# Recently

> Recently has 300+ active installs, a 5/5 rating from 9 reviews and 155 downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 55/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Use with caution.** Recently works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 300+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.

**A highly customizable, feature-packed Recent Posts widget!**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** —
- **Active installs:** 300+
- **Total downloads:** 13,168
- **Downloads (30 days):** 155 (+30.3% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** 5/5 from 9 reviews
- **Health score:** 55/100 (Fair)
- **Version:** 4.2.1
- **Last updated:** May 18, 2026
- **Tested up to:** WordPress 7.0.6
- **Requires:** WordPress 5.7+, PHP 7.2+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 1 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** Hector Cabrera (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/hcabrera/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/recently/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [posts](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/posts/) | >100 | 1,113 |
| [recent](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/recent/) | #9 | 50 |
| [recently](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/recently/) | #3 | 9 |
| [widget](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/widget/) | >100 | 2,303 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| posts | >100 | 10,000 |
| recent | #15 | 4,211 |
| recently | #1 | 889 |
| widget | >100 | 10,000 |

## Version adoption

- 4.2: 76.1%
- 4.0: 11.7%
- 3.0: 5.5%
- Other: 6.8%

## Alternatives

| # | Name | Active installs | Rating | Updated | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [GenerateBlocks](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/generateblocks/) | 200K+ | 4.9/5 (122) | Aug 18, 2026 | 80/100 |
| 2 | [Post Duplicator](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/post-duplicator/) | 200K+ | 4.8/5 (80) | Aug 22, 2026 | 84/100 |
| 3 | [WP Popular Posts](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wordpress-popular-posts/) | 100K+ | 4.5/5 (249) | Sep 27, 2026 | 91/100 |
| 4 | [Public Post Preview](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/public-post-preview/) | 100K+ | 4.5/5 (80) | Jun 17, 2026 | 79/100 |
| 5 | [YARPP – Yet Another Related Posts Plugin](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/yet-another-related-posts-plugin/) | 100K+ | 4.8/5 (1,163) | Nov 11, 2024 | 40/100 |
| 6 | [WP Meta and Date Remover](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wp-meta-and-date-remover/) | 90K+ | 4.2/5 (71) | May 31, 2026 | 77/100 |
| 7 | [Display Posts – Easy lists, grids, navigation, and more](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/display-posts-shortcode/) | 80K+ | 4.8/5 (164) | Oct 14, 2024 | 51/100 |
| 8 | [List category posts](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/list-category-posts/) | 80K+ | 4.7/5 (254) | Jul 7, 2026 | 71/100 |
| 9 | [WP Telegram (Auto Post and Notifications)](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wptelegram/) | 30K+ | 5/5 (426) | Feb 14, 2026 | 52/100 |
| 10 | [WP Admin UI Customize](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wp-admin-ui-customize/) | 30K+ | 4.6/5 (59) | Nov 20, 2024 | 49/100 |

## Frequently asked questions

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

### Is Recently safe to use in 2026?
Recently works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 300+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use Recently?
Recently is active on 300+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 13,168 times since it launched in June 2015. It was downloaded 155 times in the last 30 days.

### Does Recently work with WordPress 7.1?
Recently is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.6, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

### What PHP version does Recently need?
Recently requires PHP 7.2 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.

### When was Recently last updated?
The latest version, 4.2.1, was released on May 18, 2026 (4 months ago).

### Who makes Recently?
Recently is developed and maintained by Hector Cabrera.

### What are the best alternatives to Recently?
The most popular alternatives to Recently are GenerateBlocks (200K+ installs), Post Duplicator (200K+ installs) and WP Popular Posts (100K+ installs).


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/recently/ · Generated 2026-09-29 01:08 UTC by PageForge