Compact WP Audio Player vs Podlove Web Player (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, Compact WP Audio Player has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 68 reviews) and leads in active installations (20K+ vs 4.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Compact WP Audio Player has accumulated 662K+ total downloads while Podlove Web Player has 192K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Compact WP Audio Player | Podlove Web Player | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ◄ | 3.7/5 |
| Total Reviews | 68 | ◄ | 14 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 4.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 662K+ | ◄ | 192K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 3 months ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2012 | |
| Age | 13 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 4.9.6+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.9.15 | 5.9.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Compact WP Audio Player
Podlove Web Player
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Compact WP Audio Player averaged approximately 49 daily downloads while Podlove Web Player averaged 38.
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!
Podlove Web Player Reviews
Gorgeous Player
Best podcast player for wordpress out there. I’ve tried them all!
Highly Customizable Player
This is a fantastic plug-in and definitely underrated. As far as free players go, nothing is as flexible and customizable as this and I’ve tried them all. There IS a learning curve to get it to do wha
Underrated plugin
In combination wit the Podcast Publisher this is the most underused and underrated plugin for podcast publishing. Thanks for your work!
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Compact WP Audio Player and Podlove Web Player
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.