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Simple Page Sidebars

By Cedaro

Site Administration & Utilities / Site Health & Diagnostics

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

Simple Page Sidebars Review - In-Depth Analysis

Easily assign custom, widget-enabled sidebars to any page with this plugin. It allows for flexibility and simplicity in managing sidebars without template changes.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.99/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 54+ reviews)

Active Installations

20,000+

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

Designed for simplicity and flexibility, Simple Page Sidebars gives WordPress users, designers, and developers the ability to assign custom sidebars to individual pages without making any template changes.

Existing sidebars can also be assigned in quick edit and bulk edit modes, helping save you time. In contrast to some of the more complicated plugins available, Simple Page Sidebars aims for basic, core-like functionality and integration that is easy to use without polluting your admin panel.

And due to the way sidebars are saved, it utilizes built-in WordPress caching, so your site won’t be bogged down with additional queries. Simple Page Sidebars also ships with a “Widget Area” widget for pulling all the widgets from one sidebar into another.

With this plugin, you can have complete control over the names of your custom sidebars and assign the same sidebar to multiple pages. You can modify a page’s sidebar without creating an unnecessary revision.

Comparing to Alternatives

Simple Page Sidebars offers a straightforward solution for managing sidebars with several notable alternatives available for users seeking different features or interfaces.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Extremely simple and easy to use interface
Works reliably without ads or unnecessary features
Highly rated with a 4.9 average from 54 users
Minimalist design that focuses on core functionality
Good developer responsiveness to user queries

Weaknesses

Lacks updates for compatibility with the latest WordPress versions
No advanced features or customization options
No pro version or premium features available
May encounter issues editing sidebars in some WordPress versions

User Sentiment Analysis

With a near-perfect 4.9 rating and 94% five-star reviews, users overwhelmingly praise the plugin's simplicity and reliability.

Positive highlights

'Simple and works great, and no ads!' – Anonymous User
'Really simple and works like a charm' – hijack61
'Excellent and very helpful plugin when you need to quickly create and manage additional sidebars' – twowithink
'Just an update for anyone using this: it still works flawlessly' – messanoir
'Absolutely awesome plugin up to WordPress 5.5.3' – nevertrump

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Compatibility issues with WordPress versions 5.6 and above
Editing sidebars can cause an endless loop in some setups
No updates addressing newer WordPress versions
Limited feature set compared to alternatives

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a lightweight, no-frills sidebar management plugin that works well with WordPress versions up to 5.5.3 and prefer simplicity over extensive features.

Not ideal for

Users running the latest WordPress versions who need guaranteed compatibility, advanced sidebar customization, or ongoing developer support with frequent updates.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes all core features needed to create and manage multiple sidebars without ads or distractions.

Final Verdict

Simple Page Sidebars is an excellent choice for users seeking a straightforward and reliable sidebar management tool with a strong positive user base and no known security vulnerabilities. Its minimalist approach and high user satisfaction make it a solid option for those on compatible WordPress versions.

However, the lack of updates for newer WordPress releases and limited features compared to alternatives may deter users needing advanced functionality or guaranteed compatibility with the latest WordPress core. Overall, it remains a valuable plugin for its niche audience.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Simple Page Sidebars plugin.

Custom Sidebars

Sidebars

Widgets

Screenshots

FAQ

If you haven’t added any widgets to your new custom sidebar, the default sidebar will continue to display. If you really want a blank sidebar, try adding an empty text widget.