Reading Time & Progress Bar
Do you find that potential readers frequently bypass your posts due to concerns about the time investment? Are you inadvertently losing valuable readership as a result?
Consider an alternative
Reading Time & Progress Bar shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. Was last updated 1 year ago, and scores 30/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in over a year
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Reading Time & Progress Bar stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| estimated time | >100 |
| progress bar | >100 |
| read time | >100 |
| reading progress bar | #100 |
| word count | >100 |
About Reading Time & Progress Bar
From the official readme · v1.0.2Description
Do you find that potential readers frequently bypass your posts due to concerns about the time investment? Are you inadvertently losing valuable readership as a result?
The Reading Time & Progress Bar plugin effortlessly showcases the estimated reading duration for blog articles, coupled with an engaging progress bar. This feature not only provides visitors with a swift understanding of the time commitment required for reading a post but also serves as a motivating factor to encourage them to read through to the conclusion.
Typically, visitors initially attempt to scan an entire post, aiming to glean as much information as possible at a glance. By specifying the reading time in minutes, this approach not only engages users but also serves as a powerful motivator to encourage them to delve into the post’s content.
Enhance the reader’s experience with a user-friendly progress bar that elegantly tracks their position within the post. As readers scroll through the content, this sleek progress bar provides real-time feedback, visually illustrating the remaining portion of the post. This intuitive feature not only informs readers of their progress but also guides them effortlessly through the article, offering a clear sense of how far they’ve come and how much more lies ahead.
This plugin employs a cutting-edge image time calculation method to enhance your content. If your post includes images, the plugin seamlessly calculates the time required to view these visuals. You have the flexibility to customize this experience by setting the desired pace, specifying the number of images per minute, ensuring a tailored and engaging reading journey for your audience.
Key Features:
- Easy-to-use and intuitive interface
- Customize freedomly
- Responsive and mobile-friendly design
- Lightweight and optimized for fast loading
- Cross-browser compatible
Features:
General Features
- Post Types
- Word Per Minute
- Include Comments
- Include Images
- Images Per Minute
- Reading Time Text : Singular
- Reading Time Text: Plural
- Export & Import
Reading Time Features
- Display on
- Text Position
- Text Prefix
- Text Suffix
- Typography
- Text Color
- Background Color
- Custom CSS
- Preview
Reading Progress Bar Features
- Display Position / Template
- Height
- Style (Preset Template)
- Offset
- Content Offset
- RTL Support
- Background Opacity
- Foreground Opacity
- Border Radius
- Foreground Color
- Background Color
- Custom CSS
- Preview
License
This plugin is licensed under the GPL-2.0-or-later: GNU General Public License v2.0
Contribute
The full source code is available on GitHub Repository. Feel free to contribute or report an issue.
Installation
You can install the Reading Time & Progress Barplugin using one of the following methods:
-
Install from WordPress.org (Recommendand)
- Login as an administrator to your WordPress Admin account. Using the “Add New” menu option under the “Plugins” section of the navigation, you can either search for: Reading Time & Progress Bar or if you’ve downloaded the plugin already, then you should follow the instruction
- Upload the Reading Time & Progress Bar plugin folder to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Customize the Reading Time & Progress Bar settings under Admin Menu > ‘Reading Time & Progress Bar’.
- Customize all settings to display the Reading Time & Progress Bar.
-
Manual installation
- Upload the plugin files to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
- Once activated, you’ll find Reading Time & Progress Bar menu in the Dashboard Settings.
- Upload the plugin files to the
Frequently asked questions
Where are the settings for the Reading Time & Progress Bar plugin located?
Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin, you can access it from the Admin Menu > Reading Time & Progress Bar.
How does the plugin calculate reading time?
Suppose you’ve configured the Words Per Minute (located at Navigation bar> Reading Time & Progress Bar) to 200, and your blog post contains a total of 1000 words. In this case, dividing the total word count (1000) by the words per minute (200) will provide you with an estimated reading time of 4 minutes.
Can I implement this for Custom Post Types (CPTs)?
Absolutely! The plugin seamlessly integrates with all Custom Post Types. You can select Post Types from the General Tab
Which WordPress themes are compatible with the Reading Time & Progress Bar Plugin?
The Reading Time & Progress Bar plugin is compatible with all WordPress themes!
Changelog
Improved: Compatibility added for WordPress 6.8 & PHP 8.4
1.0.2
Improved: Compatibility added for WordPress 6.8 & PHP 8.4
1.0.1
Improved: Compatibility added for WordPress 6.7.2 & PHP 8.4
1.0
- Initial release of the Reading Time & Progress Bar plugin.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Reading Time & Progress Bar alternatives
All estimated time plugins →FAQ
Reading Time & Progress Bar: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is Reading Time & Progress Bar free?
Yes. Reading Time & Progress Bar is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Reading Time & Progress Bar safe to use in 2026?
Reading Time & Progress Bar shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. Was last updated 1 year ago, and scores 30/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Reading Time & Progress Bar?
Reading Time & Progress Bar is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,919 times since it launched in June 2024. It was downloaded 77 times in the last 30 days.
Does Reading Time & Progress Bar work with WordPress 7.1?
Reading Time & Progress Bar is officially tested up to WordPress 6.8.10, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Reading Time & Progress Bar need?
Reading Time & Progress Bar requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Reading Time & Progress Bar last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.2, was released on May 4, 2025 (1 year ago).
Who makes Reading Time & Progress Bar?
Reading Time & Progress Bar is developed and maintained by Code Canel.
What are the best alternatives to Reading Time & Progress Bar?
The most popular alternatives to Reading Time & Progress Bar are Reading Time WP (20K+ installs), My Reading Time Lite (10+ installs) and SJ Reading Time (<10 installs).
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