Insert Pages vs Essential Widgets (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Insert Pages has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 71 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Insert Pages has accumulated 1.0M+ total downloads while Essential Widgets has 489K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Insert Pages | Essential Widgets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 3.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 71 | ◄ | 2 |
| Active Installs | 40K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.0M+ | ◄ | 489K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 days ago | ◄ | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2017 | |
| Age | 13 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.3.0+ | 5.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.11.3 | 3.0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Insert Pages
Essential Widgets
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Insert Pages averaged approximately 585 daily downloads while Essential Widgets averaged 66.
Recent Reviews
Insert Pages Reviews
Awesome
Super handy way for me to maintain an easy way for reader to quickly jump to any blog post in a series. Noticed with latest update that a parenthesis in the name of an inserted page now causes the
really useful tool!
great for combining different pages
Labour Saving Device
Thank you very much. Great Plugin. I read an article that I have to use classic editor, but it has a Gutenberg block that works absolutely fine.
Essential Widgets Reviews
alot of useful widgets but in the paid version
A lot of useful widgets but in the paid version. The free one is limited. This topic was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by KJA4U.
Excellent
Excellent
More Pages Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Insert Pages and Essential Widgets
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Add a listing of content on your website using a simple shortcode. Filter the results by category, author, and more.
Adds a tree view of all pages & custom posts. Get a great overview + options to drag & drop to reorder & option to add multiple pages.
The easiest and highest rated way to Add Widgets or Sidebars to Posts and Pages using Visual editor, shortcodes or template tags.
Adds the built in WordPress categories and tags to your pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.