# Shortcoder — Create Shortcodes for Anything

> Shortcoder has 100K+ active installs, a 4.9/5 rating from 227 reviews and 52.6K downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 81/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Safe pick.** Yes — Shortcoder is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 100K+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 2 weeks ago, and scores 81/100 on our health check.

**Create custom "Shortcodes" easily for HTML, JavaScript, CSS code snippets and use the shortcodes within posts, pages & widgets**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** #429 of 69,475 plugins
- **Active installs:** 100K+
- **Total downloads:** 2,088,284
- **Downloads (30 days):** 52,584 (-2.8% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** 4.9/5 from 227 reviews
- **Health score:** 81/100 (Excellent)
- **Version:** 6.6
- **Last updated:** Sep 14, 2026
- **Tested up to:** WordPress 7.1.2
- **Requires:** WordPress 4.9.0+, PHP 5.3+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 1 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** vaakash (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/vaakash/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/shortcoder/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [code](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/code/) | #5 | 227 |
| [html](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/html/) | #1 | 181 |
| [javascript](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/javascript/) | #1 | 273 |
| [shortcode](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/shortcode/) | #3 | 1,376 |
| [snippets](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/snippets/) | #2 | 20 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| code | #90 | 10,000 |
| html | #48 | 10,000 |
| javascript | #28 | 10,000 |
| shortcode | #9 | 10,000 |
| snippets | #26 | 2,479 |

## Version adoption

- 6.5: 43.2%
- 6.6: 31.6%
- 6.4: 7%
- 6.3: 5.7%
- Other: 12.5%

## Alternatives

| # | Name | Active installs | Rating | Updated | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/insert-headers-and-footers/) | 3M+ | 4.9/5 (1,895) | Aug 27, 2026 | 93/100 |
| 2 | [Code Snippets](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/code-snippets/) | 1M+ | 4.7/5 (509) | Sep 2, 2026 | 92/100 |
| 3 | [Head & Footer Code](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/head-footer-code/) | 100K+ | 5/5 (51) | Aug 31, 2026 | 81/100 |
| 4 | [Simple Custom CSS Plugin](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/simple-custom-css/) | 100K+ | 4.7/5 (159) | Mar 11, 2025 | 51/100 |
| 6 | [Scripts n Styles](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/scripts-n-styles/) | 30K+ | 4.4/5 (30) | Jun 6, 2023 | 45/100 |
| 7 | [SyntaxHighlighter Evolved](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/syntaxhighlighter/) | 20K+ | 4.3/5 (86) | Mar 3, 2025 | 51/100 |
| 8 | [Code Embed](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/simple-embed-code/) | 10K+ | 4.4/5 (45) | Aug 21, 2026 | 83/100 |
| 9 | [WP Coder – Insert & Manage Code Snippets](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wp-coder/) | 10K+ | 4.9/5 (32) | Aug 25, 2026 | 86/100 |
| 10 | [Advance Custom HTML – Show Off Code Snippets with Live Preview](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/advance-custom-html/) | 10K+ | 2.5/5 (4) | Sep 14, 2026 | 73/100 |
| 11 | [Highlighting Code Block](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/highlighting-code-block/) | 10K+ | 4.5/5 (20) | Jul 1, 2026 | 79/100 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortcoder free?
Yes. Shortcoder is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

### Is Shortcoder safe to use in 2026?
Yes — Shortcoder is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 100K+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 2 weeks ago, and scores 81/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use Shortcoder?
Shortcoder is active on 100K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,088,284 times since it launched in May 2010. It was downloaded 52,584 times in the last 30 days.

### Does Shortcoder work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Shortcoder up to WordPress 7.1.2, the latest release. It requires WordPress 4.9.0 or newer.

### What PHP version does Shortcoder need?
Shortcoder requires PHP 5.3 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.

### When was Shortcoder last updated?
The latest version, 6.6, was released on September 14, 2026 (2 weeks ago).

### Who makes Shortcoder?
Shortcoder is developed and maintained by vaakash.

### What are the best alternatives to Shortcoder?
The most popular alternatives to Shortcoder are WPCode (3M+ installs), Code Snippets (1M+ installs) and Head & Footer Code (100K+ installs).


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/shortcoder/ · Generated 2026-09-26 16:10 UTC by PageForge