Plugins Versus Widgets. What’s the Difference?

Ever wondered what’s the difference between plugins and widgets in the world of WordPress?

Well, plugins are an optional self-contained piece of software that integrate into WordPress and add some functionality to your website. To use a plugin, you need to install it, activate it and, if relevant, customise its settings. Plugins have their own section in the WordPress dashboard.

On the other hand, widgets are always located under Appearance on the WordPress dashboard. They often are a way in which the functionality of a plugin is expressed. You need to move the widget over into the “live” sections of the sidebar or footer in the Appearance/Widgets menu. Once you save a widget in the “live” section, it will begin doing its thing in the location in which you have placed it.

Many times, but not always, you will find a new option in the widgets after you install a new plugin. In that sense, a widget gives you a user-friendly way to use the functionality that a plugin has added to your site. You can then customise it in the widget itself.