Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… vs Smart Recent Posts Widget (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Content Views – Post Grid & Filter…
100K+ active installs
Free
Smart Recent Posts Widget
9.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 333 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 9.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… has accumulated 5.1M+ total downloads while Smart Recent Posts Widget has 132K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… | Smart Recent Posts Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 333 | ◄ | 30 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 9.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 5.1M+ | ◄ | 132K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 months ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2016 | |
| Age | 12 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.3+ | 5.8+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.6+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.3 | 1.0.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Content Views – Post Grid & Filter…
Smart Recent Posts Widget
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… averaged approximately 496 daily downloads while Smart Recent Posts Widget averaged 16.
Recent Reviews
Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… Reviews
Shows content of password-protected posts
Unfortunately it shows the content of password-protected posts 😐
The best way to display posts
This plugin makes creating post grids and lists incredibly easy. It looks professional and works perfectly without any coding. Highly recommended!
Great Software – Exemplary Custome Support
I wanted to do something a bit different with content views…. I couldn’t figure it out, the amazing support team at Content Views went over and above what I expected. Refreshing…
Smart Recent Posts Widget Reviews
Excellent
Excellent plugin
Just perfect
works like a charm!
exactly what I need
very complete and with custom CSS avaliable
More Recent Posts Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… and Smart Recent Posts Widget
List the most recent posts with post titles, thumbnails, excerpts, authors, categories, dates and more!
Adds a widget that shows the most recent posts from a single category.
Redirect your visitors to another page than the post content when they click on the post title.
Display posts, pages, and taxonomies in beautiful carousel, slider, and grid layouts with advanced filtering. Customizable, Developer-friendly.
The ultimate widget for displaying posts, custom post types or sticky posts with an array of options.
Load your content from posts, page, tags or custom post type and display it anywhere in WordPress including in Gutenberg editor
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… or Smart Recent Posts Widget more popular?
Which has better ratings — Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… or Smart Recent Posts Widget?
Are Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… and Smart Recent Posts Widget free?
Which plugin has better support — Content Views – Post Grid & Filter… or Smart Recent Posts Widget?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.