Hide/Remove Metadata vs Pen (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Pen has a higher user rating (5/5 from 6 reviews) while Hide/Remove Metadata leads in active installations (20K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Hide/Remove Metadata has accumulated 292K+ total downloads while Pen has 68K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Hide/Remove Metadata | Pen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.6/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 14 | ◄ | 6 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 292K+ | ◄ | 68K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 8 months ago |
| First Released | 2019 | 2019 | |
| Age | 7 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.9+ | 4.8+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0 | 1.1.7 |
Rating Breakdown
Hide/Remove Metadata
Pen
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Hide/Remove Metadata averaged approximately 510 daily downloads while Pen averaged 9.
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
Pen Reviews
حرف نداری
هر چی بگم کمه
Solved a BIG Problem!
When I first was setting up my website I was so confused by themes and codes and how-to videos and articles, I finally gave up for a couple of weeks in sheer frustration. Then I decided to try again,
Perfect theme and incredible helpdesk support!!! I’m really happy!
If you want the best service, so try this! Really great Plugin with many color combinations and font settings. And if you don’t have enough, you can set everything according to your wishes! And if you
More Metadata Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Hide/Remove Metadata and Pen
Remove meta author and date information from posts and pages. Hide from Humans and Search engines.SEO friendly and most advance plugin.
Show post metadata (aka custom fields) in a metabox when editing posts / pages - a great tool for debugging issues with post metadata.
Adds a custom set of <meta> tags to the <head> section of all posts & pages.
Don't need the post date and author meta data on your pages? Install WP Author, Date and Meta Remover and its gone. It's that easy!
Infrastructure plugin which implements metadata functionality for taxonomy terms, including for tags and categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hide/Remove Metadata or Pen more popular?
Which has better ratings — Hide/Remove Metadata or Pen?
Are Hide/Remove Metadata and Pen free?
Which plugin has better support — Hide/Remove Metadata or Pen?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.