Forget About Shortcode Buttons vs Require Featured Image (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Forget About Shortcode Buttons
30K+ active installs
Free
Require Featured Image
4.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Forget About Shortcode Buttons has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 69 reviews) and leads in active installations (30K+ vs 4.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Forget About Shortcode Buttons has accumulated 398K+ total downloads while Require Featured Image has 96K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Forget About Shortcode Buttons | Require Featured Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 3.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 69 | ◄ | 16 |
| Active Installs | 30K+ | ◄ | 4.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 398K+ | ◄ | 96K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ◄ | 6 years ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2013 | |
| Age | 12 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.2+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.1.3 | 1.5.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Forget About Shortcode Buttons
Require Featured Image
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Forget About Shortcode Buttons averaged approximately 21 daily downloads while Require Featured Image averaged 10.
Recent Reviews
Forget About Shortcode Buttons Reviews
Just Perfect and simple – thank you
Just a note to say this plugin is absolutely gold!! Perfect, simple and useful … and gave a small donation. Thank you for providing this 🙂
Easy, well integrated and easy
What a relief! this plugin saved my life 😉 So easy to use and well implemented into WordPress. I love also the template feature, which helps to no waste time. Bravo and thank you!
Very easy and useful plugin
This button plugin really helps me to get rid of the complex button short code! Just highlight the words on a page or post, you can make the buttons. You can even choose the colors and styling of the
Require Featured Image Reviews
Does what it needs to do
Works on WP 5.8 with build in Gutenberg editor for CPT = posts When you remove the image the message re-appears
allows to remove thumb image
It allows to delete thumb image on existing posts. If I open post that already doesn’t have thumb image it doesn’t show any error message.
Doesn’t work on version 5.1
at least in terms of hiding the button. Plz fix already.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.