Simple Header Footer HTML vs Shadowbox JS (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Simple Header Footer HTML
4.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Simple Header Footer HTML has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 9 reviews) and leads in active installations (4.0K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Header Footer HTML has accumulated 30K+ total downloads while Shadowbox JS has 533K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Header Footer HTML | Shadowbox JS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 4.6/5 |
| Total Reviews | 9 | 9 | |
| Active Installs | 4.0K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 30K+ | ► | 533K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 5 years ago | ◄ | 8 years ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2008 | |
| Age | 12 years | 18 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.8.9+ | 3.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.3.0 | 3.0.3.10.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Header Footer HTML
Shadowbox JS
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Header Footer HTML averaged approximately 5 daily downloads while Shadowbox JS averaged 5.
Recent Reviews
Simple Header Footer HTML Reviews
Works as advertised. Wish it supported short codes
Thank you for this simple and effective plugin. I’ve tried using it with shortcodes, but it doesn’t seem to work. I’d like to place a static block into it and then design the block with a drag and dro
Works okay
It works.
Works as expected
Crude and simple, but works well..
Shadowbox JS Reviews
Love this and use on all my sites
Love this and use on all my sites
PHP Errors, No Recent Updates, No Support
It appears that the plugin author has abandoned supporting this plugin, it hasn’t been updated in four years. The plugin is now creating php errors with that latest few versions of WordPress. This was
Best modal window plugin
I started to use shadowbox js years ago, first in my plain html and php websites and now with WordPress in its plugin version. I’m sad the creators decided to stop supporting and updating it but I und
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.