10 Best Widget Options Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
Widget Options has 100,000+ 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 Widget Options
- 1
Custom Sidebars
Closest matchCustom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager
4.7 (1,028) 100,000+ active installsFlexible sidebars for custom classic widget configurations on any page or post. Create custom sidebars with ease!
Shares the classic widgets tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.7 against 4.9, last updated 22 days ago.
- 2
Content Aware Sidebars – Fastest Widget Area Plugin
4.9 (724) 30,000+ active installsDisplay new sidebars on any post, page, category etc. Works with Classic Widgets, Block Widgets, and all themes!
Shares the classic widgets tag on WordPress.org. About a third of the installs, last updated December 9, 2025.
- 3
Classic Editor +
4.9 (31) 40,000+ active installsThe "Classic Editor +" plugin disables the block editor, removes enqueued scripts/styles and brings back classic Widgets.
Shares the classic widgets tag on WordPress.org. About a third of the installs, last updated 22 days ago.
- 4
4.6 (276) 1 million+ active installsAdmin UI for creating custom content types like post types and taxonomies
About 10 times the installs, rated 4.6 against 4.9, last updated July 14, 2026.
- 5
4.5 (296) 600,000+ active installsSort posts and custom post type objects using a drag-and-drop, sortable JavaScript AJAX interface, or through the default WordPress dashboard
About 6 times the installs, rated 4.5 against 4.9, last updated 6 days ago.
- 6
Popup Maker
Paid version availablePopup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder
4.9 (4,505) 700,000+ active installsWant to boost sales & marketing efforts? Use your favorite forms & builder. Unlimited popups & impressions, keep your data, no monthly subscription.
About 7 times the installs, last updated 23 days ago.
- 7
4.4 (103) 600,000+ active installsEasily add Custom CSS or JS to your website with an awesome editor.
About 6 times the installs, rated 4.4 against 4.9, last updated 18 days ago.
- 8
Premium Addons for Elementor
Paid version availablePremium Addons for Elementor – Elementor Templates, Widgets & MCP Tools
4.9 (1,677) 600,000+ active installsElementor Carousel, Mega Menu, Posts List/Slider, WooCommerce Widgets, Display Conditions, AI Abilities, Premade Templates & more.
About 6 times the installs, last updated 4 days ago.
- 9
Forminator Forms
Paid version availableForminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder
4.8 (2,121) 600,000+ active installsBest WordPress form builder plugin. Create contact forms, payment forms & order forms with 1000+ integrations.
About 6 times the installs, rated 4.8 against 4.9, last updated 11 days ago.
- 10
Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor
4.8 (611) 600,000+ active installsElementor templates, Header footer builder, Elementor Post Grid, Woocommerce Grid builder, Slider, Forms, Gallery, Nav menu addons, Elementor widgets.
About 6 times the installs, rated 4.8 against 4.9, last updated 21 days ago.
Switching from Widget Options: common questions
What is the best alternative to Widget Options?
Custom Sidebars is the closest match: it shares the same WordPress.org tags and has 100,000+ active installs with a 4.7 out of 5 rating.
Which Widget Options alternative has the most users?
Custom Post Type UI, with 1 million+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which Widget Options alternative is rated highest?
Popup Maker, rated 4.9 out of 5 by 4,505 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these Widget Options 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 Widget Options 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 Widget Options 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
Custom Sidebars is the closest match to Widget Options by the data we track, and Custom Post Type UI has the widest reach with 1 million+ active installs. Premium Addons for Elementor 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.