Head-to-head · October 2026
Simple Exclude Categories vs Specify Home Hidden Categ…
Simple Exclude Categories comes out ahead, winning 5 of 7 head-to-head checks against Specify Home Hidden Categor….
Simple Exclude Categories
Plugin help hide all posts in one or more category on your homepage.
Specify Home Hidden Categories
English: Specify the Home hidden under all the article，Set up one or more categories, as long as the article…
| Metric | Simple Exclude Categories | Specify Home Hidden Categ… |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 100+ | 20+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 75 | 51 |
| Download trend | +38.9% | -25% |
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 3/5 |
| Reviews | 5 | 2 |
| Health score | 34/100 | 25/100 |
| Last updated | 9 years ago | 7 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 4.9.34 | WP 5.1.27 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | Any |
| First released | Feb 2014 | Dec 2014 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Simple Exclude Categori…Specify Home Hidden Cat…
Choose Simple Exclude Categories if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Small user base (100+ active installs)
- No update in 8 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.9 (latest is 7.1)
Choose Specify Home Hidden Categ… if…
You care most about last updated and tested up to.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.1 (latest is 7.1)
FAQ
Simple Exclude Categories vs Specify Home Hidden Categ…: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 17, 2026
Which is better, Simple Exclude Categories or Specify Home Hidden Categor…?
Simple Exclude Categories comes out ahead, winning 5 of 7 head-to-head checks against Specify Home Hidden Categor…. Choose Simple Exclude Categories if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend. Choose Specify Home Hidden Categor… if you care most about last updated and tested up to.
Is Simple Exclude Categories more popular than Specify Home Hidden Categor…?
Simple Exclude Categories is the more popular of the two with 100+ active installs, compared with 20+ for Specify Home Hidden Categor….
Can I use Simple Exclude Categories and Specify Home Hidden Categor… together?
Both plugins cover exclude and hide, 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 Simple Exclude Categories and Specify Home Hidden Categor… 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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