Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails vs Category Posts Widget (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails
100K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 212 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 40K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails has accumulated 3.6M+ total downloads while Category Posts Widget has 1.8M+. Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails has a higher support resolution rate (75% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails | Category Posts Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 4.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 212 | ◄ | 79 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 40K+ |
| Total Downloads | 3.6M+ | ◄ | 1.8M+ |
| Support Resolution | 75% | ◄ | 0% |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2007 | |
| Age | 12 years | 19 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.6+ | 2.8+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.2+ | 5.3+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 7.1.1 | 4.9.22 |
Rating Breakdown
Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails
Category Posts Widget
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails averaged approximately 136 daily downloads while Category Posts Widget averaged 84.
Recent Reviews
Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails Reviews
Niiiiice, thanks
gotta have plugin, thanks
So many settings!
It’s great that your plugin has so many settings for widgets. Thanks for making it.
Simple but Invaluable Plugin
This plugin performs a simple task but one that I find to be invaluable.
Category Posts Widget Reviews
It does exactly what it says
Good plugin to display your latest posts on a widget and filter them according to your preferences.
This solution worked in minutes — not days or weeks!
This plugin is exactly what they say it is: Simple Thorough Does it well It solved all of my issues within minutes. I had spent hours over a couple weeks using various workarounds and pl
A must have plugin.
Useful and easy to use. No support needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails or Category Posts Widget more popular?
Which has better ratings — Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails or Category Posts Widget?
Are Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails and Category Posts Widget free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.