Dashboard Notepad vs Widget Disable (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Widget Disable has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 24 reviews) while Dashboard Notepad leads in active installations (10K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Dashboard Notepad has accumulated 92K+ total downloads while Widget Disable has 185K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Dashboard Notepad | Widget Disable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ► | 4.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 12 | ► | 24 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | 10K+ | |
| Total Downloads | 92K+ | ► | 185K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 8 years ago | ► | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2015 | |
| Age | 17 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.8+ | 6.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.42 | 3.0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Dashboard Notepad
Widget Disable
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Dashboard Notepad averaged approximately 8 daily downloads while Widget Disable averaged 25.
Recent Reviews
Dashboard Notepad Reviews
Really works great
Thanks for this plugin, it works great!
Works Great! Simple and easy to use.
Works just like a plugin should. Easy to install and simple to use.
good communication tool
thanks for this. I use it to communicate with other authors. Really a labour saving device.
Widget Disable Reviews
It does exactly what it says in the tin
Does the job right and removes the pesky and somewhat useless widgets from the admin dashboard for all users.
Not working on Storefront theme
I tried this plugin to disable the widget section on the storefront theme. But unfortunately it doesnt work.
Quick and easy fix to admin dashboard
Admin dashboard was way too slow recently. Installed this and disabled widgets, found the culprit(s) quickly. Nice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.