Hide/Remove Metadata vs Essential Shortcodes (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Hide/Remove Metadata has a higher user rating (3.6/5 from 14 reviews) and leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Hide/Remove Metadata has accumulated 292K+ total downloads while Essential Shortcodes has 292.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Hide/Remove Metadata | Essential Shortcodes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.6/5 | ◄ | N/A |
| Total Reviews | 14 | ◄ | 0 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 10 |
| Total Downloads | 292K+ | ◄ | 292 |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 9 months ago |
| First Released | 2019 | 2025 | |
| Age | 7 years | 1 year | |
| WP Requires | 5.9+ | 4.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0 | 1.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Hide/Remove Metadata
Essential Shortcodes
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Hide/Remove Metadata Reviews
Doesn’t do anything at all
Does nothing in css or php. Useless.
Did not work using the CSS options, but the PHP option worked well
The CSS option didn’t do anything for my site, but when I selected the PHP option, it removed the date as it was supposed to. It has an option to remove the author too, but I didn’t try that as I d
Working fine on WordPress 6.1.1
PHP option remove the icon as well, working fine on WordPress 6.1.1
Essential Shortcodes Reviews
No reviews yet
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Hide/Remove Metadata and Essential Shortcodes
Remove meta author and date information from posts and pages. Hide from Humans and Search engines.SEO friendly and most advance plugin.
Don't need the post date and author meta data on your pages? Install WP Author, Date and Meta Remover and its gone. It's that easy!
Automatically change your post date display to "time ago" format like 1 hour ago, 3 days ago, etc...
Shortcodes to wrap around text, which specify at what date or time that content should appear or disappear, either once, or on a recurring basis.
Change the Post Update date for all posts and pages in one click. This will help your blog in search engines and your blog will look alive.
Shortcode to show any current, past, and future date or time. Display this, previous, or next year, month, day, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.