Forget About Shortcode Buttons 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
Forget About Shortcode Buttons leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,186, ahead of Shortcode Widget at #1,624. Over the last 7 days Forget About Shortcode Buttons climbed 2 places and Shortcode Widget climbed 4 places. Forget About Shortcode Buttons has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 20K+ active installs against 10K+ for Shortcode Widget. Ratings: Forget About Shortcode Buttons 4.7★ from 69 and Shortcode Widget 4.9★ from 34 reviews.
| Metric | Forget About Shortcode Buttons | Shortcode Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,186 ▲ 2 | #1,624 ▲ 4 |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | — | — |
| Rating | 4.7★ (69) | 4.9★ (34) |
| Last updated | Nov 4, 2024 | Mar 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.3 | 1.5.3 |
| Best rank on record | #1,148 | #1,623 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2014 | 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, Forget About Shortcode Buttons or Shortcode Widget?
By active installs, Forget About Shortcode Buttons: 20K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Shortcode Widget, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Forget About Shortcode Buttons or Shortcode Widget?
Forget About Shortcode Buttons, at #1,186 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Shortcode Widget at #1,624. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Forget About Shortcode Buttons 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.