Disable Author Archives vs Essential Widgets (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Disable Author Archives
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Disable Author Archives has a higher user rating (4.4/5 from 7 reviews) and leads in active installations (10K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Disable Author Archives has accumulated 72K+ total downloads while Essential Widgets has 489K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Disable Author Archives | Essential Widgets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4/5 | ◄ | 3.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 7 | ◄ | 2 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | 10K+ | |
| Total Downloads | 72K+ | ► | 489K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2018 | 2017 | |
| Age | 8 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 2.9+ | 5.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.3.5 | 3.0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Disable Author Archives
Essential Widgets
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Disable Author Archives averaged approximately 20 daily downloads while Essential Widgets averaged 66.
Recent Reviews
Disable Author Archives Reviews
Excellent plugin!
A simple and effective plugin. Excellent communication with the developer.
Works!
Does the job. Thanks for sharing!
Messed up my whole site
It messed up my whole site… Don’t know how to get the old site back
Essential Widgets Reviews
alot of useful widgets but in the paid version
A lot of useful widgets but in the paid version. The free one is limited. This topic was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by KJA4U.
Excellent
Excellent
More Pages Worth Comparing
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Insert Pages lets you embed any WordPress content (e.g., pages, posts, custom post types) into other WordPress content using the Shortcode API.
The easiest and highest rated way to Add Widgets or Sidebars to Posts and Pages using Visual editor, shortcodes or template tags.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.