Instant CSS
Use the power of Visual Studio Code in WordPress to write your CSS or SCSS
Consider an alternative
Instant CSS shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 3K+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 3 years ago, and scores 29/100 on our health check.
- No update in 3 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.3 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Instant CSS stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| css | >100 |
| custom css | >100 |
| postcss | #12 |
| sass | #30 |
| scss | #38 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 from 15 reviews
About Instant CSS
From the official readme · v1.2.2Description
Use the power of Visual Studio Code in WordPress to write your CSS or SCSS
The plugin uses autoprefixer to parse your CSS/SCSS into CSS that will work on older browsers, no need to write -webkit, -moz or -o.
You can also choose to use SCSS, more info about SCSS here: https://sass-lang.com/guide
Features
- Use all the powerful features from Visual Studio Code
- Your CSS gets compiled with autoprefixer to work on older browsers
- Use SCSS to create efficient stylesheets with variables, mixins, etc.
- Option to minify your CSS to reduce loading times
- No refreshing on saving
- Live editor updating styles on save and have the browser update simultaneously
Changelog
1.2.2
- Fix bug in permissions
1.2.1
- Test WordPress 6.3
1.2.0
- Fixed CSRF vulnerability and updated monaco editor to the latest version
1.1.5
- Fixed Broken Access Control
1.1.4
- Upgraded monaco editor to the latest version, fixes scrolling in some browsers.
1.1.3
- Updated monaco editor to the latest version
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Instant CSS alternatives
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FAQ
Instant CSS: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 27, 2026
Is Instant CSS free?
Yes. Instant CSS is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Instant CSS safe to use in 2026?
Instant CSS shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 3K+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 3 years ago, and scores 29/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Instant CSS?
Instant CSS is active on 3K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 16,449 times since it launched in March 2019. It was downloaded 301 times in the last 30 days.
Does Instant CSS work with WordPress 7.1?
Instant CSS is officially tested up to WordPress 6.3.12, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Instant CSS last updated?
The latest version, 1.2.2, was released on September 21, 2023 (3 years ago).
Who makes Instant CSS?
Instant CSS is developed and maintained by dylanblokhuis.
What are the best alternatives to Instant CSS?
The most popular alternatives to Instant CSS are WPCode (3M+ installs), Code Snippets (1M+ installs) and Simple Custom CSS Plugin (100K+ installs).
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