Content Aware Sidebars vs Pretty Sidebar Categories
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
Content Aware Sidebars leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #999, ahead of Pretty Sidebar Categories at #19,288. Over the last 7 days Content Aware Sidebars climbed 1 place and Pretty Sidebar Categories slipped 361 places. Content Aware Sidebars has the largest install base, roughly 500× the next: 30K+ active installs against 60+ for Pretty Sidebar Categories. Downloads this week: Content Aware Sidebars 17,052 and Pretty Sidebar Categories 19. Ratings: Content Aware Sidebars 4.9★ from 724 and Pretty Sidebar Categories 5★ from 1 reviews.
| Metric | Content Aware Sidebars | Pretty Sidebar Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #999 ▲ 1 | #19,288 ▼ 361 |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 60+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 17,052 | 19 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (724) | 5★ (1) |
| Last updated | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.21.4 | 1.3.0 |
| Best rank on record | #994 | #18,013 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2011 | Feb 2011 |
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 Pretty Sidebar Categories?
By active installs, Content Aware Sidebars: 30K+ sites run it against 60+ for Pretty Sidebar Categories, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 30, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Content Aware Sidebars or Pretty Sidebar Categories?
Content Aware Sidebars, at #999 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Pretty Sidebar Categories at #19,288. 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 Pretty Sidebar Categories 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.