Meks Smart Author Widget vs WP User Profiles
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
Meks Smart Author Widget leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,687, ahead of WP User Profiles at #11,623. Over the last 7 days Meks Smart Author Widget slipped 8 places and WP User Profiles climbed 117 places. Meks Smart Author Widget has the largest install base, roughly 50× the next: 10K+ active installs against 200+ for WP User Profiles. Downloads this week: WP User Profiles 775 and Meks Smart Author Widget 218. Ratings: Meks Smart Author Widget 4.5★ from 8 and WP User Profiles 4.3★ from 19 reviews.
| Metric | Meks Smart Author Widget | WP User Profiles |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,687 ▼ 8 | #11,623 ▲ 117 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 218 | 775 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (8) | 4.3★ (19) |
| Last updated | Jul 23, 2024 | Oct 10, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.5 | 2.7.4 |
| Best rank on record | #1,659 | #10,895 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2014 | Oct 2015 |
| 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
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- Meks Smart Author Widget vs Simple Local Avatars
- WP User Profiles vs Forget About Shortcode Buttons
- WP User Profiles vs Ocean Extra
- WP User Profiles vs Username Changer
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP User Profiles?
By active installs, Meks Smart Author Widget: 10K+ sites run it against 200+ for WP User Profiles, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP User Profiles?
Meks Smart Author Widget, at #1,687 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with WP User Profiles at #11,623. 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 Profiles 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.