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Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) vs Fancy Admin UI (2026)

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

Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)

Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)

3.3(84)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 months ago
View Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
VS
Fancy Admin UI

Fancy Admin UI

4.4(14)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View Fancy Admin UI

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Fancy Admin UI has a higher user rating (4.4/5 from 14 reviews) while Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) has accumulated 116K+ total downloads while Fancy Admin UI has 49K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
3.3/5Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
►
Fancy Admin UI4.4/5
Total Reviews
84Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
◄
Fancy Admin UI14
Active Installs
1.0K+Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UI1.0K+
Total Downloads
116K+Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
◄
Fancy Admin UI49K+
Support Resolution
N/AMarkdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UIN/A
Last Updated
3 months agoMarkdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
◄
Fancy Admin UI8 years ago
First Released
2017Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UI2014
Age
9 yearsMarkdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UI12 years
WP Requires
6.2+Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UI3.9.0+
PHP Requires
7.4+Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UIfalse+
Business Model
FreeMarkdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UIFree
Latest Version
4.2.1Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)
Fancy Admin UI2.1

Rating Breakdown

Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode)

3.3/5(84 reviews)
5
52%
4
4%
3
4%
2
2%
1
38%

Fancy Admin UI

4.4/5(14 reviews)
5
71%
4
14%
3
7%
2
0%
1
7%

Recent Reviews

Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) Reviews

by leanderlindahl

No markdown

I would have to agree with the other reviews/comments. No markdown.

by dramsuko

can’t use markdown editor!!

can’t use markdown editor!!

by jakeparis

Plugin doesn’t deliver markdown

I believe this plugin is in violation of the WordPress terms. You can’t access its main feature “markdown editor” without paying. The free version only has a dark mode/light mode toggle.

Fancy Admin UI Reviews

by Canada WebMaster

Good Style

Its good style and nice but need update, there is some conflict with the CSS, please update the plugin as 4 years is long and keep it up 🙂

by saqnaz

Very easy

Beautiful admin interface. Thanks Bob Orchard

by louiswalch

Great Admin theme

This is the best Admin UI theme I’ve seen for WordPress. Very clean and minimal and does a nice job at improving the WordPress backend experience. I would highly suggest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) or Fancy Admin UI more popular?
Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) has 1.0K+ active installations while Fancy Admin UI has 1.0K+. Fancy Admin UI is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) or Fancy Admin UI?
Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) has a 3.3/5 rating from 84 reviews, while Fancy Admin UI has a 4.4/5 rating from 14 reviews.
Are Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) and Fancy Admin UI free?
Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) is free and Fancy Admin UI is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) or Fancy Admin UI?
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?
Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) was last updated 3 months ago and Fancy Admin UI was last updated 8 years ago.

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