In the WordPress world, where content is king, plugins for displaying related posts are key to keeping visitors’ attention. Not only do they help the user find useful content, but they also increase their time on the site. WordPress related post plugins are like an experienced guide who will take site visitors to previously unknown places and show them the most interesting ones.
The secret of WordPress plugins for related posts is that when users finish reading the article, they don’t know whether they want to stay or leave… Here, the plugin steps into the game: it shows your users articles that you already had on the site and that your users might be interested in. Thanks to correctly selected recommended articles, you can greatly improve the user experience on a WordPress site.
Table of Contents
- Main WordPress Post Related Plugin Features
- Top 8 WordPress Post Related Plugins Compared
- FAQ
- Conclusions
Main WordPress Post Related Plugin Features
It may seem to you that the plugins are as similar as possible to each other, and there is nothing particularly different about them, but you are wrong. Because there are objective factors by which their future productivity is determined, and now we will explore them:
Customization
The articles’ cover images can be eye-catching, but the attractive design that matches the whole website style is even more crucial.
Analytics and reporting
To better understand how recommended articles convert and how many clicks and views they are getting, you need analytics and reporting features inside the chosen plugin.
Support and updates
Constant support and updates are as important for WordPress related post plugins as other plugin types. Make sure the plugin you select is maintained well so the recommended posts perform better.
Responsiveness
Some plugins have problems displaying recommended posts on mobile devices, which is why it is extremely important to check plugins for responsiveness to all devices.
Based on the above features, I’ve analyzed the plugins and collected the best ones for you in this article. By researching them, you can discover their features and understand which plugin is best suited for which task.
Top 8 WordPress Post Related Plugins Compared
JetEngine (Premium)
🏆 Best for advanced relation configuration.
JetEngine is a robust solution for those who want to make their site more user-friendly by adding post recommendations. JetEngine allows you to display related posts in two ways – using the Dynamic Field and Listing Grid widgets. With the first, you can display the author’s posts on a single page, and with the second, you can display a separate section with posts linked to a custom post type where posts will change dynamically. It’s not as difficult as it may seem at first. Before you try to recreate those use cases, make sure to read the following documentation:
- How to Display Related Posts Using Listing Grid;
- How to Display Related Posts Using a Dynamic Field Widget.
JetEngine is like a waiter who offers dessert after a hearty lunch. On the one hand, you’re already full, but on the other hand, why not: multi-faceted design, advanced settings, and integration with other Crocoblock plugins will help you easily set up related post sections.
Key features:
- the most advanced settings and flexibility for selecting and configuring relevant posts;
- Query Builder tool for fine-tuning the displaying order of the related posts;
- setting relations not only between posts and taxonomies but also between users or posts and users;
- the ability to choose where posts will be displayed.
Pricing: the custom package costs $43 per year, and you can add additional products that you need, or you can purchase an All-Inclusive subscription for a year.
Pros:
- full control over all relations settings;
- manual setup of related objects;
- ability to link posts, pages, CPTs, taxonomies, and users;
- full control over the design of the Related Posts blocks and every item within them;
- advanced settings available for developers;
- supports dynamic visibility depending on user roles, devices, etc.
Cons:
- no free version;
- setup can be too complicated for beginners.
Contextual Related Posts (Free)
🏆 Best for SEO enhancement.
Contextual Related Post is one of the most popular WordPress plugins that will help you increase user interaction with the site by showing recommended articles. This related post WordPress plugin is famous for its powerful and smart algorithm that analyzes user actions on the website and selects the most suitable articles for each particular case.
The plugin has more than 70,000 active users and scored a solid 4.8-star rating on WordPress.org. Many note the ease of automation, so you don’t have to waste much time setting it up.
Key features:
- smart algorithm for selecting recommended articles;
- automatic article display;
- ability to embed related posts to a widgetized site area;
- outputting articles using shortcodes;
- REST API support;
- the ability to exclude the display of posts from related post lists for certain categories or tags.
Pricing: free.
Pros:
- the ability to design a list of related posts using custom CSS code;
- set the length of the excerpt in words and, if necessary, remove HTML tags;
- automatic plugin configuration;
- multiple customization options;
- good reputation and a ton of positive feedback;
- ability to configure HTML tags and attributes used to display the related posts list;
- forever free.
Cons: reportedly poor support.
Related Posts (Freemium)
🏆 Best for displaying related posts under post excerpts.
Easy to manage but no less attractive, the WordPress Related Posts plugin by PickPlugins will help organize recommended articles for website users. Its quick installation and minimalist design suit one another like wine and cheese, which has already been appreciated by more than 5,000 active users.
Key features:
- displays related posts under paragraphs and before/after content;
- supports manual post selection and advanced queries;
- customizable layouts;
- analytics and reporting features.
Pricing: a free version is available, but you can purchase additional features in the pro version for $9 per year.
Pros:
- customizable display options to match site design;
- supports various post types;
- easy to use;
- responsive design.
