10 Best Shortcode Widget Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
Shortcode Widget has 10,000+ 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 Shortcode Widget
- 1
Donations via PayPal
Closest match4.7 (27) 20,000+ active installsEasy, simple setup to add a PayPal Donation button as a Widget or with a shortcode.
Shares the shortcode, widget tags on WordPress.org. About 2 times the installs, last updated 21 days ago.
- 2
Content Blocks (Custom Post Widget)
4.9 (80) 10,000+ active installsThis plugin enables you to edit and display Content Blocks in a sidebar widget or using a shortcode.
Shares the shortcode, widget tags on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, last updated July 22, 2026.
- 3
4.4 (38) 10,000+ active installsGenerate QR Code through Widgets and Shortcodes, without any dependencies.
Shares the shortcode, widget tags on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, last updated May 17, 2026.
- 4
4.8 (40) 20,000+ active installsExtend Gutenberg Reusable Blocks feature with a complete admin panel, widgets, shortcodes and PHP functions.
Shares the shortcode, widget tags on WordPress.org. About 2 times the installs, last updated 10 days ago.
- 5
4.3 (52) 300+ active installsCreate forms and manage submissions easily with a simple interface. Contact forms, subscription forms, or other forms for WordPress. Absolutely FREE!
Shares the shortcode, widget tags on WordPress.org. 300+ installs against 10,000+, no update since November 13, 2019.
- 6
Shortcoder — Create Shortcodes for Anything
4.9 (227) 100,000+ active installsCreate custom "Shortcodes" easily for HTML, JavaScript, CSS code snippets and use the shortcodes within posts, pages & widgets
Shares the shortcode tag on WordPress.org. About 10 times the installs, last updated August 1, 2026.
- 7
Display Posts – Easy lists, grids, navigation, and more
4.8 (164) 80,000+ active installsAdd a listing of content on your website using a simple shortcode. Filter the results by category, author, and more.
Shares the shortcode tag on WordPress.org. About 8 times the installs, no update since October 14, 2024.
- 8
4.4 (54) 40,000+ active installsInclude content the way YOU like in an iframe that can hide and modify elements, does auto-height, forward parameters and does many, many more...
Shares the shortcode tag on WordPress.org. About 4 times the installs, last updated June 2, 2026.
- 9
4.8 (134) 60,000+ active installsAdds shortcodes to easily create columns in your posts or pages.
Shares the shortcode tag on WordPress.org. About 6 times the installs, no update since October 11, 2022.
- 10
4.5 (87) 60,000+ active installsAdd Font Awesome Free icons that stay current automatically, with a native WordPress block, shortcodes, a Classic Editor picker, and legacy support.
Shares the shortcode tag on WordPress.org. About 6 times the installs, last updated 2 days ago.
Switching from Shortcode Widget: common questions
What is the best alternative to Shortcode Widget?
Donations via PayPal is the closest match: it shares the same WordPress.org tags and has 20,000+ active installs with a 4.7 out of 5 rating.
Which Shortcode Widget alternative has the most users?
Shortcoder, with 100,000+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which Shortcode Widget alternative is rated highest?
Shortcoder, rated 4.9 out of 5 by 227 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these Shortcode Widget 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 Shortcode Widget 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 Shortcode Widget 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
Donations via PayPal is the closest match to Shortcode Widget by the data we track, and Shortcoder has the widest reach with 100,000+ active installs. Better Font Awesome shipped the most recent release, on September 4, 2026. The list is rebuilt every day from WordPress.org, so a plugin that stops being maintained drops out on its own.
Weekly · free
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.