Head-to-head · October 2026
Featured Posts Widget vs Latest News Widget
Latest News Widget comes out ahead, winning 4 of 7 head-to-head checks against Featured Posts Widget.
Featured Posts Widget
A WordPress plugin to create a Featured Posts widget Features: * Customisable title * Select categories to…
Latest News Widget
Show latest posts from specific categories in your sidebar. Simple, easy-to-use, and customizble.
| Metric | Featured Posts Widget | Latest News Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 30+ | 200+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 59 | 98 |
| Download trend | +37.2% | +60.7% |
| Rating | 3/5 | — |
| Reviews | 2 | 0 |
| Health score | 25/100 | 26/100 |
| Last updated | 13 years ago | 16 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 3.7.41 | WP 3.0.5 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | Any |
| First released | Jul 2012 | Jan 2011 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Featured Posts WidgetLatest News Widget
Choose Featured Posts Widget if…
You care most about reviews, last updated and tested up to.
- Small user base (30+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 12 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.7 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Latest News Widget if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 15 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.0 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: Featured Posts Widget
FAQ
Featured Posts Widget vs Latest News Widget: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 14, 2026
Which is better, Featured Posts Widget or Latest News Widget?
Latest News Widget comes out ahead, winning 4 of 7 head-to-head checks against Featured Posts Widget. Choose Featured Posts Widget if you care most about reviews, last updated and tested up to. Choose Latest News Widget if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
Is Featured Posts Widget more popular than Latest News Widget?
Latest News Widget is the more popular of the two with 200+ active installs, compared with 30+ for Featured Posts Widget.
Can I use Featured Posts Widget and Latest News Widget together?
Both plugins cover Featured Posts 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 Featured Posts Widget and Latest News Widget 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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