# Most Popular Categories

> Most Popular Categories has 600+ active installs and 89 downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 27/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Consider an alternative.** Most Popular Categories shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 600+ sites and was last updated 15 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.

**This is just a small WordPress plugin that lists the most popular categories by post count in a widget. Includes several options.**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** —
- **Active installs:** 600+
- **Total downloads:** 5,947
- **Downloads (30 days):** 89 (+17.1% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** No ratings yet
- **Health score:** 27/100 (At risk)
- **Version:** 1.1.1
- **Last updated:** Apr 7, 2011
- **Tested up to:** WordPress 3.1.4
- **Requires:** WordPress 2.8+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 0 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** blueinstyle (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/blueinstyle/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/most-popular-categories/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/categories/) | #42 | 350 |
| [category list](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/category-list/) | #3 | 6 |
| [popular categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/popular-categories/) | #1 | 1 |
| [top categories](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/top-categories/) | #1 | 1 |
| [widget](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/widget/) | >100 | 2,305 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| categories | >100 | 10,000 |
| category list | >100 | 6,899 |
| popular categories | >100 | 1,397 |
| top categories | >100 | 3,396 |
| widget | >100 | 10,000 |

## Version adoption

- 1.1: 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 | 71/100 |
| 2 | [Media Library Assistant](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/media-library-assistant/) | 70K+ | 4.8/5 (202) | Sep 27, 2026 | 94/100 |
| 3 | [Tag, Category, and Taxonomy Manager – Autotagger Automatically Add Terms](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/simple-tags/) | 40K+ | 4.6/5 (194) | Sep 23, 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) | Apr 29, 2026 | 60/100 |
| 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 Most Popular Categories free?
Yes. Most Popular Categories is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

### Is Most Popular Categories safe to use in 2026?
Most Popular Categories shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 600+ sites and was last updated 15 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use Most Popular Categories?
Most Popular Categories is active on 600+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 5,947 times since it launched in November 2010. It was downloaded 89 times in the last 30 days.

### Does Most Popular Categories work with WordPress 7.1?
Most Popular Categories is officially tested up to WordPress 3.1.4, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

### When was Most Popular Categories last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.1, was released on April 7, 2011 (15 years ago).

### Who makes Most Popular Categories?
Most Popular Categories is developed and maintained by blueinstyle.

### What are the best alternatives to Most Popular Categories?
The most popular alternatives to Most Popular Categories are List category posts (80K+ installs), Media Library Assistant (70K+ installs) and Tag, Category, and Taxonomy… (40K+ installs).


---
Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/most-popular-categories/ · Generated 2026-09-27 16:51 UTC by PageForge