Column Shortcodes vs Lightweight Grid Columns
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
Column Shortcodes leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #649, ahead of Lightweight Grid Columns at #1,882. Over the last 7 days Column Shortcodes climbed 1 place and Lightweight Grid Columns slipped 6 places. Column Shortcodes has the largest install base, roughly 6× the next: 60K+ active installs against 10K+ for Lightweight Grid Columns. Downloads this week: Column Shortcodes 244 and Lightweight Grid Columns 83. Ratings: Column Shortcodes 4.8★ from 134 and Lightweight Grid Columns 4.9★ from 42 reviews.
| Metric | Column Shortcodes | Lightweight Grid Columns |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #649 ▲ 1 | #1,882 ▼ 6 |
| Active installs | 60K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 244 | 83 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (134) | 4.9★ (42) |
| Last updated | Oct 11, 2022 | Mar 14, 2019 |
| Current version | 1.0.1 | 1.0 |
| Best rank on record | #649 | #1,857 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2012 | May 2015 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 4 | 0 |
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
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Column Shortcodes or Lightweight Grid Columns?
By active installs, Column Shortcodes: 60K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Lightweight Grid Columns, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Column Shortcodes or Lightweight Grid Columns?
Column Shortcodes, at #649 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Lightweight Grid Columns at #1,882. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Column Shortcodes or Lightweight Grid Columns 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.