Simple Image Widget vs HW Image Widget (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 Image Widget has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 39 reviews) and leads in active installations (10K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Image Widget has accumulated 854K+ total downloads while HW Image Widget has 39K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Image Widget | HW Image Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ◄ | 4.4/5 |
| Total Reviews | 39 | ◄ | 14 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 854K+ | ◄ | 39K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 8 months ago | ◄ | 8 years ago |
| First Released | 2008 | 2013 | |
| Age | 18 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.9+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.4.2 | 4.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Image Widget averaged approximately 8 daily downloads while HW Image Widget averaged 3.
Recent Reviews
Simple Image Widget Reviews
Better than WP native image
Nice to be able to choose an appropriate grid size.
Customizable and simply great
Thanks for creating the simple image widget, it’s great! I was able to easily customize the template to finally display widgetized bootstrap cards the way I want.
Perfect image widget plugin
With the native image widget that has been introduced with WP 4.8 this plugin has become obsolete. Still, this plugin has served me very well, so 5 stars and thank you for that! This topic was
HW Image Widget Reviews
Great Plugin!!
This plugin works better in the widget sidebar than any other plugin I’ve used. Even though others say they are responsive, this one truly is! Thank you. Dee
Very good
Easy to use and many options.
Very Useful!
Easy to use and works well. I really appreciate the fixed size option and also the TinyMCE text editor which was the deciding factor on me using this plugin. The option to override the plugin’s image
More Image Widget Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Simple Image Widget and HW Image Widget
Image Widget - most simple and fast way to create image widget to your sidebar
Super simple but powerful widget that allows adding single or multiple images to your widget positions, using native media uploader.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.