Default featured image vs Multiple Post Thumbnails
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
Default featured image leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #703, ahead of Multiple Post Thumbnails at #1,407. Over the last 7 days Default featured image slipped 8 places and Multiple Post Thumbnails slipped 5 places. Default featured image has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 50K+ active installs against 10K+ for Multiple Post Thumbnails. Downloads this week: Default featured image 1,638 and Multiple Post Thumbnails 367. Ratings: Default featured image 4.8★ from 69 and Multiple Post Thumbnails 4.7★ from 42 reviews.
| Metric | Default featured image | Multiple Post Thumbnails |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #703 ▼ 8 | #1,407 ▼ 5 |
| Active installs | 50K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,638 | 367 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (69) | 4.7★ (42) |
| Last updated | Jun 17, 2026 | Nov 26, 2018 |
| Current version | 1.8.2 | 1.7 |
| Best rank on record | #656 | #1,397 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2012 | Jun 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
More comparisons
- Default featured image vs Easy Watermark
- Default featured image vs Phoenix Media Rename
- Default featured image vs Image Aspect Ratio Crop Field for Advanced Custom Fields
- Default featured image vs Image Prioritizer
- Multiple Post Thumbnails vs Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail
- Multiple Post Thumbnails vs Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails
- Multiple Post Thumbnails vs Conditionally display featured image on singular posts and pages
- Multiple Post Thumbnails vs XO Featured Image Tools
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Default featured image or Multiple Post Thumbnails?
By active installs, Default featured image: 50K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Multiple Post Thumbnails, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Default featured image or Multiple Post Thumbnails?
Default featured image, at #703 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Multiple Post Thumbnails at #1,407. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Default featured image or Multiple Post Thumbnails 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.