Simple Author Box vs Guest Author (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Simple Author Box has a higher user rating (4.3/5 from 113 reviews) and leads in active installations (80K+ vs 5.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Author Box has accumulated 1.7M+ total downloads while Guest Author has 72K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Author Box | Guest Author | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ◄ | 4.2/5 |
| Total Reviews | 113 | ◄ | 14 |
| Active Installs | 80K+ | ◄ | 5.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.7M+ | ◄ | 72K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 4 months ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2018 | |
| Age | 12 years | 8 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.6+ | 4.6+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.6+ | 5.2.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.59 | 2.61 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Author Box
Guest Author
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Author Box averaged approximately 342 daily downloads while Guest Author averaged 17.
Recent Reviews
Simple Author Box Reviews
Where’s Bluesky
I’m quite happy with this plugin, didn’t expect too much, so it works well. But when I changed from Elon’s starving Twitter to Bluesky I was disappointed by the fact that a Bluesky icon was missing.
Great Script
Congratulations to the creators, excellent plug in,
Absolutely Not
When I download to use a plugin for the first time, I’m not interested being slapped in the face with a premium buy box. It’s a turn off. Give me a little time to experiment with the plugin before you
Guest Author Reviews
What they call support is rather weird
There was another comment that I’m simply repeating here because it describes my situation exactly – after three years, nothing has changed:“They don’t test their plugin with the best/highest selling
Feature request: nofollow the guest author URL
The plugin works as advertised and is quite simple and handy. I have one request though. These days nofollowing the URL might be suitable for some admins. So it is missing.
Personal URL not working
My site use the themes “Twenty Twenty-Two”. Custom URLs will not appear on the name.
More Guest Author Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.