SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs CSS & JavaScript Toolbox (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
SyntaxHighlighter Evolved
20K+ active installs
Free
CSS & JavaScript Toolbox
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, CSS & JavaScript Toolbox has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 85 reviews) while SyntaxHighlighter Evolved leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. SyntaxHighlighter Evolved has accumulated 1.1M+ total downloads while CSS & JavaScript Toolbox has 536K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | SyntaxHighlighter Evolved | CSS & JavaScript Toolbox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ► | 4.7/5 |
| Total Reviews | 86 | ◄ | 85 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.1M+ | ◄ | 536K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 5 months ago |
| First Released | 2007 | 2011 | |
| Age | 19 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.7+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | 7.4.0+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.7.2 | 12.0.6 |
Rating Breakdown
SyntaxHighlighter Evolved
CSS & JavaScript Toolbox
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, SyntaxHighlighter Evolved averaged approximately 76 daily downloads while CSS & JavaScript Toolbox averaged 45.
Recent Reviews
SyntaxHighlighter Evolved Reviews
Works Great! But….
Thank you for this plugin. It works perfect for pure C and C#, but unfortunately, it doesn’t highlight most code for the Unity game engine: C# scripts and Shaders. Please add support for this.
Dont work
не работает. строки php просто закомментирует, в визуальном редакторе не отображается
Works, But if you copy code and wan to to use it show error
It works and show code beautifully on pages, But if you copied that code and want to use it, the it shows errors, Looks like it add some spaces, I tried it with php shorcode, and when i copied the
CSS & JavaScript Toolbox Reviews
Great additional components for Elementor
Great plugin! This topic was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by joshuarg007. This topic was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by joshuarg007.
Thank you
Thank you. This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by ads.
Good plugin, it used to be much better before the nerfing, tho
It is a good plugin for your average needs. It used to be much better in the past, but they removed features in the free version that other similar plugins still offer for free.
More Php Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as SyntaxHighlighter Evolved and CSS & JavaScript Toolbox
Easily add code snippets in WordPress. Insert header & footer scripts, add PHP code snippets with conditional logic, insert ads pixel code, and more.
An easy, clean and simple way to enhance your site with code snippets.
Make sure your plugins and themes are compatible with newer PHP versions.
Like the Text widget, but also allows working PHP code to be inserted.
Adds a Dashboard widget that displays the latest messages from your PHP error log. It can also send logged errors to email.
Code highlighting powered by the VS Code engine. Performance focused. No bloat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SyntaxHighlighter Evolved or CSS & JavaScript Toolbox more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.