Content Aware Sidebars vs Image Widget
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
Image Widget leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #399, ahead of Content Aware Sidebars at #999. Over the last 7 days Image Widget climbed 2 places and Content Aware Sidebars held its place. Image Widget has the largest install base, roughly 3.3× the next: 100K+ active installs against 30K+ for Content Aware Sidebars. Downloads this week: Content Aware Sidebars 17,052 and Image Widget 2,562. Ratings: Content Aware Sidebars 4.9★ from 724 and Image Widget 4.9★ from 287 reviews.
| Metric | Content Aware Sidebars | Image Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #999 ▬ | #399 ▲ 2 |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 17,052 | 2,562 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (724) | 4.9★ (287) |
| Last updated | Oct 23, 2026 | Apr 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.21.4 | 4.4.12 |
| Best rank on record | #994 | #398 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2011 | Jul 2008 |
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 Image Widget?
By active installs, Image Widget: 100K+ sites run it against 30K+ for Content Aware Sidebars, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 31, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Content Aware Sidebars or Image Widget?
Image Widget, at #399 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Content Aware Sidebars at #999. 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 Image Widget 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.