Compact WP Audio Player vs Play Audio Once (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Compact WP Audio Player
20K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Play Audio Once has a higher user rating (5/5 from 1 reviews) while Compact WP Audio Player leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Compact WP Audio Player has accumulated 662K+ total downloads while Play Audio Once has 3.7K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Compact WP Audio Player | Play Audio Once | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 68 | ◄ | 1 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 10 |
| Total Downloads | 662K+ | ◄ | 3.7K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 4 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2022 | |
| Age | 13 years | 4 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 5.8+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 8.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.9.15 | 3.0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Compact WP Audio Player
Play Audio Once
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Compact WP Audio Player Reviews
(Almost) exactly – and I mean exactly – what I was looking for. But…
Really love this plug in! I wanted exactly this – just a single, simple button, alternating between play and pause, allowing people to play or not as they saw fit, linking to an audio file in the back
Choosing other player images
It does what it promises very well. I have replaced the controls images with custom ones. Is it possible to get a code snippet to be able to choose between different “play” images? This to
The rarest thing, a simple clean, functional plugin
Ridiculously simple. Works well. I customised the play/pause images to fit the design of my website. It plays audio. Job done. Please keep supporting it, it’s great!
Play Audio Once Reviews
No reviews yet
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Compact WP Audio Player or Play Audio Once more popular?
Which has better ratings — Compact WP Audio Player or Play Audio Once?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.