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Simple CSS vs Visual CSS Style Editor (2026)

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

Simple CSS

Simple CSS

4.9(60)

80K+ active installs

Free

Updated 6 months ago
View Simple CSS
VS
Visual CSS Style Editor

Visual CSS Style Editor

4.1(90)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 months ago
View Visual CSS Style Editor

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Simple CSS has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 60 reviews) and leads in active installations (80K+ vs 40K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple CSS has accumulated 552K+ total downloads while Visual CSS Style Editor has 1.5M+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.9/5Simple CSS
◄
Visual CSS Style Editor4.1/5
Total Reviews
60Simple CSS
►
Visual CSS Style Editor90
Active Installs
80K+Simple CSS
◄
Visual CSS Style Editor40K+
Total Downloads
552K+Simple CSS
►
Visual CSS Style Editor1.5M+
Support Resolution
N/ASimple CSS
Visual CSS Style EditorN/A
Last Updated
6 months agoSimple CSS
►
Visual CSS Style Editor3 months ago
First Released
2015Simple CSS
Visual CSS Style Editor2015
Age
11 yearsSimple CSS
Visual CSS Style Editor11 years
WP Requires
4.0+Simple CSS
Visual CSS Style Editor4.0+
PHP Requires
false+Simple CSS
Visual CSS Style Editorfalse+
Business Model
FreeSimple CSS
Visual CSS Style EditorFree
Latest Version
1.1.1Simple CSS
Visual CSS Style Editor7.6.7

Rating Breakdown

Simple CSS

4.9/5(60 reviews)
5
93%
4
7%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Visual CSS Style Editor

4.1/5(90 reviews)
5
74%
4
2%
3
1%
2
2%
1
20%

Recent Reviews

Simple CSS Reviews

by bmiller22000

This is a really awesome plugin, and will remain awesome updates or not

Easy to use and gives you the access to behind the scenes places you need (like css on this page, for this table, fast and effectively, without digging through mountains of native wp and plugin styles

by Paul Bradley

I want to love it more

This seems like a great idea, and it’s super to finally be clear of the small Additional CSS panel in native wordpress. What’s making me unsure if I should continue are 2 things: 1 – when you pr

by ws24

Excellent plugin

By far the best plugin to add custom css, I have been using it for years now and in many websites. This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by ws24.

Visual CSS Style Editor Reviews

by It's All... Entertainment & Star Wars

Doesn’t Work

The plugin doesn’t work on wordpress.com hosted web sites, which is a pity as the self-hosted wordpress.org site worked great!

by ayinde4u

Effortlessly working

Yes, it is wonderful. It needs little effort to use.

by zinizcheng77

Not free

there is no free plugin, so buy one and try. If you are not satisfied, learn CSS yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple CSS or Visual CSS Style Editor more popular?
Simple CSS has 80K+ active installations while Visual CSS Style Editor has 40K+. Simple CSS is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple CSS or Visual CSS Style Editor?
Simple CSS has a 4.9/5 rating from 60 reviews, while Visual CSS Style Editor has a 4.1/5 rating from 90 reviews.
Are Simple CSS and Visual CSS Style Editor free?
Simple CSS is free and Visual CSS Style Editor is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple CSS or Visual CSS Style Editor?
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?
Simple CSS was last updated 6 months ago and Visual CSS Style Editor was last updated 3 months ago.

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