Worth The Read

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 85% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.

No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price. A small install base leaves thin data to model from. The recent download trend is too spiky to read.

1. ★★★★★ nealumphred

   1.7y ago

   Best parts? It works! Keep on keepin’ on …

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ Kai Spriestersbach

   4.8y ago

   Looks very promising, but on my site, nothing was added.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Edwinjj

   5.2y ago

   Thank You for this

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ harisreaderbird

   5.3y ago

   Is the best reading progress bar and time plugin for WordPress sites! Thanks for your great work!

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ Aleksandar Stojkov

   5.6y ago

   It’s a simple progress bar plugin (that also displays read time) with all the necessary functional and customized options. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet it’s totally free. Almost every plugin I have (even premium ones), I’ve always done some retouch. Except for the “worth the read” plugin. Nice job!

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ Abu Zar Mishwani

   5.6y ago

   This is probably the best plugin ever. It really helped me. Thanks to the creators of this plugin and keep it up…

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ jbogus7

   5.7y ago

   Hi Brian. I’m normally not the kind of type to leave reviews (anywhere really). Maybe I should work on that. I love the Worth The Read plugin. Setting it up was very easy. I like how you put thought into the descriptions within the configuration part of the plugin. Bonus points when comparing to other ‘read progress bar plugins’: – Placement of the bar (I was looking for a vertical (left or right hand side) option) – Option to change the appearance and placement of the bar on touch devices Thanks for making it. Hope you keep it updated in the future. I’m holding onto this one :-). Kind regards, Jordy

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Rami

   5.8y ago

   Excellent Plugin

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 1.14.2 Fixed: Compatible with WordPress 6.4.2 1.14.2
2. — Version 1.14.1 Fixed: Fatal error 1.14.1
3. — Version 1.14 Fixed: Security vulnerability issue 1.14
4. — Version 1.13.2 Fixed: Menu priority glitch introduced in 1.13 1.13.2
5. — Version 1.13 New Feature: Ability to display progress bar only on specific posts and pages New Feature: Ability to display reading time only on specific posts and pages Updated: Redux options framework from 4.3.12.7 to 4.3.21.2 Teste 1.13
6. — Version 1.12 Tested: Compatible with WordPress 6.0 1.12

2 disclosed vulnerabilities on record for this plugin, all fixed in the current version. Sites on older versions stay exposed until they update.

1. Medium · 4.3 Appsero <= 1.2.1 - Missing Authorization ↗
   2022-12-16 Missing Authorization Affects <= 1.14 Patched in 1.14.1
2. Medium · 4.3 Appsero <= 1.2.0 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
   2022-12-14 CVE-2022-47150 Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Affects <= 1.14 Patched in 1.14.1

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.7.1

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-06-17 4K+ → 3K+ down after 1 days in tier
2. 2026-06-16 3K+ → 4K+ up after 2 days in tier
3. 2026-06-14 4K+ → 3K+ down after 16 days in tier
4. 2026-05-29 3K+ → 4K+ up after 1 days in tier
5. 2026-05-28 4K+ → 3K+ down after 492 days in tier
6. 2025-01-21 5K+ → 4K+ down after 461 days in tier
7. 2023-10-18 6K+ → 5K+ down after 1 days in tier
8. 2023-10-17 5K+ → 6K+ up after 13 days in tier

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

• Reading progressbar 6K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A
• WP Reading Progress 3K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A
• Catch Scroll Progress Bar 1K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B
• Reading Time 200+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B
• Init Reading Position – Remember, Return, Continue 80+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B
• Sam Reading Time 50+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Worth The Read into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Worth The Read: 3K+ active installs, 4.3★ (27 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-29. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/worth-the-read