Hide/Remove Metadata vs Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused…
5.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 31 reviews) while Hide/Remove Metadata leads in active installations (20K+ vs 5.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Hide/Remove Metadata has accumulated 292K+ total downloads while Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… has 46K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Hide/Remove Metadata | Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.6/5 | ► | 4.1/5 |
| Total Reviews | 14 | ► | 31 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 5.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 292K+ | ◄ | 46K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | 50% | |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ► | 1 week ago |
| First Released | 2019 | 2023 | |
| Age | 7 years | 3 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.9+ | 5.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0 | 4.0.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Hide/Remove Metadata
Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused…
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Hide/Remove Metadata averaged approximately 510 daily downloads while Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… averaged 113.
Recent Reviews
Hide/Remove Metadata Reviews
Doesn’t do anything at all
Does nothing in css or php. Useless.
Did not work using the CSS options, but the PHP option worked well
The CSS option didn’t do anything for my site, but when I selected the PHP option, it removed the date as it was supposed to. It has an option to remove the author too, but I didn’t try that as I d
Working fine on WordPress 6.1.1
PHP option remove the icon as well, working fine on WordPress 6.1.1
Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… Reviews
Mistakes unused with unattached
If you use the same images for several post and/or pages this plugin will still say they’re unused simply because they’re not specifically attached to one specific post/page.If you have a lot of pictu
Works!
Reviews here seem a unfair. The plugin did an excellent job after I did a scan, set the page to display 250 entries, and pressed the red button to delete all listed/unused attachments. I tested my web
Great Plugin
This is a great plugin, and the support is also great and quick to respond.I was having an issue where images uploaded to the gallery field in ACF Pro would disappear, but this has now been resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hide/Remove Metadata or Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… more popular?
Which has better ratings — Hide/Remove Metadata or Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused…?
Are Hide/Remove Metadata and Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused… free?
Which plugin has better support — Hide/Remove Metadata or Media Hygiene: Remove or Delete Unused…?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.