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Compact Archives
Displays a smart monthly archive of posts in a more compact form rather than the default long archive widget.
The facts
- Rating
- 5★ from 9
- Active installs
- 2k+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 16 Feb 2026
- Added
- May 2008
- Requires WP
- 4.8
- Tested up to
- WP 6.9.7
- Requires PHP
- 5.6
- Downloads
- 55,930
Our analysis
AI-assistedCompact Archives is a WordPress plugin designed to present monthly archives of posts in a more compact format than the default archives widget. It offers various display options, including a compact block for archives pages and a sidebar-friendly version. This plugin is suitable for users with established blogs looking for a cleaner way to showcase their post archives.
The plugin works with both the Gutenberg Block Editor and the Classic Editor, allowing for flexibility in how archives are integrated into your site. It is specifically aimed at self-hosted WordPress sites, requiring users to switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org to utilise it.
Best for: This plugin suits users of established blogs who want a more streamlined archive display.
What it does well
- ✓Displays monthly archives in a compact form
- ✓Compatible with Gutenberg Block Editor and Classic Editor
- ✓Offers multiple display styles for archives
- ✓Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
- ✓Maintained by WPBeginner
Where it falls short
- •Only available for self-hosted WordPress sites
- •Limited information on additional features or support
Verdict
Compact Archives provides a straightforward solution for displaying post archives in a tidy format, making it a useful tool for bloggers seeking to enhance their site's organisation.
From the developer
Syed Balkhi's own description of Compact Archives, lightly tidied.
The built-in WordPress archives widget is great for new blogs, but it doesn’t look as good for more established blogs like WPBeginner. Compact Archives displays the monthly archive of posts in a more compact form rather than the usual long list. It can be shown as a compact block suitable for the body of an archives page:
2009: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2008: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2007: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
or in an even more compact form to fit a sidebar:
2009: J F M A M J J A S O N D
2008: J F M A M J J A S O N D
2007: J F M A M J J A S O N D
or something in between:
2009: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
2008: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
2007: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Compact Archive plugin works seamlessly with Gutenberg Block Editor, Classic Editor, and WordPress widgets.
What’s Next
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Visit WPBeginner to learn from our WordPress Tutorials and find out about other best WordPress plugins.
Like all plugins, Compact Archives is only available for self-hosted WordPress sites. So YES you need to switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org in order to use this plugin on your WordPress site. For more details, see the infographic on Self hosted WordPress.org vs Free WordPress.com
If you like this plugin, then please leave a good rating. For support just ask the questions here in the support forum.
Credits
This plugin was originally created by Rob Marsh and Aldolat added a widget for it. WPBeginner adopted the plugin and took the responsibility of keeping it updated.
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