# Custom News Widget vs News

> Custom News Widget vs News compared on installs, downloads, ratings, updates, compatibility and support. News comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Custom News Widget.

**News comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Custom News Widget.** Choose Custom News Widget if you care most about download trend. Choose News if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.

| | Custom News Widget | News |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 20+ | 100+ ✅ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 42 | 199 ✅ |
| Download trend | +16.7% ✅ | +9.9% |
| Rating | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Reviews | 1 | 3 ✅ |
| Health score | 28/100 | 32/100 ✅ |
| Last updated | 9 years ago | 4 years ago ✅ |
| Tested up to | WP 4.9.34 | WP 6.0.17 ✅ |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | 5.2.4+ | Any |
| First released | Mar 2018 | Sep 2014 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is better, Custom News Widget or News?
News comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Custom News Widget. Choose Custom News Widget if you care most about download trend. Choose News if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.

### Is Custom News Widget more popular than News?
News is the more popular of the two with 100+ active installs, compared with 20+ for Custom News Widget.

### Can I use Custom News Widget and News together?
Both plugins cover news, news plugin and News Widget, 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 Custom News Widget and News 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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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/compare/custom-news-widget-vs-news-widget/ · Generated 2026-10-21 10:34 UTC by PageForge