WP-PostViews vs Simple Download Monitor (2026)

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

WP-PostViews

WP-PostViews

4.4(65)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 7 months ago
View WP-PostViews
VS
Simple Download Monitor

Simple Download Monitor

4.6(151)

20K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 week ago
View Simple Download Monitor

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Simple Download Monitor has a higher user rating (4.6/5 from 151 reviews) while WP-PostViews leads in active installations (100K+ vs 20K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WP-PostViews has accumulated 3.4M+ total downloads while Simple Download Monitor has 1.3M+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.4/5WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor4.6/5
Total Reviews
65WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor151
Active Installs
100K+WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor20K+
Total Downloads
3.4M+WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor1.3M+
Support Resolution
N/AWP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor67%
Last Updated
7 months agoWP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor1 week ago
First Released
2006WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor2009
Age
20 yearsWP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor17 years
WP Requires
4.0+WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor6.0+
PHP Requires
false+WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitorfalse+
Business Model
FreeWP-PostViews
Simple Download MonitorFree
Latest Version
1.78WP-PostViews
Simple Download Monitor4.0.6

Rating Breakdown

WP-PostViews

4.4/5(65 reviews)
5
74%
4
12%
3
2%
2
2%
1
11%

Simple Download Monitor

4.6/5(151 reviews)
5
83%
4
8%
3
5%
2
1%
1
4%

Recent Reviews

WP-PostViews Reviews

by KR. Laboratories

Useful plugin, but unique view counting by IP would be a great addition

I’ve been using WP-PostViews for some time now, and it’s a very straightforward and effective plugin for displaying post views. The settings to count views only from guests and exclude bots work well.

by whitelabelcroydon

No longer works with Advanced Queries / Elementor

Have been using this a while along side Advanced Queries and Elementors Loop widget to display a list grid of most popular articles on a website. Doesnt seem to be working anymore. I think its stil

by sergio.pinna.prato

It doesn’t work with 6.5.2 wordpres version

It doesn’t work with 6.5.2 wordpres version. This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by sergio.pinna.prato.

Simple Download Monitor Reviews

by bud8ie

Love it

Been using it for years and it does the job perfectly. Plenty of features but simple enough to use.

by goerage

Great Plug-in

Lifesaver, if in need for a simple and reliable download app. Thanks!!!

by Nico Visagie

Clean, Simple and it just works!

I have been using this plugin for a few years now on two of the websites I manage and I cannot imagine using another plugin like this. I tried to, but I always come back to this one! Setup is fairly e

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WP-PostViews or Simple Download Monitor more popular?
WP-PostViews has 100K+ active installations while Simple Download Monitor has 20K+. WP-PostViews is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — WP-PostViews or Simple Download Monitor?
WP-PostViews has a 4.4/5 rating from 65 reviews, while Simple Download Monitor has a 4.6/5 rating from 151 reviews.
Are WP-PostViews and Simple Download Monitor free?
WP-PostViews is free and Simple Download Monitor is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — WP-PostViews or Simple Download Monitor?
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?
WP-PostViews was last updated 7 months ago and Simple Download Monitor was last updated 1 week ago.

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