Head-to-head · October 2026
Read Meter vs Reading Progress Tracker
Read Meter comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Reading Progress Tracker.
Read Meter – Reading Time & Progress Bar
People often skip reading posts with the fear of the time they’ll spend reading it. Are you losing readers…
Reading Progress Tracker
Adds a customizable reading progress bar to posts, with optional analytics and a reading-time estimate.
| Metric | Read Meter | Reading Progress Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 10K+ | <10 |
| Downloads (30 days) | 945 | 44 |
| Download trend | -0.2% | +25.7% |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | — |
| Reviews | 19 | 0 |
| Health score | 83/100 | 36/100 |
| Last updated | 2 months ago | 11 months ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.1.3 | WP 6.8.11 |
| Support resolved | 100% | — |
| Requires PHP | 5.2+ | 7.4+ |
| First released | Jun 2019 | Oct 2025 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Read MeterReading Progress Tracker
Choose Read Meter if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 10K+ active sites
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
Choose Reading Progress Tracker if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: progressbar readtime
FAQ
Read Meter vs Reading Progress Tracker: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Which is better, Read Meter or Reading Progress Tracker?
Read Meter comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Reading Progress Tracker. Choose Read Meter if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews. Choose Reading Progress Tracker if you care most about download trend.
Is Read Meter more popular than Reading Progress Tracker?
Read Meter is the more popular of the two with 10K+ active installs, compared with <10 for Reading Progress Tracker.
Can I use Read Meter and Reading Progress Tracker together?
Both plugins cover progressbar and readtime, 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 Read Meter and Reading Progress Tracker free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
Powered by PageForge
Want thousands of pages that rank like these? Build them in an afternoon.
This directory runs on the same engine as PageForge. Turn any spreadsheet, CSV or API into thousands of fast, SEO-ready WordPress pages — with schema, internal links and AI-written copy baked in.
- CSV, Google Sheets & API data sources
- AI content, schema & internal links per page
- Works with Elementor, Gutenberg, Yoast & Rank Math
- Free on WordPress.org — no credit card
