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Column Shortcodes vs WP Auto Columns (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Column Shortcodes

Column Shortcodes

4.8(134)

60K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 years ago
View Column Shortcodes
VS
WP Auto Columns

WP Auto Columns

0(0)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 13 years ago
View WP Auto Columns

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 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Column Shortcodes has accumulated 894K+ total downloads while WP Auto Columns has 4.7K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5Column Shortcodes
◄
WP Auto ColumnsN/A
Total Reviews
134Column Shortcodes
◄
WP Auto Columns0
Active Installs
60K+Column Shortcodes
◄
WP Auto Columns10
Total Downloads
894K+Column Shortcodes
◄
WP Auto Columns4.7K+
Support Resolution
N/AColumn Shortcodes
WP Auto ColumnsN/A
Last Updated
3 years agoColumn Shortcodes
◄
WP Auto Columns13 years ago
First Released
2012Column Shortcodes
WP Auto Columns2012
Age
14 yearsColumn Shortcodes
WP Auto Columns14 years
WP Requires
4.8+Column Shortcodes
WP Auto Columns3.1.0+
PHP Requires
false+Column Shortcodes
WP Auto Columnsfalse+
Business Model
FreeColumn Shortcodes
WP Auto ColumnsFree
Latest Version
1.0.1Column Shortcodes
WP Auto Columns1.0.6

Rating Breakdown

Column Shortcodes

4.8/5(134 reviews)
5
91%
4
2%
3
1%
2
2%
1
3%

WP Auto Columns

0/5(0 reviews)
5
0%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Column Shortcodes Reviews

by hmschiefer

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

by Viktor Jenerál

Perfect

Perfect plugin! Thanks a lot.

by maruska

Easy to use

Simple and easy to use, that is the reason I like it.

WP Auto Columns Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Column Shortcodes or WP Auto Columns more popular?
Column Shortcodes has 60K+ active installations while WP Auto Columns has 10. Column Shortcodes is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Column Shortcodes or WP Auto Columns?
Column Shortcodes has a 4.8/5 rating from 134 reviews, while WP Auto Columns has a 0/5 rating from 0 reviews.
Are Column Shortcodes and WP Auto Columns free?
Column Shortcodes is free and WP Auto Columns is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Column Shortcodes or WP Auto Columns?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Column Shortcodes was last updated 3 years ago and WP Auto Columns was last updated 13 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.