Meks Smart Author Widget vs Avatar Manager (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, Avatar Manager has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 39 reviews) while Meks Smart Author Widget leads in active installations (10K+ vs 6.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Meks Smart Author Widget has accumulated 430K+ total downloads while Avatar Manager has 114K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Meks Smart Author Widget | Avatar Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 8 | ► | 39 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 6.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 430K+ | ◄ | 114K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ◄ | 5 years ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2013 | |
| Age | 12 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.0+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.1.5 | 1.6.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Meks Smart Author Widget
Avatar Manager
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Meks Smart Author Widget averaged approximately 23 daily downloads while Avatar Manager averaged 5.
Recent Reviews
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.
Avatar Manager Reviews
Works in WP 6.4.2, Not sure is Still Supported
First off great that this plugin works, doesn’t cause download of huge images to display as small avatars and seems to work well 🙂 I like that it supports gravatar as a default. I’m not sure it
So sad, I had to deactivate Avatar Manager
Much appreciated Avatar Manager… until after a recent update, it caused a strange effect in our User Submitted Posts. (USP Pro) What happened was, logged in users were no longer able to submit the pos
Very useful plugin, thank you!
Very useful plugin, thank you!
More Profile Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Meks Smart Author Widget and Avatar Manager
The official Gravatar plugin, featuring privacy-focused settings, easy profile updates, and customizable Gravatar Profile blocks.
Use any image from your WordPress Media Library as a custom user avatar or user profile picture. Add your own Default Avatar.
Adds an avatar upload field to user profiles. Generates requested sizes on demand just like Gravatar!
Powerful user profile plugin to create front-end user registration forms, login & user profile forms. Includes user role editor & content restriction.
Add an avatar upload field on frontend pages and Edit Profile screen so users can add a custom profile picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.