HashBar vs Simple Banner (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Notification Plugins top 10: HashBar at #10 and Simple Banner at #7. Simple Banner leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
HashBar
HashBar – Announcement, Notification Bar & Popup Campaign
Create Announcement Bars, Notification Bars & Popup Campaigns with countdown timers, A/B testing, smart targeting & analytics.
Simple Banner
Simple Banner – Easily add multiple Banners/Bars/Notifications/Announcements to the top or bottom of your website
Display a simple banner/bar at the top or bottom of your website. Now with multi-banner support.
Who leads on what
Simple Banner leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Simple Banner ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #10 in Notification Plugins.
Simple Banner has more users: 50,000+ active installs against 9,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: HashBar has 38, Simple Banner has 45. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Simple Banner has more reviews behind its score: 45 against 38.
Simple Banner was updated more recently, on October 15, 2026; HashBar on October 13, 2026.
Simple Banner was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 32,996 times against 11,015.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
HashBar
HashBar does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Simple Banner
Pick Simple Banner if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
HashBar vs Simple Banner side by side
| HashBar | Simple Banner | |
|---|---|---|
| Notification Plugins ranking | #10 | #7 |
| Rating | 4.2 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 38 | 45 |
| Active installs | 9,000+ | 50,000+ |
| Total downloads | 397,826 | 2,139,956 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 11,015 | 32,996 |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 |
| First published | Jan 8, 2018 | Jul 14, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | – | – |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
HashBar ratings
Simple Banner ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither HashBar nor Simple Banner can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Notification Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
HashBar vs Simple Banner: common questions
Is HashBar better than Simple Banner?
Simple Banner leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Simple Banner ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #10 in Notification Plugins.
Which has more users, HashBar or Simple Banner?
Simple Banner ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #10 in Notification Plugins.
Which is rated higher, HashBar or Simple Banner?
Simple Banner has more users: 50,000+ active installs against 9,000+.
Are HashBar and Simple Banner free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. HashBar is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Simple Banner may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to HashBar and Simple Banner
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
Easy Notification Bar
9,000+ installs · 4.6 from 16 reviews
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NotificationX
30,000+ installs · 4.8 from 227 reviews
-
WPFront Notification Bar
40,000+ installs · 4.5 from 131 reviews
-
My Sticky Bar
100,000+ installs · 4.9 from 1,198 reviews
-
Customize WordPress Emails and Alerts
30,000+ installs · 4.8 from 184 reviews
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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.