Column Shortcodes vs Shortcake (Shortcode UI) (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Shortcake (Shortcode UI)
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Column Shortcodes has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 134 reviews) and leads in active installations (60K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Column Shortcodes has accumulated 894K+ total downloads while Shortcake (Shortcode UI) has 415K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Column Shortcodes | Shortcake (Shortcode UI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 4.1/5 |
| Total Reviews | 134 | ◄ | 24 |
| Active Installs | 60K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 894K+ | ◄ | 415K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 years ago | ◄ | 7 years ago |
| First Released | 2012 | 2015 | |
| Age | 14 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.8+ | 4.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.0.1 | 0.7.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Column Shortcodes
Shortcake (Shortcode UI)
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Column Shortcodes averaged approximately 37 daily downloads while Shortcake (Shortcode UI) averaged 50.
Recent Reviews
Column Shortcodes Reviews
Basic column shortcode, I’m sure there are better ones out there.
I only use this because it’s what my client already had installed and they’ve been using it for years. When I asked why I can’t align content vertically within a column I was simply told, “it can’t do
Perfect
Perfect plugin! Thanks a lot.
Easy to use
Simple and easy to use, that is the reason I like it.
Shortcake (Shortcode UI) Reviews
Totally handy
Love using short codes, The block editor is handy too, but short codes are so nice. Good job.
nice
nice
Woocommerce issues
This plugin is god awful. Not only does it break parts of woocommerce their update notifications are insanely irritating when combined with profilepress. Shortcodes aren’t that hard to add so it baffl
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Column Shortcodes or Shortcake (Shortcode UI) more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.