10 Best Column Shortcodes Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
Column Shortcodes has 60,000+ active installs on WordPress.org. These 10 plugins share its category or its tags on WordPress.org, are actively maintained, and each has at least 100 active installs. They are ordered by how closely they match, not by our opinion.
The 10 closest alternatives to Column Shortcodes
- 1
Genesis Columns Advanced
Closest match4.8 (25) 10,000+ active installsAdds shortcodes to easily create up to 42 different columned layouts.
Shares the columns, shortcode tags on WordPress.org. 10,000+ installs against 60,000+, no update since June 23, 2024.
- 2
Shortcodes Ultimate
Paid version availableShortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements
4.9 (5,924) 400,000+ active installsAdd 50+ shortcodes with live preview for tabs, accordions, buttons, FAQs, sliders and boxes. Works in Block Editor and Classic Editor.
Shares the shortcode, shortcodes tags on WordPress.org. About 6.7 times the installs, rated 4.9 against 4.8, last updated July 24, 2026.
- 3
4.9 (31) 10,000+ active installsShortcode to show any current, past, and future date or time. Display this, previous, or next year, month, day, etc.
Shares the shortcode, shortcodes tags on WordPress.org. 10,000+ installs against 60,000+, last updated 13 days ago.
- 4
4.9 (41) 10,000+ active installsEasily equalize the height of columns or any collection of elements.
Shares the column tag on WordPress.org. 10,000+ installs against 60,000+, last updated March 10, 2026.
- 5
4.9 (53) 100,000+ active installsMake entire columns, sections and containers clickable in Elementor — improve navigation and user experience with just one link.
Shares the column tag on WordPress.org. About 1.7 times the installs, rated 4.9 against 4.8, last updated September 21, 2025.
- 6
Admin Columns
Paid version available4.9 (1,651) 100,000+ active installsTake control of your WordPress admin list tables. Add, remove, and reorder columns for posts, users, media, and more - no coding needed.
Shares the columns tag on WordPress.org. About 1.7 times the installs, rated 4.9 against 4.8, last updated 6 days ago.
- 7
4.9 (42) 10,000+ active installsEasily add desktop, tablet and mobile friendly columns to your content using an easy to use shortcode.
Shares the columns tag on WordPress.org. 10,000+ installs against 60,000+, no update since March 14, 2019.
- 8
4.5 (43) 30,000+ active installsEnable Columns, Filters, Quick Edit and Bulk Edit for ACF Fields in WordPress List Tables
Shares the columns tag on WordPress.org. About half the installs, no update since January 11, 2025.
- 9
Shortcake (Shortcode UI)
4.1 (24) 10,000+ active installsShortcake makes using WordPress shortcodes a piece of cake.
Shares the shortcodes tag on WordPress.org. 10,000+ installs against 60,000+, no update since January 16, 2019.
- 10
4.1 (22) 3,000+ active installsThis WordPress plugin boosts your website with... you guessed it, columns!
Shares the columns, shortcode tags on WordPress.org. 3,000+ installs against 60,000+, no update since November 28, 2017.
Switching from Column Shortcodes: common questions
What is the best alternative to Column Shortcodes?
Genesis Columns Advanced is the closest match: it shares the same WordPress.org tags and has 10,000+ active installs with a 4.8 out of 5 rating.
Which Column Shortcodes alternative has the most users?
Shortcodes Ultimate, with 400,000+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which Column Shortcodes alternative is rated highest?
Shortcodes Ultimate, rated 4.9 out of 5 by 5,924 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these Column Shortcodes alternatives free?
Every plugin listed here is free to install from WordPress.org. Where WordPress.org marks a plugin as commercial, the developer also sells a paid version or add-ons, and that is shown on each plugin.
How are alternatives chosen?
Automatically, from WordPress.org data: plugins that share a category top 10 with Column Shortcodes score highest, then plugins that appear in the same WordPress.org rankings, then plugins with the same tags, weighted so rare tags count more than common ones. Plugins by the same author and plugins rated under 4.0 are left out.
How we choose these alternatives
Nothing on this page is picked by hand. Every day we walk the whole WordPress.org directory, then score every plugin against Column Shortcodes on three signals: sharing a category top 10 counts most, then appearing in the same WordPress.org rankings, then carrying the same tags, with rare tags counting for more than common ones like "wordpress". Plugins by the same author are excluded, so an author's own add-ons cannot fill the list, and so is anything rated below 4.0 or with fewer than 100 active installs. The ten highest scores are what you see, in that order. Full methodology.
The bottom line
Genesis Columns Advanced is the closest match to Column Shortcodes by the data we track, and Shortcodes Ultimate has the widest reach with 400,000+ active installs. Admin Columns shipped the most recent release, on September 1, 2026. The list is rebuilt every day from WordPress.org, so a plugin that stops being maintained drops out on its own.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.