Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar vs Reading progressbar (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Reading progressbar has a higher user rating (5/5 from 17 reviews) while Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar leads in active installations (10K+ vs 6.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar has accumulated 112K+ total downloads while Reading progressbar has 72K+. Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar has a higher support resolution rate (100% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar | Reading progressbar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 19 | ◄ | 17 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 6.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 112K+ | ◄ | 72K+ |
| Support Resolution | 100% | ◄ | 0% |
| Last Updated | 8 months ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2019 | 2016 | |
| Age | 7 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.2+ | 4.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.2+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.0.11 | 1.3.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar
Reading progressbar
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar averaged approximately 26 daily downloads while Reading progressbar averaged 40.
Recent Reviews
Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar Reviews
Nice and intuitive
Works out of the box !
Does not count custom fields
The plugin works, but it only counts the words on the blog itself. It does not count words in custom blocks and custom field text
Progress Bar is Cool; Read Time Broken
I really like the progress bar. This plugin is simple, which is good. No matter what, the read time is only 1 minute. I thought of reaching out to support, but then I saw that several people already h
Reading progressbar Reviews
Reliable, lightwave reading progress bar
Well coded reading progress bar, the best I’ve tried. The only thing I don’t like is the custom position making the bar sticking on the bottom of an element instead of just below it.
Awesome plugin!
Have run Reading Progressbar for over a year. Works <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>flawlessly</span> on any website I’ve installed it on. Thanks Jb!
Extension super pratique et très simple
Extension facile à configurer, légère, et qui fait parfaitement son boulot. Merci !
More Progressbar Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar and Reading progressbar
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.