Head-to-head · October 2026
bbPress Protected Forums vs Content Aware Sidebars
Content Aware Sidebars comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against bbPress Protected Forums.
bbPress Protected Forums
bbPress Protected Forums adds a metabox, shown while editing a forum, that allows you to disable new topic…
Content Aware Sidebars
You can optimize conversion rates, boost on-site SEO, upsell products, and much more by displaying different…
| Metric | bbPress Protected Forums | Content Aware Sidebars |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 90+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 181 | 2.2K |
| Download trend | +11.7% | +0.4% |
| Rating | 5/5 | 4.9/5 |
| Reviews | 3 | 724 |
| Health score | 32/100 | 52/100 |
| Last updated | 14 years ago | 10 months ago |
| Tested up to | WP 3.4.2 | WP 6.9.10 |
| Support resolved | — | 0% |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.1+ |
| First released | Sep 2012 | Aug 2011 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
bbPress Protected ForumsContent Aware Sidebars
Choose bbPress Protected Forums if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (90+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.4 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Content Aware Sidebars if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 30K+ active sites
- Loved by users — 4.9/5 from 724 reviews
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: bbPress
FAQ
bbPress Protected Forums vs Content Aware Sidebars: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Which is better, bbPress Protected Forums or Content Aware Sidebars?
Content Aware Sidebars comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against bbPress Protected Forums. Choose bbPress Protected Forums if you care most about download trend. Choose Content Aware Sidebars if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
Is bbPress Protected Forums more popular than Content Aware Sidebars?
Content Aware Sidebars is the more popular of the two with 30K+ active installs, compared with 90+ for bbPress Protected Forums.
Can I use bbPress Protected Forums and Content Aware Sidebars together?
Both plugins cover bbPress, 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 bbPress Protected Forums and Content Aware Sidebars free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
Powered by PageForge
Want thousands of pages that rank like these? Build them in an afternoon.
This directory runs on the same engine as PageForge. Turn any spreadsheet, CSV or API into thousands of fast, SEO-ready WordPress pages — with schema, internal links and AI-written copy baked in.
- CSV, Google Sheets & API data sources
- AI content, schema & internal links per page
- Works with Elementor, Gutenberg, Yoast & Rank Math
- Free on WordPress.org — no credit card
