Columns vs Grid Shortcodes (2026)

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

Columns

Columns

4.1(22)

3.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View Columns
VS
Grid Shortcodes

Grid Shortcodes

5(10)

2.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 months ago
View Grid Shortcodes

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Grid Shortcodes has a higher user rating (5/5 from 10 reviews) while Columns leads in active installations (3.0K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Columns has accumulated 91K+ total downloads while Grid Shortcodes has 24K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.1/5Columns
Grid Shortcodes5/5
Total Reviews
22Columns
Grid Shortcodes10
Active Installs
3.0K+Columns
Grid Shortcodes2.0K+
Total Downloads
91K+Columns
Grid Shortcodes24K+
Support Resolution
N/AColumns
Grid Shortcodes100%
Last Updated
8 years agoColumns
Grid Shortcodes2 months ago
First Released
2013Columns
Grid Shortcodes2015
Age
13 yearsColumns
Grid Shortcodes11 years
WP Requires
4.4+Columns
Grid Shortcodes3.6+
PHP Requires
false+Columns
Grid Shortcodesfalse+
Business Model
FreeColumns
Grid ShortcodesFree
Latest Version
0.7.3Columns
Grid Shortcodes1.1.1

Rating Breakdown

Columns

4.1/5(22 reviews)
5
68%
4
5%
3
9%
2
9%
1
9%

Grid Shortcodes

5/5(10 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Columns Reviews

by meylodie

Efficient and simple to use, thank you!

It does not compare with other columns plugins, as it is the simplest I have been able to use. It is perfect when using Disable Gutenberg or such.

by Bianca

Simple and effective

I really like these kind of lean plugins. Maybe it’s not for everyone but it doesn’t add any bloat and I like that. To the people who say this plugin is not responsive. Responsive settings are based

by WebDeb

Works nicely but is not responsive

Installed great but on a phone gives two really skinny columns instead of stacking them up.

Grid Shortcodes Reviews

by Jan

Nice Plugin

Easy to use an very simple to configure.

by ramallogg

Excelente

Trabaja con los bloques de Gutenberg y acepta html. Fantastico

by UomoMacchina

Great idea!

Finally someone has developed this simple and very useful plugin. Thank you so much, dev!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Columns or Grid Shortcodes more popular?
Columns has 3.0K+ active installations while Grid Shortcodes has 2.0K+. Columns is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Columns or Grid Shortcodes?
Columns has a 4.1/5 rating from 22 reviews, while Grid Shortcodes has a 5/5 rating from 10 reviews.
Are Columns and Grid Shortcodes free?
Columns is free and Grid Shortcodes is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Columns or Grid Shortcodes?
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?
Columns was last updated 8 years ago and Grid Shortcodes was last updated 2 months ago.

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