Forget About Shortcode Buttons vs Third Column
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 #1,196, ahead of Third Column at #23,930. Over the last 7 days Forget About Shortcode Buttons held its place and Third Column slipped 77 places. Forget About Shortcode Buttons has the largest install base, roughly 667× the next: 20K+ active installs against 30+ for Third Column. Downloads this week: Forget About Shortcode Buttons 327 and Third Column 13. Ratings: Forget About Shortcode Buttons 4.7★ from 69 and Third Column 5★ from 2 reviews.
| Metric | Forget About Shortcode Buttons | Third Column |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,196 ▬ | #23,930 ▼ 77 |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 30+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 327 | 13 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (69) | 5★ (2) |
| Last updated | Nov 4, 2024 | Jul 10, 2014 |
| Current version | 2.1.3 | 2.0 |
| Best rank on record | #1,148 | #22,551 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2014 | Oct 2011 |
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 Third Column?
By active installs, Forget About Shortcode Buttons: 20K+ sites run it against 30+ for Third Column, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Forget About Shortcode Buttons or Third Column?
Forget About Shortcode Buttons, at #1,196 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Third Column at #23,930. 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 Third Column 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.