Meks Smart Author vs WP Author Security — WordPress

Meks Smart Author Widget vs WP Author Security

Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points

Meks Smart Author Widget

4.5·8reviews·10,000+installs

wordpress

Change

1. Listing metadata

Field-level data

	Meks Smart Author Widget	WP Author Security
Tagline	—	—
Description	679 / 5000 chars14% used	2714 / 5000 chars54% used
Screenshots	—	—
Languages
Platforms	WordPress	WordPress
Developer	Meks	mgm security partners GmbH
Listed	—	—
Last updated	—	—

2. Categories & rankings

Shared categories on the same row · in-category position inline

Meks Smart Author Widget

WP Author Security

Shared

At a glance

4 metrics · auto-computed

Feature comparison between Meks Smart Author Widget and WP Author Security
Metric	Meks Smart Author Widget	WP Author Security
Rating	4.5 ★	★ 5.0 ★
Total reviews	★ 8	2
Active installs	10,000+	400+
Free plan	—	—

3. App details

Long-form description · keyword frequency

Meks Smart Author Widget

Simple plugin which allows you to display author/user info inside WordPress widget. Smart feature of this plugin is user/author “auto detection” which means that it can optionally show author of current post on single post templates or on specific author archive. Features Flexible display options Auto detect post author on single post and author templates Custom avatar size Link avatar image to author archive (optional) Link user display name to author archive (optional) Replace widget title with user display name (optional) Smart Author Widget plugin is created by Meks Live example? You can see Smart Author Widget live example on our Typology theme demo website

Top keywords

author10×9.35%
display4×3.74%
post4×3.74%
user4×3.74%
widget4×3.74%
archive3×2.80%
author archive3×2.80%
optional3×2.80%
smart3×2.80%
archive optional2×1.87%
author archive optional2×1.87%
author widget2×1.87%

WP Author Security

WP Author Security is a lightweight but powerful plugin to protect against user enumeration attacks on author pages and other places where valid user names can be obtained. By default, WordPress will display some sensitive information on author pages. The author page is typically called by requesting the URI https://yourdomain.tld/?author= or with permalinks https://yourdomain.tld/author/ . The page will include (depending on your theme) the full name (first and last name) as well as the username of the author which is used to log in to WordPress. In some cases, it is not wanted to expose this information to the public. An attacker is able to brute force valid IDs or valid usernames. This information might be used for further attacks like social engineering attacks or log in brute force attacks with gathered usernames. However, when using the plugin and you disable author pages completely it must be noted that you need to take care that your active theme will not display the author name itself on posts like “Posted by admin” or something like that. This is something the plugin will not handle (at the moment). By using the extension, you are able to disable the author pages either completely or display them only when the author has at least one published post. When the page is disabled the default 404 error page of the active theme is displayed. In addition, the plugin will also protect other locations which are commonly used by attackers to gather valid user names. These are: The REST API for users which will list all users with published posts by default. https://yourdomain.tld/wp-json/wp/v2/users The log in page where different error messages will indicate whether an entered user name or mail address exists or not. The plugin will display a neutral error message independently whether the user exists or not. The password forgotten function will also allow an attacker to check for the existence of a user. As for the log in page the plugin will display a neutral message even when the user does not exists. Requesting the feed endpoint /feed of your blog will also allow others to see the username or display name of the author. The plugin will remove the name from the result list. WordPress supports so-called oEmbeds. This is a technique to embed a reference to a post into another post. However, this reference will also contain the author name and a direct link to the profile page. The plugin will also remove the name and link here. Since WordPress 5.5 a default sitemap can be reached via /wp-sitemap.xml. This sitemap will disclose the usernames of all authors. If this should not be disclosed you are able to disable this feature of WordPress.

Top keywords

author13×2.80%
name

Frequently asked

Common questions about this comparison

Which has better reviews, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP Author Security?

WP Author Security has the higher average rating (5.0★ from 2 reviews) compared to Meks Smart Author Widget (4.5★ from 8 reviews). Both are tracked daily by AppRanks, so the figures here update each refresh cycle.

Should I choose Meks Smart Author Widget or WP Author Security?

WP Author Security holds the higher average rating (5.0★ vs 4.5★). That is the one dimension AppRanks can separate them on here — read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.

Which is faster to set up, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP Author Security?

Both apps are one-click installs from the WordPress Plugin Directory. Meks Smart Author Widget has the deeper published review base (8 vs 2), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.

Which works better for small vs large WordPress Plugin Directory site owners?

Meks Smart Author Widget typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (8 reviews). WP Author Security typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (2 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.

Can I migrate data between Meks Smart Author Widget and WP Author Security?

Migration support varies by app and category. Meks Smart Author Widget and WP Author Security 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 WP Author Security" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.

Meks Smart Author Widget vs WP Author Security

Meks Smart Author Widget

1. Listing metadata

2. Categories & rankings

WP Author Security

At a glance

AppRanks verdict

3. App details

Frequently asked

Which has better reviews, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP Author Security?

Should I choose Meks Smart Author Widget or WP Author Security?

Which is faster to set up, Meks Smart Author Widget or WP Author Security?

Which works better for small vs large WordPress Plugin Directory site owners?

Can I migrate data between Meks Smart Author Widget and WP Author Security?

See full keyword rankings, install trends, and weekly alerts

More popular comparisons