Cons: the premium version is needed for full customization.
Custom Related Posts (Free)
🏆 Best for blog websites.
If you want the website to have a balanced collection of related posts with good design, then Custom Related Posts by Bootstrapped Ventures will be a good option. Easy use of the plugin, quick manual algorithm setup, and import from XML will be your right weapon in the battle for customer attention.
Key features:
- manually link related posts on the post/page edit pages;
- display posts via shortcode, widget, or block;
- detailed customization;
- import from XML using post IDs;
- compatibility with Classic and Gutenberg editors.
Pricing: free.
Pros:
- responsive design;
- full control over related content links;
- flexible display options for better integration;
- easy to use.
Cons: poor support.
Inline Related Posts (Freemium)
🏆 Best for inline related posts.
This plugin by Data443 will allow you to make the selection of recommended posts in minutes. You don’t have to do anything other than install and activate the plugin, and it will do all the work for you.
Inline Related Posts is a simplified solution for recommended posts. On the one hand, you will not need to spend much time setting it up and customizing it. On the other hand, this is far from suitable for everyone. Typically, such related posts are used by news sites, such as Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and others.
Key features:
- 20+ customization options;
- smart line break detection;
- analytics and reporting features;
- ability to place multiple related post boxes on the same page.
Pricing: a free version is available, but you can purchase additional features in the pro version for $79 per year.
Pros:
- easy to use;
- a powerful solution for inline related posts;
- fast configuration.
Cons:
- too simple design;
- up to three related boxes in the free version;
- the plugin displays only one post at a time in one box and has no functionality to display a list of posts.
WordPress Related Posts (Freemium)
🏆 Best for automatic linking of related posts.
Have you ever heard that recommended posts can be set up in one click? Neither have I, but developers of this Related Posts for WordPress plugin claim it is possible! Create a selection of recommended posts in an instant, and then you can manually customize their display.
Key features:
- automatic linking of related posts;
- installation wizard for easy setup;
- manual adjustment of related posts;
- covers post addition via shortcodes and widgets.
Pricing: there is a free and premium version starting from $49 per year.
Pros:
- easy to install;
- responsive for mobile devices;
- supports manual and automatic linking;
- multisite support.
Cons: the free version has too limited functionality.
Related Posts Thumbnails (Free)
🏆 Best for post thumbnail display.
Most of the related posts plugins look dull, as if we were in an American office in the 80s, but Related Posts Thumbnails approaches this issue differently. It offers you unique customization opportunities combined with a powerful algorithm that will definitely increase the time users spend on the website.
Key features:
- customizable thumbnail sizes and display settings;
- supports custom post types and taxonomies;
- automatic and manual linking of related posts;
- ability to select types of relations (categories, tags, or categories and tags);
- ability to specify where to display related posts (page type, post type, or select categories).
Pricing: free.
Pros:
- easy to install;
- responsive for mobile devices;
- supports manual and automatic linking;
- multisite support;
- ability to use shortcodes in the post body.
Cons: the free version is too limited.
YARPP – Yet Another Related Post Plugin (Free)
🏆 Best for multilingual websites.
The Yet Another Related Post Plugin is a simple plugin for quickly installing and displaying recommended articles. The second name of this plugin is automation because you can automate display options for displaying YARPP right below post content.
Key features:
- advanced algorithm considering post titles, content, tags, categories, and custom taxonomies;
- customizable templates for personalized display;
- supports custom post types and taxonomies;
- supports WordPress Multisite, bbPress forums, and WooCommerce;
- full range of placement options;
- RSS/feed options;
- supports Block Editor (Gutenberg);
- REST API support;
- shortcode available.
Pricing: free.
Pros:
- highly customizable;
- responsive for mobile devices;
- supports manual and automatic linking;
- fast setup;
- advanced post selection algorithm;
- multilingual support.
Cons: reportedly poor support for the plugin.
FAQ
Yes, thanks to the recommended posts, the user will be more interested in extra content and spend more time on the site, which will positively affect the website and its SEO metrics.
Yes, you can exclude some posts from the recommended selection. However, not all plugins provide this feature.
Usually, the WordPress related post plugin has an automated algorithm, which takes into account the title, content tags, and post/page category. In some plugins, the developer can configure the selection algorithm himself.
After reading the post, users may want to leave the site, but if you offer them posts relevant to the topic, chances are they will stay on the site longer.
Conclusions
As you can see in this article, featured posts are important for improving the user experience on your website and making a good impression. Many first-time users and site visitors really don’t know what they would like to see next, and if you give them a hint, they will only be grateful.
Let’s look at the plugins that we analyzed in the article:
- Yet Another Related Post plugin — best for multilingual websites;
- JetEngine — best for advanced relation configuration;
- Related Posts — best for displaying related posts under post excerpts;
- Inline Related Posts — best for inline related posts;
- Custom Related Posts — best for blog websites.
Choose one that suits you best and share your opinion in the comments section!
