Head-to-head · October 2026
Old Style Admin UI vs Life Meter Widget
Old Style Admin UI comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Life Meter Widget.
Old Style Admin UI
After I updated WordPress to 5.3, I thought something had gone wrong with the update when I saw those borders…
Life Meter Widget
The plugin comes with a widget which offers a title, health level (1-100) and caption option. It all so…
| Metric | Old Style Admin UI | Life Meter Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 100+ | 10+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 107 | 45 |
| Download trend | +44.6% | +104.5% |
| Rating | 5/5 | — |
| Reviews | 9 | 0 |
| Health score | 37/100 | 23/100 |
| Last updated | 7 years ago | 14 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 5.3.26 | WP 3.4.2 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | Any |
| First released | Nov 2019 | Oct 2012 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Old Style Admin UILife Meter Widget
Choose Old Style Admin UI if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Small user base (100+ active installs)
- No update in 6 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.3 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Life Meter Widget if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 13 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.4 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: old school
FAQ
Old Style Admin UI vs Life Meter Widget: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 10, 2026
Which is better, Old Style Admin UI or Life Meter Widget?
Old Style Admin UI comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Life Meter Widget. Choose Old Style Admin UI if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews. Choose Life Meter Widget if you care most about download trend.
Is Old Style Admin UI more popular than Life Meter Widget?
Old Style Admin UI is the more popular of the two with 100+ active installs, compared with 10+ for Life Meter Widget.
Can I use Old Style Admin UI and Life Meter Widget together?
Both plugins cover old school, 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 Old Style Admin UI and Life Meter 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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