Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page… vs PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls… (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page…
200K+ active installs
Free
PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls…
20K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page… has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 206 reviews) and leads in active installations (200K+ vs 20K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page… has accumulated 8.1M+ total downloads while PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls… has 1.8M+. PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls… has a higher support resolution rate (100% vs 100%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page… | PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls… | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.9/5 | ◄ | 4.7/5 |
| Total Reviews | 206 | ◄ | 202 |
| Active Installs | 200K+ | ◄ | 20K+ |
| Total Downloads | 8.1M+ | ◄ | 1.8M+ |
| Support Resolution | 100% | 100% | |
| Last Updated | 2 days ago | ◄ | 3 months ago |
| First Released | 2018 | 2017 | |
| Age | 8 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 5.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.2.5+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 6.0.7 | 3.6.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page…
PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls…
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page… averaged approximately 8,209 daily downloads while PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls… averaged 98.
Recent Reviews
Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page… Reviews
Great customer support
I had an issue integrating essential blocks with my blocksy theme. Specifically, the blocks were not loading correctly on my content hook pages. Eric from essential blocks was fantastic. He helped deb
Great collection of blocks
Essential Blocks offers a lot of great blocks for FSE/Gutenberg themes, and most of the useful ones are free, which is awesome. They offer a lot of customization and I haven’t experienced any bugs or
Works Well With Their Flexia Theme
I decided to switch themes and so as a pro user of the BetterDocs plugin I decided to jump in with Flexia FSE theme. The Essential Blocks plugin adds a lot of options even with the free version. Give
PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls… Reviews
Basic functions blocked behind a paywall.
Downloaded the plugin to do one thing. Auto inject a block a couple paragraphs into posts. Blocked behind a paywall. Limited plugin. Block things that enhanced styling help etc not simple functions be
Vey usefull plug-in
Works good for many years.
Great addition to my site.
Awesome, and way easier to use than I thought it would be. No notes.
More Block Editor Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.