Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
| Category Posts Widget | WP Popular Posts | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | — | — |
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | — | — |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed | — | — |
| Last updated | — | — |
| Metric | Category Posts Widget | WP Popular Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5 ★ | 4.5 ★ |
| Total reviews | 79 | ★ 249 |
| Active installs | 40,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Built for Shopify | — | — |
Category Posts Widget and WP Popular Posts are evenly matched on rating (4.5★ vs 4.5★) — the differentiator comes down to pricing fit, feature breadth, and which app's interaction pattern suits your team's workflow. WP Popular Posts has the larger user base (249 reviews vs 79), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. Category Posts Widget's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat. Recommended evaluation path: install both apps' free tiers (where available) and run them in parallel on a small cohort of orders for 7-14 days before committing. The data tables below show the per-feature breakdown — for most merchants the deciding factor will be a single integration or workflow detail that's hard to compare from listing pages alone. This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical WordPress Plugin Directory listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: Category Posts Widget audit • WP Popular Posts audit
| Keyword | Category Posts Widget | WP Popular Posts |
|---|---|---|
| faq | Not ranked | #66 |
Category Posts Widget (4.5★, 79 reviews) and WP Popular Posts (4.5★, 249 reviews) are essentially tied on rating. Look at review velocity and individual reviewer quotes — both visible on each app's detail page — to differentiate.
It depends on what you're optimizing for. Category Posts Widget fits better if you prioritize broader integrations; WP Popular Posts is the call if you need the larger user base. Read both apps' detail pages on AppRanks for the full feature breakdown, install counts, and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the WordPress Plugin Directory marketplace. WP Popular Posts has more onboarding documentation maturity (249 reviews vs 79), which usually translates to better-tested setup wizards and quicker time-to-value. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly — read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for merchant-reported install experience.
Category Posts Widget typically suits early-stage and growth-mode stores based on its review-base composition (79 reviews). WP Popular Posts aligns more with early-stage and growth-mode stores (249 reviews). Larger review bases generally mean the app has been load-tested at scale — relevant if you're processing high order volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. Category Posts Widget and WP Popular Posts both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from Category Posts Widget" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
