+.

Detailed Comparison

Metric	Co-Authors Plus		Authors Widget
Rating	3.5/5	►	5/5
Total Reviews	77	◄	4
Active Installs	20K+	◄	1.0K+
Total Downloads	1.4M+	◄	112K+
Support Resolution	N/A		N/A
Last Updated	5 months ago	◄	8 years ago
First Released	2009		2009
Age	17 years		17 years
WP Requires	5.9+		2.0.2+
PHP Requires	7.4+		false+
Business Model	Free		Free
Latest Version	3.7.0		2.4.8

Rating

3.5/5Co-Authors Plus

►

Authors Widget5/5

Total Reviews

77Co-Authors Plus

◄

Authors Widget4

Active Installs

20K+Co-Authors Plus

◄

Authors Widget1.0K+

Total Downloads

1.4M+Co-Authors Plus

◄

Authors Widget112K+

Support Resolution

N/ACo-Authors Plus

Authors WidgetN/A

Last Updated

5 months agoCo-Authors Plus

◄

Authors Widget8 years ago

First Released

2009Co-Authors Plus

Authors Widget2009

Age

17 yearsCo-Authors Plus

Authors Widget17 years

WP Requires

5.9+Co-Authors Plus

Authors Widget2.0.2+

PHP Requires

7.4+Co-Authors Plus

Authors Widgetfalse+

Business Model

FreeCo-Authors Plus

Authors WidgetFree

Latest Version

3.7.0Co-Authors Plus

Authors Widget2.4.8

Rating Breakdown

Co-Authors Plus

3.5/5(77 reviews)

47%

10%

23%

Authors Widget

5/5(4 reviews)

100%

Download Trends

Over the past 30 days, Co-Authors Plus averaged approximately 489 daily downloads while Authors Widget averaged 25.

Recent Reviews

Co-Authors Plus Reviews

by jroselarsen

Great plugin – but support sucks

Would be a 5 star.But since reporting an error for more than a month ago, nothing has happened.Have to keep previous version to avoid errors.(Not possible for co-authors to edit posts without error)Wo

by audunmb

Several issues, little support

The latest update with new blocks adds much functionality, but unfortunately the plugin has some bugs and seems to be poorly supported. It’s a volunteer effort mostly, and there doesn’t seem to be an

by vytecolombia

Excelente plugin

Simplemente si quieres agregar varios autores a una entrada o simplemente cambiarlos, este plugin lo soluciona de una manera excelente, intuitiva y sin tanto complique. Muchas gracias a los desarr

Authors Widget Reviews

by tijsgerritsen

Works as advertised!

Simple but effective

by Ronaldus

Great

Does exactly what it says. Very nice.

by wfeu

Does the job

Ive used this for years works great!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Co-Authors Plus or Authors Widget more popular?

Co-Authors Plus has 20K+ active installations while Authors Widget has 1.0K+. Co-Authors Plus is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.

Which has better ratings — Co-Authors Plus or Authors Widget?

Co-Authors Plus has a 3.5/5 rating from 77 reviews, while Authors Widget has a 5/5 rating from 4 reviews.

Are Co-Authors Plus and Authors Widget free?

Co-Authors Plus is free and Authors Widget is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.

Which plugin has better support — Co-Authors Plus or Authors Widget?

Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.

Which plugin is updated more frequently?

Co-Authors Plus was last updated 5 months ago and Authors Widget was last updated 8 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.