Essential Widgets vs RaraTheme Companion
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
RaraTheme Companion leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,629, ahead of Essential Widgets at #1,795. Over the last 7 days RaraTheme Companion climbed 3 places and Essential Widgets held its place. Essential Widgets has the largest install base: 10K+ active installs against 10K+ for RaraTheme Companion.
| Metric | Essential Widgets | RaraTheme Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,795 ▬ | #1,629 ▲ 3 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 570 | — |
| Rating | 3.5★ (2) | no ratings |
| Last updated | Jun 18, 2026 | Jan 6, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.2.1 | 1.4.4 |
| Best rank on record | #1,767 | #1,610 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2017 | Apr 2018 |
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, Essential Widgets or RaraTheme Companion?
By active installs, Essential Widgets: 10K+ sites run it against 10K+ for RaraTheme Companion, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 15, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Essential Widgets or RaraTheme Companion?
RaraTheme Companion, at #1,629 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 RaraTheme Companion 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.