Display Links by Category 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 #1,622, ahead of Display Links by Category at #22,581. Over the last 7 days Shortcode Widget climbed 2 places and Display Links by Category climbed 14 places. Shortcode Widget has the largest install base, roughly 250× the next: 10K+ active installs against 40+ for Display Links by Category. Downloads this week: Shortcode Widget 366 and Display Links by Category 16.
| Metric | Display Links by Category | Shortcode Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #22,581 ▲ 14 | #1,622 ▲ 2 |
| Active installs | 40+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 16 | 366 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.9★ (34) |
| Last updated | Dec 5, 2011 | Mar 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.1 | 1.5.3 |
| Best rank on record | #22,111 | #1,616 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2011 | 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, Display Links by Category or Shortcode Widget?
By active installs, Shortcode Widget: 10K+ sites run it against 40+ for Display Links by Category, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Display Links by Category or Shortcode Widget?
Shortcode Widget, at #1,622 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Display Links by Category at #22,581. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Display Links by Category 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.