WP Dashboard Messages vs Widget Disable
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
Widget Disable leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,466, ahead of WP Dashboard Messages at #9,844. Over the last 7 days Widget Disable climbed 4 places and WP Dashboard Messages slipped 38 places. Widget Disable has the largest install base, roughly 25× the next: 10K+ active installs against 400+ for WP Dashboard Messages. Downloads this week: Widget Disable 202 and WP Dashboard Messages 48. Ratings: WP Dashboard Messages 5★ from 3 and Widget Disable 4.8★ from 24 reviews.
| Metric | WP Dashboard Messages | Widget Disable |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #9,844 ▼ 38 | #1,466 ▲ 4 |
| Active installs | 400+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 48 | 202 |
| Rating | 5★ (3) | 4.8★ (24) |
| Last updated | Dec 5, 2025 | Sep 23, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.7 | 3.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #9,774 | #1,466 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2020 | Apr 2015 |
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
- WP Dashboard Messages vs Admin Menu Editor
- WP Dashboard Messages vs Display PHP Version
- WP Dashboard Messages vs White Label CMS
- WP Dashboard Messages vs Adjust Admin Categories
- Widget Disable vs SpiceBox
- Widget Disable vs Admin Menu Editor
- Widget Disable vs Display PHP Version
- Widget Disable vs White Label CMS
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, WP Dashboard Messages or Widget Disable?
By active installs, Widget Disable: 10K+ sites run it against 400+ for WP Dashboard Messages, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 20, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, WP Dashboard Messages or Widget Disable?
Widget Disable, at #1,466 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with WP Dashboard Messages at #9,844. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are WP Dashboard Messages or Widget Disable 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.