PHP Code Widget vs SyntaxHighlighter Evolved
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
PHP Code Widget leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #569, ahead of SyntaxHighlighter Evolved at #1,370. Over the last 7 days PHP Code Widget climbed 2 places and SyntaxHighlighter Evolved held its place. PHP Code Widget has the largest install base, roughly 3.5× the next: 70K+ active installs against 20K+ for SyntaxHighlighter Evolved. Downloads this week: SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 436 and PHP Code Widget 206. Ratings: PHP Code Widget 4.7★ from 61 and SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 4.3★ from 86 reviews.
| Metric | PHP Code Widget | SyntaxHighlighter Evolved |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #569 ▲ 2 | #1,370 ▬ |
| Active installs | 70K+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 206 | 436 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (61) | 4.3★ (86) |
| Last updated | Mar 30, 2022 | Mar 3, 2025 |
| Current version | 2.4 | 3.7.2 |
| Best rank on record | #541 | #1,357 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2008 | Sep 2007 |
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
- PHP Code Widget vs Blocksy Companion
- PHP Code Widget vs Shortcode Widget
- PHP Code Widget vs SpiceBox
- PHP Code Widget vs Code Snippets
- PHP Code Widget vs Custom PHP Settings
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs Highlighting Code Block
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs Code Snippets
- SyntaxHighlighter Evolved vs WPCode Lite
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, PHP Code Widget or SyntaxHighlighter Evolved?
By active installs, PHP Code Widget: 70K+ sites run it against 20K+ for SyntaxHighlighter Evolved, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, PHP Code Widget or SyntaxHighlighter Evolved?
PHP Code Widget, at #569 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with SyntaxHighlighter Evolved at #1,370. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are PHP Code Widget or SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 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.