Smart Recent Posts Widget vs WP Most Popular (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Smart Recent Posts Widget
9.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, WP Most Popular has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 11 reviews) while Smart Recent Posts Widget leads in active installations (9.0K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Smart Recent Posts Widget has accumulated 132K+ total downloads while WP Most Popular has 81K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Smart Recent Posts Widget | WP Most Popular | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 30 | ◄ | 11 |
| Active Installs | 9.0K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 132K+ | ◄ | 81K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ◄ | 7 years ago |
| First Released | 2016 | 2012 | |
| Age | 10 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.8+ | 3.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 5.6+ | 5.2.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.0.4 | 0.3.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Smart Recent Posts Widget
WP Most Popular
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Smart Recent Posts Widget averaged approximately 16 daily downloads while WP Most Popular averaged 7.
Recent Reviews
Smart Recent Posts Widget Reviews
Excellent
Excellent plugin
Just perfect
works like a charm!
exactly what I need
very complete and with custom CSS avaliable
WP Most Popular Reviews
Great plugin
Works just as expected 🙂 Triggers the stat update from JS on the frontend so it works with cache. This topic was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by jensnilsson. This topic was modified 6
504 request
Hello Support, I hope you are doing well !!! I have installed this Wp most popular plugin in my website, my website is on wp-engine server. so server person giving max hitting creating under this plu
Simple and versatile
Great plugin, can be called with a function to show popular posts anywhere. I was able to create a category for popular posts and then call the plugin function when that category was viewed. However,
More Popular Posts Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Smart Recent Posts Widget and WP Most Popular
Display posts, pages, and taxonomies in beautiful carousel, slider, and grid layouts with advanced filtering. Customizable, Developer-friendly.
Track post views and page views, and display popular posts and trending content on your WordPress site.
Data privacy conform widget for list popular content (pages, posts, custom post types) – based on Statify plugin.
Fast, lightweight post views counter. Display views in admin, blocks or shortcodes — no tracking scripts required.
Popular Posts will display the posts according to the filters applied from widget settings.
Lightweight and fast post view counter with smart tracking, built for high-traffic sites and large post databases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Smart Recent Posts Widget or WP Most Popular more popular?
Which has better ratings — Smart Recent Posts Widget or WP Most Popular?
Are Smart Recent Posts Widget and WP Most Popular free?
Which plugin has better support — Smart Recent Posts Widget or WP Most Popular?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.