Meks Smart Author Widget vs WP User 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
WP User Avatars leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,296, ahead of Meks Smart Author Widget at #1,686. Over the last 7 days WP User Avatars climbed 1 place and Meks Smart Author Widget held its place. WP User Avatars has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 20K+ active installs against 10K+ for Meks Smart Author Widget. Downloads this week: WP User Avatars 2,245 and Meks Smart Author Widget 365. Ratings: Meks Smart Author Widget 4.5★ from 8 and WP User Avatars 4.5★ from 29 reviews.
| Metric | Meks Smart Author Widget | WP User Avatars |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,686 ▬ | #1,296 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 365 | 2,245 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (8) | 4.5★ (29) |
| Last updated | Jul 23, 2024 | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.5 | 2.2.0 |
| Best rank on record | #1,659 | #1,291 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2014 | Oct 2015 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 2 | 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 Basic User Avatars
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs Gravatar Enhanced
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs One User Avatar
- Meks Smart Author Widget vs Simple Local Avatars
- WP User Avatars vs Basic User Avatars
- WP User Avatars vs Gravatar Enhanced
- WP User Avatars vs One User Avatar
- WP User Avatars vs Simple Local Avatars
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP User Avatars?
By active installs, WP User Avatars: 20K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Meks Smart Author Widget, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 30, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP User Avatars?
WP User Avatars, at #1,296 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Meks Smart Author Widget at #1,686. 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 WP User 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.