# Category Expander

> Category Expander has 10+ active installs and 54 downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 31/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Consider an alternative.** Category Expander shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.

**Allows WordPress Admins to show only a selected few categories on the sidebar and hide the rest from view until visitor clicks "See All".**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** —
- **Active installs:** 10+
- **Total downloads:** 4,524
- **Downloads (30 days):** 54 (+1.9% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** No ratings yet
- **Health score:** 31/100 (At risk)
- **Version:** 0.9.1
- **Last updated:** Sep 18, 2012
- **Tested up to:** —
- **Requires:** WordPress 2.8+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 0 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** timgrahl (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/timgrahl/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/category-expander/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/categories/) | >100 | 357 |
| [sidebar](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/sidebar/) | >100 | 492 |
| [widget](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/widget/) | >100 | 2,319 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| categories | >100 | 10,000 |
| sidebar | >100 | 10,000 |
| widget | >100 | 10,000 |

## Version adoption

- 0.9: 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 Category Expander free?
Yes. Category Expander is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

### Is Category Expander safe to use in 2026?
Category Expander shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use Category Expander?
Category Expander is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,524 times since it launched in January 2010. It was downloaded 54 times in the last 30 days.

### When was Category Expander last updated?
The latest version, 0.9.1, was released on September 18, 2012 (14 years ago).

### Who makes Category Expander?
Category Expander is developed and maintained by timgrahl.

### What are the best alternatives to Category Expander?
The most popular alternatives to Category Expander 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/category-expander/ · Generated 2026-10-16 18:25 UTC by PageForge