Head-to-head · October 2026
blinking stars effect vs Essential Hover Effects
blinking stars effect comes out ahead, winning 4 of 6 head-to-head checks against Essential Hover Effects.
blinking stars effect
The Blinking Stars plugin for WordPress adds an animated effect of blinking stars with different colors (pro…
| Metric | blinking stars effect | Essential Hover Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | <10 | 10+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 46 | 69 |
| Download trend | +76.9% | +13.1% |
| Rating | — | — |
| Reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Health score | 24/100 | 23/100 |
| Last updated | 2 years ago | 6 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 6.7.10 | WP 5.4.24 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | 7.4+ | Any |
| First released | Jan 2025 | Sep 2018 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
blinking stars effectEssential Hover Effects
Choose blinking stars effect if…
You care most about download trend, health score and last updated.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in over a year
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.7 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Essential Hover Effects if…
You care most about active installs and downloads (30 days).
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 6 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.4 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: animation effects
FAQ
blinking stars effect vs Essential Hover Effects: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Which is better, blinking stars effect or Essential Hover Effects?
blinking stars effect comes out ahead, winning 4 of 6 head-to-head checks against Essential Hover Effects. Choose blinking stars effect if you care most about download trend, health score and last updated. Choose Essential Hover Effects if you care most about active installs and downloads (30 days).
Is blinking stars effect more popular than Essential Hover Effects?
Essential Hover Effects is the more popular of the two with 10+ active installs, compared with <10 for blinking stars effect.
Can I use blinking stars effect and Essential Hover Effects together?
Both plugins cover animation effects, 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 blinking stars effect and Essential Hover Effects 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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