Basic User Avatars vs User Switching
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
User Switching leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #242, ahead of Basic User Avatars at #1,170. Over the last 7 days User Switching held its place and Basic User Avatars climbed 4 places. User Switching has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 200K+ active installs against 20K+ for Basic User Avatars. Ratings: Basic User Avatars 4.7★ from 42 and User Switching 4.9★ from 238 reviews.
| Metric | Basic User Avatars | User Switching |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,170 ▲ 4 | #242 ▬ |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 200K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | — | 32,496 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (42) | 4.9★ (238) |
| Last updated | Nov 15, 2024 | Aug 29, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.9 | 1.12.2 |
| Best rank on record | #1,170 | #242 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2014 | Mar 2009 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Basic User Avatars or User Switching?
By active installs, User Switching: 200K+ sites run it against 20K+ for Basic User Avatars, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Basic User Avatars or User Switching?
User Switching, at #242 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Basic User Avatars at #1,170. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Basic User Avatars or User Switching alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.