Meks Smart Author Widget vs Guest Author (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) and leads in active installations (10K+ vs 5.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Meks Smart Author Widget has accumulated 430K+ total downloads while Guest Author has 72K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Meks Smart Author Widget | Guest Author | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ◄ | 4.2/5 |
| Total Reviews | 8 | ► | 14 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 5.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 430K+ | ◄ | 72K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 4 months ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2018 | |
| Age | 12 years | 8 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.0+ | 4.6+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.2.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.1.5 | 2.61 |
Rating Breakdown
Meks Smart Author Widget
Guest Author
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Meks Smart Author Widget averaged approximately 23 daily downloads while Guest Author averaged 17.
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.
Guest Author Reviews
What they call support is rather weird
There was another comment that I’m simply repeating here because it describes my situation exactly – after three years, nothing has changed:“They don’t test their plugin with the best/highest selling
Feature request: nofollow the guest author URL
The plugin works as advertised and is quite simple and handy. I have one request though. These days nofollowing the URL might be suitable for some admins. So it is missing.
Personal URL not working
My site use the themes “Twenty Twenty-Two”. Custom URLs will not appear on the name.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.