Head-to-head · October 2026
Featured Posts Widget vs WP Featured News
WP Featured News comes out ahead, winning 6 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…
WP Featured News
WP Featured News plugin allows you to display your posts anywhere of your web-pages with 10 powerful and…
| Metric | Featured Posts Widget | WP Featured News |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 30+ | 10+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 58 | 85 |
| Download trend | +31.8% | +39.3% |
| Rating | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Reviews | 2 | 5 |
| Health score | 25/100 | 50/100 |
| Last updated | 13 years ago | 11 months ago |
| Tested up to | WP 3.7.41 | WP 6.8.11 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.4+ |
| First released | Jul 2012 | Sep 2019 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Featured Posts WidgetWP Featured News
Choose Featured Posts Widget if…
You care most about active installs.
- 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 WP Featured News if…
You care most about downloads (30 days), download trend and reviews.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: featured posts Featured Posts Widget
FAQ
Featured Posts Widget vs WP Featured News: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 12, 2026
Which is better, Featured Posts Widget or WP Featured News?
WP Featured News comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Featured Posts Widget. Choose Featured Posts Widget if you care most about active installs. Choose WP Featured News if you care most about downloads (30 days), download trend and reviews.
Is Featured Posts Widget more popular than WP Featured News?
Featured Posts Widget is the more popular of the two with 30+ active installs, compared with 10+ for WP Featured News.
Can I use Featured Posts Widget and WP Featured News together?
Both plugins cover featured posts and 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 WP Featured 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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