/ Plugin Category

/ E-commerce & Shopping

/ WooSidebars

WooSidebars

By WooThemes

E-commerce & Shopping /

WooSidebars Review - In-Depth Analysis

WooSidebars allows you to customize sidebars by displaying different widgets based on context, such as specific pages or categories.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.92/10

User Rating

3.9/5 (based on 48+ reviews)

Active Installations

100,000+

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

With WooSidebars, it is possible to change the widgets that display in a sidebar according to a context, such as a specific page, a specific blog post, certain categories, or the search results screen. Setting up a custom widget area to display across multiple conditions is as easy as a few clicks.

Looking for a helping hand? View plugin documentation.

Looking to contribute code to this plugin? Fork the repository over at GitHub. Please also read the CONTRIBUTING.md file, bundled within this plugin.

Comparing to Alternatives

WooSidebars is a niche plugin focused on managing widget areas in WooCommerce and WordPress sites. While it lacks recent updates, it remains a useful tool for specific widget placement needs.

Top alternatives

WooSidebars

Strengths

Allows placing widgets on specific pages or conditions.
Integrates well with WooCommerce and WordPress widgets.
Simple and straightforward user interface.
Helps resolve widget compatibility issues with builders like Oxygen Builder.

Weaknesses

No recent updates leading to compatibility issues with latest PHP versions.
Lacks support for PHP 8.0 causing fatal errors.
No active development or maintenance.
Limited features compared to more modern sidebar management plugins.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's utility but also points out critical issues due to lack of updates.

Positive highlights

"Helps a lot with Oxygen Builder" - igvsupport
"Perfect solution for placing widgets on specific pages" - samicai
"Easy to use and integrates well with WordPress" - samicai
"Can do wonders with WooCommerce widgets" - igvsupport

Common complaints

Plugin is not updated and breaks with PHP 8.0 - shadyshane, dalibor
Causes website errors and formatting issues with newer WordPress versions - emiliprades
Fatal errors due to outdated code - shadyshane
No updates for almost two years - emiliprades

Weaknesses

Compatibility issues with latest PHP and WordPress versions.
Lack of maintenance leads to site instability.
Error messages in widget menus.
No fixes or patches from developers.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users needing a simple solution to manage widget areas on WooCommerce or WordPress sites, especially when using builders like Oxygen Builder, and who are running older PHP versions.

Not ideal for

Users running PHP 8.0 or higher, or those requiring a plugin with active development and support to ensure compatibility and security.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core functionality to create and manage custom widget areas based on conditions without any cost.

Final Verdict

WooSidebars remains a useful plugin for managing widget areas in WooCommerce and WordPress, especially for users on older setups or those using Oxygen Builder. However, its lack of updates and incompatibility with PHP 8.0 and recent WordPress versions pose significant risks.

Users should be cautious and consider alternatives if running modern environments, as the plugin's outdated code can cause fatal errors and site instability. It is best suited for those who can maintain an older environment or are comfortable troubleshooting issues themselves.