Head-to-head · October 2026
Cool Author Box vs Hide/Remove Metadata
Hide/Remove Metadata comes out ahead, winning 5 of 6 head-to-head checks against Cool Author Box.
Cool Author Box
The Cool Author Box plugin adds information about the author to the bottom of the content of posts and/or…
Hide/Remove Metadata
Hide/Remove Metadata is a free, simple yet extremely handy WordPress plugin that helps you hide or remove…
| Metric | Cool Author Box | Hide/Remove Metadata |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 10+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 71 | 2.1K |
| Download trend | +16.4% | -0.3% |
| Rating | — | 3.6/5 |
| Reviews | 0 | 14 |
| Health score | 31/100 | 64/100 |
| Last updated | 16 years ago | 5 months ago |
| Tested up to | — | WP 7.0.7 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.4+ |
| First released | May 2010 | Jun 2019 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Cool Author BoxHide/Remove Metadata
Choose Cool Author Box if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 16 years
Choose Hide/Remove Metadata if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 20K+ active sites
Both compete in: author
FAQ
Cool Author Box vs Hide/Remove Metadata: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 12, 2026
Which is better, Cool Author Box or Hide/Remove Metadata?
Hide/Remove Metadata comes out ahead, winning 5 of 6 head-to-head checks against Cool Author Box. Choose Cool Author Box if you care most about download trend. Choose Hide/Remove Metadata if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
Is Cool Author Box more popular than Hide/Remove Metadata?
Hide/Remove Metadata is the more popular of the two with 20K+ active installs, compared with 10+ for Cool Author Box.
Can I use Cool Author Box and Hide/Remove Metadata together?
Both plugins cover author, 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 Cool Author Box and Hide/Remove Metadata 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
