65
Maps Widget for Google Maps
A map that leads you straight to the upgrade screen.
HealthyGrowing
65/100
The free version is extremely limited and the high rating is propped up by hollow reviews.
Active installs
~35,000
our estimate · wp.org shows 30k+
Rating
4.6★
512 ratings
Trend · vs a year ago
+27%
Growing fast
62 → 79 installs/day
Downloads over time
real new installs per day · release spikes shown separately from the trend2025-04-302025-08-082025-11-162026-02-232026-06-03
organicrelease spikerelease tailorganic trend · 14d rolling median
Growing fast · +27% in the last year
62/day a year ago→79/day today
Reviews
what people actually sayMaps Widget for Google Maps is a narrowly scoped sidebar/widget map tool that some users find quick and easy for basic use, but it is widely criticised for locking nearly all meaningful functionality behind an expensive paid upgrade and for recurring technical failures around API keys, marker saving, and map display.
What people like
- +Works well for simple, basic map display in a sidebar widget×3
- +Described as easy to use for its limited scope×3
- +Support was responsive and helpful for at least one user
Common complaints
- −Free version is severely limited — core features like adding pins, saving locations, and imports are disabled without purchasing the PRO version×4
- −API key integration is broken or unreliable, preventing the plugin from working at all×2
- −Map marker location cannot be saved — changes do not persist
- −Map intermittently disappears or fails to display with no explanation×2
- −PRO version also reported as difficult to use and not delivering expected functionality
- −Plugin can only be used as a widget, not on pages such as a Contact page
- −Thumbnail/map image sometimes renders as a broken image or an unexpected link
Review trustMostly organic
- 4.10★Verified rating — holds steady vs the raw 4.60★
- 13%One-shot reviewers — most reviewers are active community members
- past spikeReview timing — up to 25% of all reviews landed in a single month
Reviews per month · 5★ vs lower
2024-01-162025-04-102026-06-04
5★ reviews1–4★ reviews
All-time ratings · 512 total
Latest reviews · 90 analyzed
- 2025-09-30★★★★★Another Useless Advert PluginKazam Creative
- 2024-11-08★★★★★Terrible!! In the free version all options, imports are disabled.prateekshawebdesign
- 2024-07-22★★★★★Takes lots of money to make it useful !barryoneill
- 2023-12-22★★★★★Easy to usezfantastic4
- 2023-06-19★★★★★ExcellentArjanto AB
- 2023-02-28★★★★★Wont save marker locationtokyomagic
- 2021-12-30★★★★★Can't get the thumbnail to showMoira Ashleigh
- 2021-07-31★★★★★Very useful, thanks.mudante
- 2021-05-31★★★★★Pain in the you know what – not easyRon the Web Guy
- 2021-02-14★★★★★Doesn't worktoodles53562
Releases
recent versions from WordPress.org SVNFor developers & the curious
the raw signals behind the grade — none of this is on the friendly summary aboveDownload signals
Baselines are computed on organic days only — release spikes and their tails are excluded, so they're not inflated by the auto-update wave.
79
Baseline · median of last 7 organic days
82
Prior 7-day baseline
69
Floor · 25th percentile over 14 days
106
Mean release-day peak (30d)
79
Latest day · 2026-06-03(organic)
-3.7%
Week-over-week organic trend
Review signals
Concentration and drive-by metrics drive the review-burst and fake-review flags. 30–40% solo reviewers is normal; we only flag the extremes.
25%
Max month share · biggest single 30-day window
2.55
Distribution CV · <0.6 even, >1.5 bursty
70%
5★ share in analyzed sample
13%
Solo reviewers · only this one wp.org activity
—
Volume velocity · last 6mo vs prior 6mo
4.11 → 4.10★
Sample avg · raw → solo-filtered