Hide/Remove Metadata vs Meks Smart Author Widget (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Meks Smart Author Widget
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Meks Smart Author Widget has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 8 reviews) while Hide/Remove Metadata leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Hide/Remove Metadata has accumulated 292K+ total downloads while Meks Smart Author Widget has 430K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Hide/Remove Metadata | Meks Smart Author Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.6/5 | ► | 4.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 14 | ◄ | 8 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 292K+ | ► | 430K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2019 | 2014 | |
| Age | 7 years | 12 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.9+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0 | 1.1.5 |
Rating Breakdown
Hide/Remove Metadata
Meks Smart Author Widget
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Hide/Remove Metadata averaged approximately 510 daily downloads while Meks Smart Author Widget averaged 23.
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
Meks Smart Author Widget Reviews
Best; works well!
My theme didn’t come with an author box; so, I’m using this plugin. This is an excellent plugin which works well on all devices!
Damn near perfect!
This is an amazing plugin, period. Lots of widget options, from size of avatar to automatically detect author (by the posts they published – VERY COOL), from linking authors name to link showing all t
Not responsive
Simply not responsive out of the box.
More Author Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Hide/Remove Metadata and Meks Smart Author Widget
Allows an admin (or capable user) to edit the author slug of a user, and change the author base.
Remove meta author and date information from posts and pages. Hide from Humans and Search engines.SEO friendly and most advance plugin.
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Starbox is the Author Box for Humans. Professional Themes to choose from, HTML5, Social Media Profiles, Google Authorship
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.