User Role Editor vs Meks Smart Author Widget (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, User Role Editor has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 287 reviews) and leads in active installations (700K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while Meks Smart Author Widget has 430K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | User Role Editor | Meks Smart Author Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 287 | ◄ | 8 |
| Active Installs | 700K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 21M+ | ◄ | 430K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 1 year ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2014 | |
| Age | 16 years | 12 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.4+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.3+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.64.6 | 1.1.5 |
Rating Breakdown
User Role Editor
Meks Smart Author Widget
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, User Role Editor averaged approximately 2,187 daily downloads while Meks Smart Author Widget averaged 23.
Recent Reviews
User Role Editor Reviews
Simple and works nicely
This plugin is working well. Thank you for the developer who put lot of time into it. Very nice, lightest and most simple.
Worked great for my site
I’m a DIY self learner, and had a great experience with URE. It has vast capabilities and is organized to make it easy to navigate and apply so many customizations. Very intuitive. On the one occasion
Wont save capabilities for custom role
I hate giving bad reviews as I know how much work goes into these plugins, often by one person. But we have wasted so much time and lost orders because of a known bug. I can see that others have rep
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is User Role Editor or Meks Smart Author Widget more popular?
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or Meks Smart Author Widget?
Are User Role Editor and Meks Smart Author Widget free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.