Simple Custom CSS Plugin vs Urvanov Syntax Highlighter (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
Urvanov Syntax Highlighter
3.0K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Simple Custom CSS Plugin has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 159 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 3.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Custom CSS Plugin has accumulated 3.1M+ total downloads while Urvanov Syntax Highlighter has 64K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Custom CSS Plugin | Urvanov Syntax Highlighter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | ◄ | 4.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 159 | ◄ | 19 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 3.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 3.1M+ | ◄ | 64K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 9 months ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2019 | |
| Age | 13 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.0.1+ | 6.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.0.7 | 2.9.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Custom CSS Plugin
Urvanov Syntax Highlighter
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Custom CSS Plugin averaged approximately 261 daily downloads while Urvanov Syntax Highlighter averaged 26.
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.
Urvanov Syntax Highlighter Reviews
useless for classic editor users
How about the other half of WordPress users? We stink or what?
Very usefull plugin
Im using it in wordpress 6.4.3. But there is one important thing: it doesnt work with default editor. I installed plugin Classic Editor, now it’s working great!
Wonderfull
I like it a lot. It works great.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Simple Custom CSS Plugin or Urvanov Syntax Highlighter more popular?
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Are Simple Custom CSS Plugin and Urvanov Syntax Highlighter free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.