Compact WP Audio Player vs WaveSurfer-WP (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, WaveSurfer-WP has a higher user rating (5/5 from 11 reviews) while Compact WP Audio Player leads in active installations (20K+ vs 400). Both are free WordPress plugins. Compact WP Audio Player has accumulated 662K+ total downloads while WaveSurfer-WP has 21K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Compact WP Audio Player | WaveSurfer-WP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 68 | ◄ | 11 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 400 |
| Total Downloads | 662K+ | ◄ | 21K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2015 | |
| Age | 13 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 4.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.9.15 | 2.8.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Compact WP Audio Player
WaveSurfer-WP
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!
WaveSurfer-WP Reviews
No reviews yet
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.