Content Aware Sidebars vs Custom Sidebars
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
Custom Sidebars leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #444, ahead of Content Aware Sidebars at #1,001. Over the last 7 days Custom Sidebars held its place and Content Aware Sidebars climbed 1 place. Custom Sidebars has the largest install base, roughly 3.3× the next: 100K+ active installs against 30K+ for Content Aware Sidebars. Downloads this week: Custom Sidebars 1,058 and Content Aware Sidebars 484. Ratings: Content Aware Sidebars 4.9★ from 724 and Custom Sidebars 4.7★ from 1,028 reviews.
| Metric | Content Aware Sidebars | Custom Sidebars |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,001 ▲ 1 | #444 ▬ |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 484 | 1,058 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (724) | 4.7★ (1,028) |
| Last updated | Dec 9, 2025 | Aug 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.21.3 | 3.38 |
| Best rank on record | #994 | #439 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2011 | Aug 2010 |
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
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Content Aware Sidebars or Custom Sidebars?
By active installs, Custom Sidebars: 100K+ sites run it against 30K+ for Content Aware Sidebars, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 14, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Content Aware Sidebars or Custom Sidebars?
Custom Sidebars, at #444 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Content Aware Sidebars at #1,001. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Content Aware Sidebars or Custom Sidebars 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.