AJAX Calendar vs Shortcode Widget
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Shortcode Widget leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,620, ahead of AJAX Calendar at #10,077. Over the last 7 days Shortcode Widget climbed 1 place and AJAX Calendar slipped 1 place. Shortcode Widget has the largest install base, roughly 33× the next: 10K+ active installs against 300+ for AJAX Calendar. Downloads this week: Shortcode Widget 407 and AJAX Calendar 25. Ratings: AJAX Calendar 3.7★ from 3 and Shortcode Widget 4.9★ from 34 reviews.
| Metric | AJAX Calendar | Shortcode Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #10,077 ▼ 1 | #1,620 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 300+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 25 | 407 |
| Rating | 3.7★ (3) | 4.9★ (34) |
| Last updated | Jul 17, 2011 | Mar 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.5.1 | 1.5.3 |
| Best rank on record | #10,061 | #1,616 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2006 | Feb 2013 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, AJAX Calendar or Shortcode Widget?
By active installs, Shortcode Widget: 10K+ sites run it against 300+ for AJAX Calendar, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, AJAX Calendar or Shortcode Widget?
Shortcode Widget, at #1,620 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with AJAX Calendar at #10,077. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are AJAX Calendar or Shortcode Widget alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.