ReadNinja
Plugin comparison

ReadNinja vs
WP Reading Progress

Both plugins add a reading progress bar to WordPress. Here's what sets them apart, side by side and in plain English.

See full comparison View ReadNinja Pro

Feature-by-feature comparison

Every row is checked against the current public release of both plugins. Pro features of ReadNinja are clearly marked.

✅ Available❌ Not available🔒 ReadNinja Pro only⚠️ Limited or beta
Feature
ReadNinja
WP Reading Progress
Appearance
Bar color
✅
✅
Bar height
✅
✅
Position: top / bottom
✅
✅
Custom CSS selector (sticky header)
✅
✅
Track background color
✅
❌
Opacity control
✅
❌
Z-index control
✅
❌
Color gradient
🔒 PRO
❌
Display control
Enable on posts
✅
✅
Enable on pages
✅
❌
Enable on archives
🔒 PRO
✅
Enable on search results
🔒 PRO
❌
Enable on 404 pages
🔒 PRO
❌
Enable on Custom Post Types
🔒 PRO
✅
Enable on taxonomies
🔒 PRO
❌
FSE template targeting
🔒 PRO
❌
Hide on homepage
✅
❌
Device targeting (desktop / mobile)
✅
❌
Per-post override (show / hide)
✅
✅
Per-post color / position override
✅
❌
Progress indicator (badge)
Show percentage
✅
❌
Show time remaining
✅
❌
Configurable reading speed (WPM)
✅
⚠️ Beta
Time format (min / min+sec)
✅
❌
Custom prefix & suffix
✅
❌
Badge position (inside / left / right)
✅
❌
Pro features
Sequential progress (step mode)
🔒 PRO
❌
Threshold trigger (action at X %)
🔒 PRO
❌
Read analytics dashboard
🔒 PRO
❌
Pricing
Free version
✅
✅
Pro version
From $19/yr
Free only

Last updated April 2026. Spotted something wrong? Let us know.

Why choose ReadNinja?

Three things readers, content owners and developers love about ReadNinja.

Know exactly where your readers are

Display percentage read, time remaining, or both — with a customizable badge that sits inside the bar, on the left, or on the right. Fully configurable reading speed and custom prefix/suffix.

🔒 PRO

Turn finishers into subscribers

Fire any action the moment a reader hits your chosen percentage — reveal a newsletter signup, scroll back to top, or trigger a custom JavaScript callback. Set it once, works automatically.

🔒 PRO

See what your readers actually read

Track average reading depth and completion rates across your top 50 posts. Anonymous, GDPR-friendly — no cookies, no personal data.

When WP Reading Progress is enough

WP Reading Progress is a solid, lightweight plugin. If you just need a simple bar on your posts with no additional features, it does the job well and it's completely free.

ReadNinja makes sense when you want a progress indicator (percentage or time remaining), precise device targeting, per-post style overrides, or Pro features like analytics and threshold triggers.

Ready to give your readers
a clear sense of progress?

Start with the free version on WordPress.org. Upgrade to Pro the day you need analytics, threshold triggers or advanced targeting.

Download Free

Free version available on WordPress.org · Pro from $19/yr