Classic Editor and Classic Widgets

82 Quality Score

Active Installs

19/30

With around 20,000 active installations, the plugin has a modest but meaningful user base, well above what its score of 64 implies in raw terms and far smaller than category leaders like Classic Widgets at 2 million installs.

Update Freshness

25/25

A last update on May 29, 2026 and confirmed compatibility with WordPress 7.0 suggest the developer is actively keeping pace with major core releases, which is why this category scored full marks.

User Rating

15/15

A perfect 100 score from five reviews is encouraging, although the very small sample size means the rating carries less statistical weight than a plugin with hundreds of reviews.

Support Health

8/15

Zero public support threads means there is no track record to evaluate, which combined with no resolved tickets gives a mediocre score and leaves buyers uncertain about how responsive the author will be when issues arise.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Tested up to WordPress 7.0 and requiring only PHP 5.6 and WordPress 4.9, the plugin runs on a very wide range of hosting environments and earns a top compatibility score.

Scores higher than 87% of indexed plugins

About

Disables Gutenberg editor totally everywhere and enables Classic Editor and Classic Widgets.

Active Installs 20k+

Rating ★★★★★ 5/5

Last Updated 2026-08-19 2:11pm GMT

Requires WordPress 4.9+

Tested Up To 7.1

Requires PHP 5.6+

Security History

2 known vulnerabilities, all patched

2 Medium

Most recent: September 25, 2024

View details ▸

What It Does

Classic Editor and Classic Widgets disables the Gutenberg block editor across all post types and widget screens on a WordPress site, restoring the original TinyMCE editor and the classic widget interface. It works site-wide without per-user configuration and does not require separate plugins for editing posts versus managing widgets. In practice, it is a one-click rollback to the pre-5.0 editor experience.

Who It's For

This plugin is best for site owners, content teams, and organizations that have built workflows, staff training, or custom code around the classic WordPress editor and have no desire to migrate to blocks. It is especially suited to publishers, legal firms, and educational institutions where editors value a familiar, predictable interface over modern block features. Small business blogs with legacy content also fall neatly into this category.

Who Should Skip It

Skip this plugin if you actively use the block editor, rely on block-based themes, or have started building new content with reusable blocks and block patterns. Sites that have invested in site editing, block templates, or any of the broader Gutenberg ecosystem will lose functionality by installing it.

The Bottom Line

Classic Editor and Classic Widgets does one focused thing and does it with strong maintenance signals, including current testing against WordPress 7.0. However, the tiny install count of 20,000 and near-absent support history mean it is a niche option best chosen when lighter-touch alternatives do not fit. Anyone still on the fence in 2025 or later should weigh whether sticking with the default block editor and learning its patterns is the better long-term investment.

Pick this instead if you want shortcode-based content elements on a modern block editor site rather than rolling the editor back entirely.

Starter Templates – AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 89/100

Choose this if your primary pain point is getting starter designs quickly and you are happy to keep or adopt the block editor.

Classic Widgets 89/100

Pick this simpler alternative if your only goal is restoring the legacy widget screen without also disabling the block editor on posts and pages.

PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions 88/100

Choose this if you want to extend the block editor with fine-grained controls and permissions instead of disabling Gutenberg altogether.

Disable Gutenberg 88/100

Pick this if you need more granular control, such as disabling Gutenberg per post type or user role, rather than a site-wide classic switch.