Query Wrangler 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 ranks #1,622 on the popular list; Query Wrangler is outside the top 500 we capture daily. Shortcode Widget has the largest install base, roughly 14× the next: 10K+ active installs against 700+ for Query Wrangler. Downloads this week: Shortcode Widget 375 and Query Wrangler 32. Ratings: Query Wrangler 5★ from 37 and Shortcode Widget 4.9★ from 34 reviews.
| Metric | Query Wrangler | Shortcode Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | outside top 500 | #1,622 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 700+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 32 | 375 |
| Rating | 5★ (37) | 4.9★ (34) |
| Last updated | Aug 10, 2026 | Mar 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.5.58 | 1.5.3 |
| Best rank on record | #7,885 | #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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- Shortcode Widget vs Donations via PayPal
- Shortcode Widget vs Reusable Blocks Extended
- Shortcode Widget vs Content Blocks (Custom Post Widget)
- Shortcode Widget vs Blocksy Companion
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Query Wrangler or Shortcode Widget?
By active installs, Shortcode Widget: 10K+ sites run it against 700+ for Query Wrangler, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Are Query Wrangler 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.