WordPress plugin comparison
Custom Sidebars vs Widget Instance
At a glance
- Custom Sidebars has more active installs: 100K+, against 500+ for Widget Instance.
- On a typical day, Custom Sidebars is downloaded about 230 times, Widget Instance about 6.
- Custom Sidebars is rated higher: 4.7 out of 5 from 1,028 reviews, against 3.4 from 9 reviews.
- Custom Sidebars was updated more recently: Aug 16, 2026, against Jul 11, 2018 for Widget Instance.
- Custom Sidebars is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.1.4, against 4.9.35 for Widget Instance.
- Custom Sidebars has been around longer: since 2010, against 2012 for Widget Instance.
Line by line
Custom Sidebars leads on 7 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric |  Custom Sidebars |  Widget Instance |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #449 | #9,109 |
| Active installs | 100K+ | 500+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 6.2K | 123 |
| Rating | 4.7(1K) | 3.4(9) |
| Support threads resolved | 100% | – |
| Tested up to | 7.1.4 | 4.9.35 |
| Search multiplier | ×1.31 | ×0.00 |
| Last release | 2 months ago | 8 years ago |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | – |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
Tags they share
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