Visual Link Preview vs Snippet Shortcodes (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Snippet Shortcodes has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 25 reviews) while Visual Link Preview leads in active installations (10K+ vs 4.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Visual Link Preview has accumulated 159K+ total downloads while Snippet Shortcodes has 124K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Visual Link Preview | Snippet Shortcodes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 4.7/5 |
| Total Reviews | 36 | ◄ | 25 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 4.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 159K+ | ◄ | 124K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 months ago | ► | 2 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2017 | 2015 | |
| Age | 9 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.4+ | 6.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.3.0 | 5.1.3 |
Rating Breakdown
Visual Link Preview
Snippet Shortcodes
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Visual Link Preview averaged approximately 53 daily downloads while Snippet Shortcodes averaged 79.
Recent Reviews
Visual Link Preview Reviews
Great plugin – exactly what I needed
As someone who curates content regularly, this plugin is really what I’ve been searching for. Thank you for it!
Terrible product design
Functionally this is good but no where are we told that the plugin uses Microlink API which has a limit of 50 requests per day. They don’t inform the user of this. Neither do they put up a message tel
This plugin is amazing!
I had been using a different plugin’s pro version (Inline Related Posts). But the site I was using it on is very large, 38 thousand posts and counting, and that plugin’s performance was becoming extre
Snippet Shortcodes Reviews
Exactly what i need!
I was looking for a plugin that was able to have 1 content/text to placed on different pages. So if I changes the text it is changed on the pages where I put the shortcode.Love this plugin!
Great
Lots of possibilities. A great developer who responds to feedback and introduces updates.
Very useful for creating a library of handy snippets of code or text
Exactly what I was looking for. Very useful for inserting snippets of texts, copyright notices, HTML, JavaScript, PHP or whatever comes to your mind. When I had an issue with the license key, the deve
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Visual Link Preview or Snippet Shortcodes more popular?
Which has better ratings — Visual Link Preview or Snippet Shortcodes?
Are Visual Link Preview and Snippet Shortcodes free?
Which plugin has better support — Visual Link Preview or Snippet Shortcodes?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.