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Protected Video vs Smartideo (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Protected Video

Protected Video

4.7(15)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 months ago
View Protected Video
VS
Smartideo

Smartideo

5(6)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 10 months ago
View Smartideo

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Smartideo has a higher user rating (5/5 from 6 reviews) while Protected Video leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Protected Video has accumulated 29K+ total downloads while Smartideo has 98K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.7/5Protected Video
►
Smartideo5/5
Total Reviews
15Protected Video
◄
Smartideo6
Active Installs
1.0K+Protected Video
Smartideo1.0K+
Total Downloads
29K+Protected Video
►
Smartideo98K+
Support Resolution
N/AProtected Video
SmartideoN/A
Last Updated
3 months agoProtected Video
◄
Smartideo10 months ago
First Released
2021Protected Video
Smartideo2015
Age
5 yearsProtected Video
Smartideo11 years
WP Requires
6.6+Protected Video
Smartideo3.5.0+
PHP Requires
7.2+Protected Video
Smartideofalse+
Business Model
FreeProtected Video
SmartideoFree
Latest Version
2.0.3Protected Video
Smartideo2.8.1

Rating Breakdown

Protected Video

4.7/5(15 reviews)
5
93%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
7%

Smartideo

5/5(6 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Protected Video Reviews

by davidrepairqik

works

15 july 24, Simple and is working correctly. Thanks

by maryak2512

It does what it’s supposed to do

Many, many, many….. thanks…..!!!!!!!

by John Moen

How to Force Subtitles

Is it possible to force subtitles to be turned on?

Smartideo Reviews

by yufengwangchina

腾讯发现现播放不了哦

经测试腾讯发现无法播放，优酷无问题

by findingnamo

Best one-stop solution for Chinese video streaming sites

I really appreciate this plugin. I haven’t found anything better than this plugin yet for playing videos from Chinese video sites. Still a few minor buggy issues but quite confident the developer can

by tangzhehao

中国最好用的视频插件

中国最好用的视频插件 解决了 WordPress 不支持国内视频网站的问题，作者一直坚持更新，不断的在维护，非常给力！ 第一个 WordPress 五星好评给你，希望坚持下去！

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Protected Video or Smartideo more popular?
Protected Video has 1.0K+ active installations while Smartideo has 1.0K+. Smartideo is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Protected Video or Smartideo?
Protected Video has a 4.7/5 rating from 15 reviews, while Smartideo has a 5/5 rating from 6 reviews.
Are Protected Video and Smartideo free?
Protected Video is free and Smartideo is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Protected Video or Smartideo?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Protected Video was last updated 3 months ago and Smartideo was last updated 10 months ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.