Code Snippets vs SyntaxHighlighter Evolved
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
Code Snippets leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #35, ahead of SyntaxHighlighter Evolved at #1,370. Code Snippets has the largest install base, roughly 50× the next: 1M+ active installs against 20K+ for SyntaxHighlighter Evolved. Downloads this week: Code Snippets 160,113 and SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 436. Ratings: Code Snippets 4.7★ from 509 and SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 4.3★ from 86 reviews.
| Metric | Code Snippets | SyntaxHighlighter Evolved |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #35 ▬ | #1,370 ▬ |
| Active installs | 1M+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 160,113 | 436 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (509) | 4.3★ (86) |
| Last updated | Sep 2, 2026 | Mar 3, 2025 |
| Current version | 3.10.2 | 3.7.2 |
| Best rank on record | #35 | #1,357 |
| Days in the top 50 | 51 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2012 | Sep 2007 |
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
More comparisons
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- Code Snippets vs Shortcoder
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs Highlighting Code Block
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs WPCode Lite
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs PHP Code Widget
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Code Snippets or SyntaxHighlighter Evolved?
By active installs, Code Snippets: 1M+ sites run it against 20K+ for SyntaxHighlighter Evolved, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Code Snippets or SyntaxHighlighter Evolved?
Code Snippets, at #35 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with SyntaxHighlighter Evolved at #1,370. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Code Snippets or SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 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.