Column Shortcodes vs WEN Responsive 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 #656, ahead of WEN Responsive Columns at #7,512. Over the last 7 days Column Shortcodes held its place and WEN Responsive Columns slipped 24 places. Column Shortcodes has the largest install base, roughly 75× the next: 60K+ active installs against 800+ for WEN Responsive Columns. Downloads this week: Column Shortcodes 513 and WEN Responsive Columns 43. Ratings: Column Shortcodes 4.8★ from 134 and WEN Responsive Columns 3.7★ from 9 reviews.
| Metric | Column Shortcodes | WEN Responsive Columns |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #656 ▬ | #7,512 ▼ 24 |
| Active installs | 60K+ | 800+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 513 | 43 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (134) | 3.7★ (9) |
| Last updated | Oct 11, 2022 | Mar 17, 2024 |
| Current version | 1.0.1 | 1.3.4 |
| Best rank on record | #648 | #7,394 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2012 | Feb 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
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- WEN Responsive Columns vs Lightweight Grid Columns
- WEN Responsive Columns vs Layout Grid Block
- WEN Responsive Columns vs ACF Quick Edit Fields
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Column Shortcodes or WEN Responsive Columns?
By active installs, Column Shortcodes: 60K+ sites run it against 800+ for WEN Responsive Columns, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 23, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Column Shortcodes or WEN Responsive Columns?
Column Shortcodes, at #656 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with WEN Responsive Columns at #7,512. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Column Shortcodes or WEN Responsive 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.