Co-Authors Plus vs Novelist (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Novelist has a higher user rating (5/5 from 9 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 Novelist has 30K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Co-Authors Plus | Novelist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.5/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 77 | ◄ | 9 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.4M+ | ◄ | 30K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 5 months ago | ◄ | 8 months ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2016 | |
| Age | 17 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.9+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.7.0 | 1.3.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Co-Authors Plus
Novelist
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Co-Authors Plus averaged approximately 489 daily downloads while Novelist averaged 9.
Recent Reviews
Co-Authors Plus Reviews
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
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
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
Novelist Reviews
perfect plugin for me
I love this plugin. As an author, I’ve tried so many of them to try to add my books easily to my website. This one is ‘the one’. simple to use and easy to keep updated!
Amazing support and plugin
Amazing plugin! It was the first I used of it’s kind and it was a real help for easily creating my author website. Support is super fast too!
great plugin!
I don’t know why more people aren’t using it!
More Authors Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Co-Authors Plus and Novelist
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The Osom Author Pro plugin creates a library which allows you to add books to any WordPress theme.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.