Head-to-head · October 2026
Custom News Widget vs Simple News and Slider
Custom News Widget comes out ahead, winning 4 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple News and Slider.
Custom News Widget
Custom News Widget is awesome plugin to show all latest news from custom post news. This plugin very easy to…
Simple News and Slider
Simple News List and Slider for show news archives, news slider and thumbnails.
| Metric | Custom News Widget | Simple News and Slider |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 20+ | <10 |
| Downloads (30 days) | 43 | 61 |
| Download trend | +22.9% | +13% |
| Rating | 4/5 | — |
| Reviews | 1 | 0 |
| Health score | 28/100 | 21/100 |
| Last updated | 9 years ago | 6 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 4.9.34 | WP 5.4.24 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | 5.2.4+ | 7.0+ |
| First released | Mar 2018 | Jun 2020 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Custom News WidgetSimple News and Slider
Choose Custom News Widget if…
You care most about active installs, download trend and reviews.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 8 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.9 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Simple News and Slider if…
You care most about downloads (30 days), last updated and tested up to.
- 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: news website wordpress news plugin
FAQ
Custom News Widget vs Simple News and Slider: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 20, 2026
Which is better, Custom News Widget or Simple News and Slider?
Custom News Widget comes out ahead, winning 4 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple News and Slider. Choose Custom News Widget if you care most about active installs, download trend and reviews. Choose Simple News and Slider if you care most about downloads (30 days), last updated and tested up to.
Is Custom News Widget more popular than Simple News and Slider?
Custom News Widget is the more popular of the two with 20+ active installs, compared with <10 for Simple News and Slider.
Can I use Custom News Widget and Simple News and Slider together?
Both plugins cover news website and wordpress news plugin, 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 Simple News and Slider 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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