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Related Posts by Taxonomy

By keesiemeijer

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

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

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.08/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 77+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Quickly increase your readers' engagement by adding related posts in the sidebar or after post content with a widget or shortcode.

Posts with the most terms in common will display at the top!

This plugin is capable of finding related posts in multiple taxonomies and post types. Include or exclude terms from the search for related posts. Change the look and feel by using your own templates in a child theme.

Plugin features include a widget and shortcode, display related posts as post thumbnails, links, excerpts, or full posts. It has a small footprint and does not slow down your site. You can automatically display related posts after the post content and limit the search for related posts by date, number, or post meta.

For advanced features, you can use a persistent cache for the related posts query, the WordPress REST API to get related posts, and load related posts after the whole page has loaded with Ajax. Use plugin functions in your theme templates to display related posts yourself and apply filters to change the default behavior of the plugin.

Comparing to Alternatives

Related Posts by Taxonomy is a lightweight and customizable related posts plugin with several direct alternatives available in the WordPress plugin repository.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Lightweight and fast loading compared to heavier alternatives
Highly customizable attributes for related posts display
Supports lazy loading of related post images
Utilizes already cropped images to improve performance
Simple and easy to use with good documentation

Weaknesses

Has had security vulnerabilities in the past requiring updates
No pro version with additional premium features
Some users report it may no longer be actively maintained
Limited advanced features compared to some competitors

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 77 reviews, most users praise the plugin's speed and customization. Negative feedback is rare but highlights concerns about maintenance.

Positive highlights

"This is one of the best related post plugins I have on my Wordpress site. It is fast in loading and highly customizable." — SamX
"Great Plugin! It does exactly what I need and is lightweight and simple." — Anonymous
"Always a pleasure to use, a relief after trying many other plugins." — SomniumLucidus
"A wonderful 'allrounder' plugin, very well done." — Gaurav Tiwari
"Plugin fantastico! Funziona alla grande e ha molte funzionalità!" — Betty_

Common complaints

Plugin appears to be no longer actively maintained
Users feel the plugin has declined from its previous quality

Weaknesses

Past security vulnerability involving stored cross-site scripting
No recent major feature updates
Limited support for newer WordPress versions may be a concern

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a lightweight, fast, and customizable related posts plugin without needing premium features.

Not ideal for

Those requiring active maintenance, advanced features, or guaranteed security updates might find this plugin less suitable.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers a highly customizable and lightweight related posts solution with lazy loading and image cropping support.

Final Verdict

Related Posts by Taxonomy is a solid choice for users who want a lightweight and customizable related posts plugin without the need for premium features. It performs well and is praised for its simplicity and speed by the majority of users.

However, the plugin has had security vulnerabilities in the past and shows signs of reduced maintenance, which may concern users who prioritize ongoing support and security. Alternatives with active development might be better suited for those needs.