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.

Simple Image Widget

Simple Image Widget

4.5(39)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 months ago
View Simple Image Widget
VS
HW Image Widget

HW Image Widget

4.4(14)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View HW Image Widget

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

Rating
4.5/5Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget4.4/5
Total Reviews
39Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget14
Active Installs
10K+Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget1.0K+
Total Downloads
854K+Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget39K+
Support Resolution
N/ASimple Image Widget
HW Image WidgetN/A
Last Updated
8 months agoSimple Image Widget
HW Image Widget8 years ago
First Released
2008Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget2013
Age
18 yearsSimple Image Widget
HW Image Widget13 years
WP Requires
4.9+Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget3.5+
PHP Requires
false+Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widgetfalse+
Business Model
FreeSimple Image Widget
HW Image WidgetFree
Latest Version
4.4.2Simple Image Widget
HW Image Widget4.4

Rating Breakdown

Simple Image Widget

4.5/5(39 reviews)
5
82%
4
3%
3
5%
2
5%
1
5%

HW Image Widget

4.4/5(14 reviews)
5
79%
4
7%
3
0%
2
0%
1
14%

Recent Reviews

Simple Image Widget Reviews

by Cyndi

Better than WP native image

Nice to be able to choose an appropriate grid size.

by ryver

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.

by John-Pierre Cornelissen

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

by dloverly

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

by uwestoever

Very good

Easy to use and many options.

by swcomp

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple Image Widget or HW Image Widget more popular?
Simple Image Widget has 10K+ active installations while HW Image Widget has 1.0K+. Simple Image Widget is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple Image Widget or HW Image Widget?
Simple Image Widget has a 4.5/5 rating from 39 reviews, while HW Image Widget has a 4.4/5 rating from 14 reviews.
Are Simple Image Widget and HW Image Widget free?
Simple Image Widget is free and HW Image Widget is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple Image Widget or HW Image Widget?
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?
Simple Image Widget was last updated 8 months ago and HW Image Widget was last updated 8 years ago.

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