Compact WP Audio Player vs SoundBeat Widget (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Compact WP Audio Player
20K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Compact WP Audio Player has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 68 reviews) and leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Compact WP Audio Player has accumulated 662K+ total downloads while SoundBeat Widget has 2.2K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Compact WP Audio Player | SoundBeat Widget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | ◄ | N/A |
| Total Reviews | 68 | ◄ | 0 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 10 |
| Total Downloads | 662K+ | ◄ | 2.2K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ◄ | 11 years ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2012 | |
| Age | 13 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 2.0.2+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.9.15 | 1.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Compact WP Audio Player
SoundBeat Widget
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Compact WP Audio Player Reviews
(Almost) exactly – and I mean exactly – what I was looking for. But…
Really love this plug in! I wanted exactly this – just a single, simple button, alternating between play and pause, allowing people to play or not as they saw fit, linking to an audio file in the back
Choosing other player images
It does what it promises very well. I have replaced the controls images with custom ones. Is it possible to get a code snippet to be able to choose between different “play” images? This to
The rarest thing, a simple clean, functional plugin
Ridiculously simple. Works well. I customised the play/pause images to fit the design of my website. It plays audio. Job done. Please keep supporting it, it’s great!
SoundBeat Widget Reviews
No reviews yet
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Compact WP Audio Player and SoundBeat Widget
Podcasting the way it's meant to be. No mess, no fuss - just you and your content taking over the world.
AudioIgniter lets you create music playlists and embed them in your WordPress posts, pages or custom post types and serve your audio content in style!
Maximize your WordPress site's potential with our versatile HTML5 Audio Player plugin. Seamlessly play .mp3, .wav, .ogg, and more audio files.
This plugin is more than just a photo album plugin, it is a complete, highly customizable multimedia cms and display system.
Add albums, photo, audio/video upload, privacy, sharing, front-end uploads & more. All this works on mobile/tablets devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Compact WP Audio Player or SoundBeat Widget more popular?
Which has better ratings — Compact WP Audio Player or SoundBeat Widget?
Are Compact WP Audio Player and SoundBeat Widget free?
Which plugin has better support — Compact WP Audio Player or SoundBeat Widget?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.