Simple Custom CSS Plugin vs Syntax Highlighter Compress (2026)

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

Simple Custom CSS Plugin

Simple Custom CSS Plugin

4.7(159)

100K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Simple Custom CSS Plugin
VS
Syntax Highlighter Compress

Syntax Highlighter Compress

4.8(5)

90 active installs

Free

Updated 14 years ago
View Syntax Highlighter Compress

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Syntax Highlighter Compress has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 5 reviews) while Simple Custom CSS Plugin leads in active installations (100K+ vs 90). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Custom CSS Plugin has accumulated 3.1M+ total downloads while Syntax Highlighter Compress has 23K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.7/5Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress4.8/5
Total Reviews
159Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress5
Active Installs
100K+Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress90
Total Downloads
3.1M+Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress23K+
Support Resolution
N/ASimple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter CompressN/A
Last Updated
1 year agoSimple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress14 years ago
First Released
2013Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress2010
Age
13 yearsSimple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress16 years
WP Requires
3.0.1+Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress2.6+
PHP Requires
false+Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compressfalse+
Business Model
FreeSimple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter CompressFree
Latest Version
4.0.7Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Syntax Highlighter Compress3.0.83.3

Rating Breakdown

Simple Custom CSS Plugin

4.7/5(159 reviews)
5
90%
4
4%
3
1%
2
0%
1
5%

Syntax Highlighter Compress

4.8/5(5 reviews)
5
80%
4
20%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Simple Custom CSS Plugin Reviews

by Bub

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

by cengoguven

So simple yet works perfect!

İt’s so easy to use and does the job as described.

by ellissei

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.

Syntax Highlighter Compress Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple Custom CSS Plugin or Syntax Highlighter Compress more popular?
Simple Custom CSS Plugin has 100K+ active installations while Syntax Highlighter Compress has 90. Simple Custom CSS Plugin is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple Custom CSS Plugin or Syntax Highlighter Compress?
Simple Custom CSS Plugin has a 4.7/5 rating from 159 reviews, while Syntax Highlighter Compress has a 4.8/5 rating from 5 reviews.
Are Simple Custom CSS Plugin and Syntax Highlighter Compress free?
Simple Custom CSS Plugin is free and Syntax Highlighter Compress is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple Custom CSS Plugin or Syntax Highlighter Compress?
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 Custom CSS Plugin was last updated 1 year ago and Syntax Highlighter Compress was last updated 14 years ago.

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