PluginSift

Username Changer vs Meks Smart Author Widget (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Username Changer

Username Changer

4.5(70)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View Username Changer
VS
Meks Smart Author Widget

Meks Smart Author Widget

4.5(8)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Meks Smart Author Widget

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Username Changer has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 70 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Username Changer has accumulated 464K+ total downloads while Meks Smart Author Widget has 430K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5Username Changer
Meks Smart Author Widget4.5/5
Total Reviews
70Username Changer
◄
Meks Smart Author Widget8
Active Installs
40K+Username Changer
◄
Meks Smart Author Widget10K+
Total Downloads
464K+Username Changer
◄
Meks Smart Author Widget430K+
Support Resolution
N/AUsername Changer
Meks Smart Author WidgetN/A
Last Updated
4 months agoUsername Changer
◄
Meks Smart Author Widget1 year ago
First Released
2012Username Changer
Meks Smart Author Widget2014
Age
14 yearsUsername Changer
Meks Smart Author Widget12 years
WP Requires
3.0+Username Changer
Meks Smart Author Widget3.0+
PHP Requires
false+Username Changer
Meks Smart Author Widgetfalse+
Business Model
FreeUsername Changer
Meks Smart Author WidgetFree
Latest Version
3.2.3Username Changer
Meks Smart Author Widget1.1.5

Rating Breakdown

Username Changer

4.5/5(70 reviews)
5
83%
4
6%
3
1%
2
1%
1
9%

Meks Smart Author Widget

4.5/5(8 reviews)
5
88%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
13%

Recent Reviews

Username Changer Reviews

by savingyourtail

Blocked access to wp-admin

This plugin completely blocked access to wp-admin after changing a username. The wp-admin login page now just goes to a blank white page. I had to restore a backup on my site in order to fix it. I

by mlipenk

Worked great

I recently set up OpenID on one of my WordPress sites, and needed to update the usernames to a different ID to coincide with single sign-on authentication. Installed this plugin, and it worked, witho

by Habitable Solution

Easy and working

Thanks for this plugin, This is easy and works for me

Meks Smart Author Widget Reviews

by naveenyouth

Best; works well!

My theme didn’t come with an author box; so, I’m using this plugin. This is an excellent plugin which works well on all devices!

by JJNW

Damn near perfect!

This is an amazing plugin, period. Lots of widget options, from size of avatar to automatically detect author (by the posts they published – VERY COOL), from linking authors name to link showing all t

by brandontyler024

Not responsive

Simply not responsive out of the box.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Username Changer or Meks Smart Author Widget more popular?
Username Changer has 40K+ active installations while Meks Smart Author Widget has 10K+. Username Changer is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Username Changer or Meks Smart Author Widget?
Username Changer has a 4.5/5 rating from 70 reviews, while Meks Smart Author Widget has a 4.5/5 rating from 8 reviews.
Are Username Changer and Meks Smart Author Widget free?
Username Changer is free and Meks Smart Author Widget is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Username Changer or Meks Smart Author 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?
Username Changer was last updated 4 months ago and Meks Smart Author Widget was last updated 1 year ago.

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