Meks Smart Author Widget vs Leira Letter Avatar (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, Leira Letter Avatar has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 27 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 Leira Letter Avatar has 29K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Meks Smart Author Widget | Leira Letter Avatar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 8 | ► | 27 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 6.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 430K+ | ◄ | 29K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 3 months ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2020 | |
| Age | 12 years | 6 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.0+ | 4.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 8.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.1.5 | 1.3.13 |
Rating Breakdown
Meks Smart Author Widget
Leira Letter Avatar
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Meks Smart Author Widget averaged approximately 23 daily downloads while Leira Letter Avatar averaged 11.
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.
Leira Letter Avatar Reviews
Works great ! 5⭐
Simple, but effective, adding a bit more interest to your forum. Works with WPFORO ! 🎉
This plugin is AWESOME!!!
I installed it to work with wpForo at (wpforo dot com) and it works perfectly!!! Thank you so much for creating it!!! It added numerous features to wpForo that were lacking and made everything m
Thanks for the plugin
The plugin does what it’s supposed to do – makes threaded comments more visually appealing by adding letter avatars.
More Avatar Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Meks Smart Author Widget and Leira Letter Avatar
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!
Set a custom profile image (avatar) for a user using the standard WordPress media upload tool.
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.