Essential Widgets vs Media Library Assistant
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
Media Library Assistant leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #613, ahead of Essential Widgets at #1,795. Over the last 7 days Media Library Assistant climbed 1 place and Essential Widgets climbed 1 place. Media Library Assistant has the largest install base, roughly 7× the next: 70K+ active installs against 10K+ for Essential Widgets. Downloads this week: Media Library Assistant 23,198 and Essential Widgets 570. Ratings: Essential Widgets 3.5★ from 2 and Media Library Assistant 4.8★ from 201 reviews.
| Metric | Essential Widgets | Media Library Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,795 ▲ 1 | #613 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 70K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 570 | 23,198 |
| Rating | 3.5★ (2) | 4.8★ (201) |
| Last updated | Jun 18, 2026 | Sep 7, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.2.1 | 3.41 |
| Best rank on record | #1,767 | #612 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2017 | Aug 2012 |
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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- Media Library Assistant vs Visual Term Description Editor
- Media Library Assistant vs Media Library Categories
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Essential Widgets or Media Library Assistant?
By active installs, Media Library Assistant: 70K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Essential Widgets, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 14, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Essential Widgets or Media Library Assistant?
Media Library Assistant, at #613 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Essential Widgets at #1,795. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Essential Widgets or Media Library Assistant 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.