Simple Custom CSS Plugin vs Design Upgrade for LearnDash (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Simple Custom CSS Plugin
100K+ active installs
Free
Design Upgrade for LearnDash
7.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Design Upgrade for LearnDash has a higher user rating (5/5 from 53 reviews) while Simple Custom CSS Plugin leads in active installations (100K+ vs 7.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Custom CSS Plugin has accumulated 3.1M+ total downloads while Design Upgrade for LearnDash has 237K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Custom CSS Plugin | Design Upgrade for LearnDash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 159 | ◄ | 53 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 7.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 3.1M+ | ◄ | 237K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | 100% | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ◄ | 3 years ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2018 | |
| Age | 13 years | 8 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.0.1+ | 4.6+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.0.7 | 2.12 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Design Upgrade for LearnDash
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Custom CSS Plugin averaged approximately 261 daily downloads while Design Upgrade for LearnDash averaged 9.
Recent Reviews
Simple Custom CSS Plugin Reviews
Blocks Media view
This plugin block me from viewing my media files when I am, for instance, trying to add an image block to a page. Except for this I think it is an excellent plugin. My work-around will be to disable t
So simple yet works perfect!
İt’s so easy to use and does the job as described.
Useful but doesn’t know modern properties
Simple and useful, but modern CSS properties like clamp(), repeat(), margin-inline, or less common units like dvh throw syntax errors. For beginners, this can be really confusing.
Design Upgrade for LearnDash Reviews
Not worth the paid version
This plugin worked great, but broke down when interoperating with other vital plugins and customizations in our LearnDash install. I didn’t request a refund because the refund policy requires you to “
Worth Buying the Paid version
This plugin is easy to deploy and well worth the cost for the paid version. Styling LearnDash is not really difficult, but this plugin will solve 99% of your challenges with getting the courses, lesso
Great Plugin and Exceptional Customer Service
I debated for a bit before buying the pro version of this plugin but it really is a life saver and makes LearnDash look 1000 times better. I spent 20+ hours being really frustrated trying to make thi
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.