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WP Reading Progress

By Joeri van Veen

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

WP Reading Progress Review - In-Depth Analysis

A customizable reading progress bar for WordPress. It shows the user's reading progress on long articles. The bar can be placed at the top, bottom, or near sticky elements.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.76/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 19+ reviews)

Active Installations

3,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

The reading progress bar enhances user experience on long articles by accurately depicting reading progress. It is especially useful for single blog posts and is enabled by default.

Customization options include choosing the location of the bar, selecting post types for its appearance, and customizing its color. The bar can start at 0% even if part of the article is visible.

The behavior of the reading progress bar includes smooth initialization and quick updates while scrolling. It can attach to multiple sticky elements defined by the admin, and if no visible element is available, it displays at the top.

This plugin also includes rudimentary estimated reading time functionality for themes that do not support it. It is my first freely available plugin, and I hope you enjoy using it!

Comparing to Alternatives

WP Reading Progress is a straightforward and effective reading progress bar plugin with several alternatives available that offer similar functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Extremely easy to install and use with minimal setup required
High quality and reliable performance
Excellent developer support and responsiveness
User-friendly interface compared to other progress bar plugins
Clean and fast loading experience

Weaknesses

CSS and JS files load on every page even when set to specific post types
Limited customization options compared to some alternatives
No premium version to access advanced features

User Sentiment Analysis

With a perfect 5-star rating from all 19 reviewers, user feedback is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting ease of use and support quality.

Positive highlights

Super easy to use and high quality (delrod)
Perfect little plugin with minimal setup (sandswimmer)
Simple, successful, and great support (neuralytix)
Most user-friendly progress bar plugin tried (uacl312)
Clean and fast plugin performance (Jimmy Lee)

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Loads CSS and JS on every page regardless of settings (hirngesicht)
Lacks advanced customization features
No paid version limits feature expansion

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple, reliable, and easy-to-install reading progress bar plugin with excellent support will find WP Reading Progress ideal.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced customization options or selective script loading might find this plugin less suitable due to its limited flexibility and resource loading behavior.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers a fully functional reading progress bar with essential customization and excellent support.

Final Verdict

WP Reading Progress stands out for its simplicity, flawless user ratings, and strong developer support, making it an excellent choice for users wanting a hassle-free reading progress bar. Its performance and ease of use are highly praised, although it lacks advanced customization and selective resource loading.

While alternatives offer more features, WP Reading Progress delivers solid value without security concerns or costs. Users prioritizing minimal setup and reliability will appreciate this plugin, but those needing more control may consider other options.