Visual CSS Style Editor vs Stencil (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Visual CSS Style Editor
40K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Visual CSS Style Editor has a higher user rating (4.1/5 from 90 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Visual CSS Style Editor has accumulated 1.5M+ total downloads while Stencil has 48K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Visual CSS Style Editor | Stencil | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.1/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 90 | ◄ | 9 |
| Active Installs | 40K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.5M+ | ◄ | 48K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 3 months ago | ◄ | 4 years ago |
| First Released | 2015 | 2019 | |
| Age | 11 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.0+ | 4.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.2.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 7.6.7 | 1.14.9 |
Rating Breakdown
Visual CSS Style Editor
Stencil
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Visual CSS Style Editor averaged approximately 103 daily downloads while Stencil averaged 5.
Recent Reviews
Visual CSS Style Editor Reviews
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!
Effortlessly working
Yes, it is wonderful. It needs little effort to use.
Not free
there is no free plugin, so buy one and try. If you are not satisfied, learn CSS yourself!
Stencil Reviews
Not working in wp 5.7
Not working in wp 5.7
No effective support!
There is no good support. They say to answer me privately and then finally they say that my problem is not a priority. Then they closed my ticket as solved. This does not helping me further. In this c
wonderful plugin
Just amazing, installed the plugin, created a free account and all images are accessible and editable perfectly. I just hope to experience a fully compatible multisite experience. At the moment my sub
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Visual CSS Style Editor or Stencil more popular?
Which has better ratings — Visual CSS Style Editor or Stencil?
Are Visual CSS Style Editor and Stencil free?
Which plugin has better support — Visual CSS Style Editor or Stencil?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.