Head-to-head · October 2026
Audio Player Widget vs Compact WP Audio Player
Compact WP Audio Player comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Audio Player Widget.
Audio Player Widget
Audio Player Widget is a small plugin that provides support for using the Audio-Player plugin in WordPress…
Compact WP Audio Player
Compact WordPress Audio Player plugin is an HTML5 + Flash hybrid based wordpress plugin which can be used to…
| Metric | Audio Player Widget | Compact WP Audio Player |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 200+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 93 | 1.5K |
| Download trend | +25.7% | +23.1% |
| Rating | 3/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Reviews | 2 | 69 |
| Health score | 27/100 | 82/100 |
| Last updated | 16 years ago | 2 months ago |
| Tested up to | WP 3.1.4 | WP 7.1.3 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | Any |
| First released | Feb 2011 | Mar 2013 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Audio Player WidgetCompact WP Audio Player
Choose Audio Player Widget if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 15 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.1 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Compact WP Audio Player if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 20K+ active sites
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 23.1% vs the previous 30 days
Both compete in: audio audio player
FAQ
Audio Player Widget vs Compact WP Audio Player: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 20, 2026
Which is better, Audio Player Widget or Compact WP Audio Player?
Compact WP Audio Player comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Audio Player Widget. Choose Audio Player Widget if you care most about download trend. Choose Compact WP Audio Player if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
Is Audio Player Widget more popular than Compact WP Audio Player?
Compact WP Audio Player is the more popular of the two with 20K+ active installs, compared with 200+ for Audio Player Widget.
Can I use Audio Player Widget and Compact WP Audio Player together?
Both plugins cover audio and audio player, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are Audio Player Widget and Compact WP Audio Player free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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