PluginSift

Dashboard Notepad vs Shortnotes (2026)

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

Dashboard Notepad

Dashboard Notepad

4.6(12)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View Dashboard Notepad
VS
Shortnotes

Shortnotes

5(1)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 9 months ago
View Shortnotes

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Shortnotes has a higher user rating (5/5 from 1 reviews) while Dashboard Notepad leads in active installations (10K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Dashboard Notepad has accumulated 92K+ total downloads while Shortnotes has 5.4K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.6/5Dashboard Notepad
►
Shortnotes5/5
Total Reviews
12Dashboard Notepad
◄
Shortnotes1
Active Installs
10K+Dashboard Notepad
◄
Shortnotes10
Total Downloads
92K+Dashboard Notepad
◄
Shortnotes5.4K+
Support Resolution
N/ADashboard Notepad
ShortnotesN/A
Last Updated
8 years agoDashboard Notepad
►
Shortnotes9 months ago
First Released
2009Dashboard Notepad
Shortnotes2021
Age
17 yearsDashboard Notepad
Shortnotes5 years
WP Requires
2.8+Dashboard Notepad
Shortnotes6.3+
PHP Requires
false+Dashboard Notepad
Shortnotes7.2+
Business Model
FreeDashboard Notepad
ShortnotesFree
Latest Version
1.42Dashboard Notepad
Shortnotes1.7.0

Rating Breakdown

Dashboard Notepad

4.6/5(12 reviews)
5
83%
4
8%
3
0%
2
0%
1
8%

Shortnotes

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

Recent Reviews

Dashboard Notepad Reviews

by adamharvey

Really works great

Thanks for this plugin, it works great!

by Paula Finch

Works Great! Simple and easy to use.

Works just like a plugin should. Easy to install and simple to use.

by Daniel

good communication tool

thanks for this. I use it to communicate with other authors. Really a labour saving device.

Shortnotes Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dashboard Notepad or Shortnotes more popular?
Dashboard Notepad has 10K+ active installations while Shortnotes has 10. Dashboard Notepad is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Dashboard Notepad or Shortnotes?
Dashboard Notepad has a 4.6/5 rating from 12 reviews, while Shortnotes has a 5/5 rating from 1 reviews.
Are Dashboard Notepad and Shortnotes free?
Dashboard Notepad is free and Shortnotes is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Dashboard Notepad or Shortnotes?
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?
Dashboard Notepad was last updated 8 years ago and Shortnotes was last updated 9 months ago.

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