Meks Smart Author Widget vs Simple Local Avatars
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
Simple Local Avatars leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #313, ahead of Meks Smart Author Widget at #1,666. Over the last 7 days Simple Local Avatars climbed 1 place and Meks Smart Author Widget climbed 1 place. Simple Local Avatars has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 100K+ active installs against 10K+ for Meks Smart Author Widget. Ratings: Meks Smart Author Widget 4.5★ from 8 and Simple Local Avatars 4.6★ from 89 reviews.
| Metric | Meks Smart Author Widget | Simple Local Avatars |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,666 ▲ 1 | #313 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | — | 3,944 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (8) | 4.6★ (89) |
| Last updated | Jul 23, 2024 | Aug 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.5 | 2.8.6 |
| Best rank on record | #1,659 | #313 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2014 | Jan 2011 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 1 | 0 |
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
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs WP User Avatars
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs Basic User Avatars
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs Gravatar Enhanced
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs One User Avatar
- Simple Local Avatars vs Basic User Avatars
- Simple Local Avatars vs One User Avatar
- Simple Local Avatars vs User Profile Picture
- Simple Local Avatars vs Simple User Avatar
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Meks Smart Author Widget or Simple Local Avatars?
By active installs, Simple Local Avatars: 100K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Meks Smart Author Widget, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 14, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Meks Smart Author Widget or Simple Local Avatars?
Simple Local Avatars, at #313 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Meks Smart Author Widget at #1,666. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Meks Smart Author Widget or Simple Local Avatars 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.