# Categories but exclude

> Categories but exclude has 50+ active installs and 76 downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 25/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Consider an alternative.** Categories but exclude shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.

**A simple plugin that displays a list of all categories except those selected in widget preferences. Unlike other similar plugins like “Almost All Categories Widget”, Categories but exclude uses the latest version of…**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** —
- **Active installs:** 50+
- **Total downloads:** 6,256
- **Downloads (30 days):** 76 (-1.3% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** No ratings yet
- **Health score:** 25/100 (At risk)
- **Version:** 1.0
- **Last updated:** Jun 13, 2012
- **Tested up to:** WordPress 3.3.2
- **Requires:** WordPress 2.8+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 0 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** PoseLab (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/javitxu123/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/categories-but-exclude-widget/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/categories/) | >100 | 357 |
| [category](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/category/) | >100 | 414 |
| [exclude](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/exclude/) | #9 | 22 |
| [widget](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/widget/) | >100 | 2,319 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| categories | >100 | 10,000 |
| category | >100 | 10,000 |
| exclude | >100 | 4,775 |
| widget | >100 | 10,000 |

## Version adoption

- 1.0: 100%

## Alternatives

| # | Name | Active installs | Rating | Updated | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [List category posts](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/list-category-posts/) | 80K+ | 4.7/5 (254) | Jul 7, 2026 | 65/100 |
| 2 | [Media Library Assistant](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/media-library-assistant/) | 70K+ | 4.8/5 (202) | Sep 27, 2026 | 94/100 |
| 3 | [PublishPress Taxonomies – Tag, Category, and Taxonomy Manager – Autotagger Automatically Add Terms](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/simple-tags/) | 40K+ | 4.6/5 (195) | Oct 5, 2026 | 93/100 |
| 4 | [Media Library Categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wp-media-library-categories/) | 20K+ | 4.2/5 (52) | Aug 22, 2026 | 71/100 |
| 5 | [FV Top Level Categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/fv-top-level-cats/) | 20K+ | 4.4/5 (23) | Sep 3, 2025 | 53/100 |
| 6 | [Post Tags and Categories for Pages](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/post-tags-and-categories-for-pages/) | 20K+ | 4.8/5 (23) | Jan 7, 2026 | 61/100 |
| 7 | [Visual Term Description Editor](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/visual-term-description-editor/) | 10K+ | 5/5 (21) | Aug 17, 2024 | 47/100 |
| 8 | [Essential Widgets](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/essential-widgets/) | 10K+ | 3.5/5 (2) | Jun 18, 2026 | 65/100 |
| 9 | [Hide Categories and Products for Woocommerce](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/hide-categories-products-woocommerce/) | 10K+ | 4.1/5 (29) | Oct 1, 2026 | 75/100 |
| 10 | [Allow HTML in Category Descriptions](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/allow-html-in-category-descriptions/) | 8K+ | 5/5 (41) | Mar 5, 2026 | 61/100 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Categories but exclude free?
Yes. Categories but exclude is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

### Is Categories but exclude safe to use in 2026?
Categories but exclude shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use Categories but exclude?
Categories but exclude is active on 50+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 6,256 times since it launched in June 2012. It was downloaded 76 times in the last 30 days.

### Does Categories but exclude work with WordPress 7.1?
Categories but exclude is officially tested up to WordPress 3.3.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

### When was Categories but exclude last updated?
The latest version, 1.0, was released on June 13, 2012 (14 years ago).

### Who makes Categories but exclude?
Categories but exclude is developed and maintained by PoseLab.

### What are the best alternatives to Categories but exclude?
The most popular alternatives to Categories but exclude are List category posts (80K+ installs), Media Library Assistant (70K+ installs) and PublishPress Taxonomies (40K+ installs).


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/categories-but-exclude-widget/ · Generated 2026-10-18 11:37 UTC by PageForge