Custom Sidebars vs Sidebar Manager
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 #448, ahead of Sidebar Manager at #548. Custom Sidebars has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 100K+ active installs against 80K+ for Sidebar Manager. Downloads this week: Custom Sidebars 1,640 and Sidebar Manager 783. Ratings: Custom Sidebars 4.7★ from 1,028 and Sidebar Manager 4.2★ from 21 reviews.
| Metric | Custom Sidebars | Sidebar Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #448 ▬ | #548 ▬ |
| Active installs | 100K+ | 80K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,640 | 783 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (1,028) | 4.2★ (21) |
| Last updated | Aug 16, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.38 | 2.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #439 | #538 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2010 | Aug 2017 |
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, Custom Sidebars or Sidebar Manager?
By active installs, Custom Sidebars: 100K+ sites run it against 80K+ for Sidebar Manager, according to WordPress.org figures captured on November 1, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Custom Sidebars or Sidebar Manager?
Custom Sidebars, at #448 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Sidebar Manager at #548. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Custom Sidebars or Sidebar Manager 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.