Admin Columns vs Column Shortcodes
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
Admin Columns leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #332, ahead of Column Shortcodes at #649. Over the last 7 days Admin Columns climbed 1 place and Column Shortcodes climbed 1 place. Admin Columns has the largest install base, roughly 1.7× the next: 100K+ active installs against 60K+ for Column Shortcodes. Downloads this week: Admin Columns 11,424 and Column Shortcodes 244. Ratings: Admin Columns 4.9★ from 1,652 and Column Shortcodes 4.8★ from 134 reviews.
| Metric | Admin Columns | Column Shortcodes |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #332 ▲ 1 | #649 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 100K+ | 60K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 11,424 | 244 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (1,652) | 4.8★ (134) |
| Last updated | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 11, 2022 |
| Current version | 7.1.4 | 1.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #332 | #649 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2011 | Aug 2012 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 4 |
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, Admin Columns or Column Shortcodes?
By active installs, Admin Columns: 100K+ sites run it against 60K+ for Column Shortcodes, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Admin Columns or Column Shortcodes?
Admin Columns, at #332 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Column Shortcodes at #649. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Admin Columns or Column Shortcodes 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.