PDF Poster vs PDF Viewer Block (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org PDF Plugins top 10: PDF Poster at #4 and PDF Viewer Block at #10. PDF Poster leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
PDF Poster
PDF Poster – Let visitors read PDF's without leaving the page
Embed PDF files in WordPress with a responsive PDF viewer, flipbook, shortcode and Gutenberg block, plus print, download and view analytics.
PDF Viewer Block
PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg
A simple and 100% free Gutenberg Block to display PDF Viewers / Readers on your website.
Who leads on what
PDF Poster leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
PDF Poster ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #10 in PDF Plugins.
PDF Poster has more users: 20,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: PDF Poster has 149, PDF Viewer Block has 9. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
PDF Poster has more reviews behind its score: 149 against 9.
PDF Poster was updated more recently, on October 7, 2026; PDF Viewer Block on August 28, 2026.
PDF Poster was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 8,933 times against 1,580.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
PDF Poster
Pick PDF Poster 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.
PDF Viewer Block
PDF Viewer Block does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
PDF Poster vs PDF Viewer Block side by side
| PDF Poster | PDF Viewer Block | |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Plugins ranking | #4 | #10 |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 149 | 9 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 794,344 | 82,766 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 8,933 | 1,580 |
| Last updated | Oct 7, 2026 | Aug 28, 2026 |
| First published | Nov 30, 2016 | Jan 29, 2019 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.1 | 5.6 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
PDF Poster ratings
PDF Viewer Block 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 PDF Poster nor PDF Viewer Block can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the PDF Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
PDF Poster vs PDF Viewer Block: common questions
Is PDF Poster better than PDF Viewer Block?
PDF Poster leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. PDF Poster ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #10 in PDF Plugins.
Which has more users, PDF Poster or PDF Viewer Block?
PDF Poster ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #10 in PDF Plugins.
Which is rated higher, PDF Poster or PDF Viewer Block?
PDF Poster has more users: 20,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are PDF Poster and PDF Viewer Block free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. PDF Poster may also sell a paid version or add-ons. PDF Viewer Block may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to PDF Poster and PDF Viewer Block
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More PDF Plugins comparisons
- DearFlip vs PDF Poster
- DearFlip vs PDF Viewer Block
- Embed PDF Viewer vs PDF Poster
- Embed PDF Viewer vs PDF Viewer Block
- EmbedPress vs PDF Poster
- EmbedPress vs PDF Viewer Block
- Fluent PDF Generator vs PDF Poster
- Fluent PDF Generator vs PDF Viewer Block
- 3D FlipBook vs PDF Poster
- 3D FlipBook vs PDF Viewer Block
- Pdf Embed vs PDF Poster
- Pdf Embed vs PDF Viewer Block
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.