Genesis Simple Sidebars vs Genesis Featured Widget Amplified (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Genesis Simple Sidebars
10K+ active installs
Free
Genesis Featured Widget Amplified
2.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Genesis Featured Widget Amplified has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 15 reviews) while Genesis Simple Sidebars leads in active installations (10K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Genesis Simple Sidebars has accumulated 475K+ total downloads while Genesis Featured Widget Amplified has 90K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Genesis Simple Sidebars | Genesis Featured Widget Amplified | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 27 | ◄ | 15 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 475K+ | ◄ | 90K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 8 years ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Age | 16 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.7.3+ | 3.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.2.3 | 0.9.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Genesis Simple Sidebars
Genesis Featured Widget Amplified
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Genesis Simple Sidebars averaged approximately 24 daily downloads while Genesis Featured Widget Amplified averaged 5.
Recent Reviews
Genesis Simple Sidebars Reviews
Works as Stated
On a Genesis site, Britlish.com, the plugin works exactly as described right out of the box.
Great, clean functionality
… but it seems to only support child pages in one layer (1. generation). Sub-sub-pages are not supported when “child pages” are clicked.
Doesn’t Work
You can create a sidebar, but it won’t get added to the page.
Genesis Featured Widget Amplified Reviews
Great plugin works just great on HTML5 for me!
works just great on HTML5 for me! This topic was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Adrian Tawfik.
Finally updated, yay!
Thanks for finally updating this versatile plugin, I have used this in so many ways on Genesis themes
Best of kind
Thanks for updating this. Remains the best plugin of its kind.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Genesis Simple Sidebars or Genesis Featured Widget Amplified more popular?
Which has better ratings — Genesis Simple Sidebars or Genesis Featured Widget Amplified?
Are Genesis Simple Sidebars and Genesis Featured Widget Amplified free?
Which plugin has better support — Genesis Simple Sidebars or Genesis Featured Widget Amplified?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.