10 Best Classic Editor Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
Classic Editor has 8 million+ active installs on WordPress.org. These 10 plugins share its category or its tags on WordPress.org, are actively maintained, and each has at least 100 active installs. They are ordered by how closely they match, not by our opinion.
The 10 closest alternatives to Classic Editor
- 1
Advanced Editor Tools
Closest match4.5 (354) 1 million+ active installsExtends and enhances the block editor (Gutenberg) and the classic editor (TinyMCE).
Shares the block-editor, classic editor, editor tags on WordPress.org. 1 million+ installs against 8 million+, rated 4.5 against 4.9, last updated 12 days ago.
- 2
5.0 (735) 500,000+ active installsDisable Gutenberg Block Editor and restore the Classic Editor and original Edit Post screen (TinyMCE, meta boxes, etc.).
Shares the block-editor, classic editor, editor tags on WordPress.org. 500,000+ installs against 8 million+, rated 5.0 against 4.9, last updated July 18, 2026.
- 3
Starter Templates – AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg
4.9 (4,746) 1 million+ active installsThe growing library of 300+ ready-to-use templates that work with all WordPress themes including Astra, Hello, OceanWP, GeneratePress and more
Shares the block-editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. 1 million+ installs against 8 million+, last updated 18 days ago.
- 4
Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks
4.7 (1,870) 1 million+ active installsGutenberg blocks for existing Spectra websites. Maintained, stable, and fully supported — no action needed on your part.
Shares the editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. 1 million+ installs against 8 million+, rated 4.7 against 4.9, last updated 12 days ago.
- 5
4.9 (272) 2 million+ active installsEnables the previous "classic" widgets settings screens in Appearance - Widgets and the Customizer. Disables the block editor from managing widgets.
Shares the editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. About a quarter of the installs, last updated December 8, 2025.
- 6
4.8 (30) 5,000+ active installsUltimate plugin suitable for creating you own newspaper and magazine layouts using Gutenberg and Elementor page builder. Design magazine modules with …
Shares the block-editor, editor tags on WordPress.org. 5,000+ installs against 8 million+, no update since April 21, 2025.
- 7
PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions
4.7 (204) 20,000+ active installsPublishPress Blocks is your complete solution for the WordPress block editor. You can control block permissions, styles, visibility, usage and more.
Shares the block-editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. 20,000+ installs against 8 million+, rated 4.7 against 4.9, last updated 4 days ago.
- 8
Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor
4.9 (729) 50,000+ active installsCreate Better Content With The Block Editor. Custom Blocks for Bloggers and Content Marketers.
Shares the block-editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. 50,000+ installs against 8 million+, last updated 6 days ago.
- 9
Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns
4.9 (213) 200,000+ active installsGutenberg block editor with AI. 70+ Gutenberg blocks, patterns, WooCommerce blocks, post grid, gallery, menu with Gutenberg block library.
Shares the block-editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. 200,000+ installs against 8 million+, last updated 18 days ago.
- 10
4.5 (21) 10,000+ active installsCustom blocks for WordPress made easy.
Shares the block-editor, gutenberg tags on WordPress.org. 10,000+ installs against 8 million+, last updated April 20, 2026.
Switching from Classic Editor: common questions
What is the best alternative to Classic Editor?
Advanced Editor Tools is the closest match: it shares the same WordPress.org tags and has 1 million+ active installs with a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
Which Classic Editor alternative has the most users?
Classic Widgets, with 2 million+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which Classic Editor alternative is rated highest?
Disable Gutenberg, rated 5.0 out of 5 by 735 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these Classic Editor alternatives free?
Every plugin listed here is free to install from WordPress.org. Where WordPress.org marks a plugin as commercial, the developer also sells a paid version or add-ons, and that is shown on each plugin.
How are alternatives chosen?
Automatically, from WordPress.org data: plugins that share a category top 10 with Classic Editor score highest, then plugins that appear in the same WordPress.org rankings, then plugins with the same tags, weighted so rare tags count more than common ones. Plugins by the same author and plugins rated under 4.0 are left out.
How we choose these alternatives
Nothing on this page is picked by hand. Every day we walk the whole WordPress.org directory, then score every plugin against Classic Editor on three signals: sharing a category top 10 counts most, then appearing in the same WordPress.org rankings, then carrying the same tags, with rare tags counting for more than common ones like "wordpress". Plugins by the same author are excluded, so an author's own add-ons cannot fill the list, and so is anything rated below 4.0 or with fewer than 100 active installs. The ten highest scores are what you see, in that order. Full methodology.
The bottom line
Advanced Editor Tools is the closest match to Classic Editor by the data we track, and Classic Widgets has the widest reach with 2 million+ active installs. PublishPress Blocks shipped the most recent release, on September 3, 2026. The list is rebuilt every day from WordPress.org, so a plugin that stops being maintained drops out on its own.
Weekly · free
What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.