Simple Code Block
A simple block to the new WordPress editor Gutenberg to insert and show code with Ace Editor.
Consider an alternative
Simple Code Block shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 38/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- No update in 6 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.3 (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 Simple Code Block stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| ace | #53 |
| code | >100 |
| gutenberg | >100 |
| php | >100 |
| syntax highlighting | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.9 from 9 reviews
About Simple Code Block
From the official readme · v1.2.2Description
A simple block to the new WordPress editor Gutenberg to insert and show code with Ace Editor.
Now is very easy to share code in your own web with Gutenberg and this simple code block with the power of Ace: the successor of the Mozilla Skywriter (Bespin) project.
Ace is an embeddable code editor written in JavaScript with the features and performance of native editors such as Sublime, Vim and TextMate.
For each block you can choose many languages and styles:
- Lot of languages avalaibles: html, php, css, javascript, python,…
- Syntax highlighting with more than 20 themes to choose.
- Other options to select the font size of the code and lines to show without scroll.
What You See in the backend with Gutenberg editor Is What You Get! and the plugin only enqueue the selected assets to highlighting your code with your own selected options.
1.1.0
- Add option: show copy button
- Add option: show or hide lines numbers
- Improve Safari Browser compatibility
- Add Bash/Shell language
1.2.0
- Allow working without use of <?php tag
- Improve WPO with better enqueue
Feedback and support
I would be happy to receive your feedback to improve this plugin.
Please let me know through support forums if you like it and please be sure to leave a review..
Also you can contact me on my personal page Pablo Cianes or even visit Github of Simple Code Block where you can find all the development code of this plugin.
I hope it is useful for you and look forward to reading your reviews! 😉 Thanks!
Installation
- Upload
simple-code-block.phpto the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Search into post the blue block
ACE Code EditorintoFormattingcategory.
Changelog
Allow enqueue assets on archive pages
1.2.2
- Fix bug on previous minor version
1.2.1
- Allow enqueue assets on archive pages
1.2.0
- Allow working without use of <?php tag
- Improve WPO with better enqueue
1.1.0
- Add option: show copy button
- Add option: show or hide lines numbers
- Improve Safari Browser compatibility
- Add Bash/Shell language
1.0.3
- Add C languages
- Compatible with WP5.2
1.0.2
- Add Lua language
- Compatible with WP5.1
Screenshots
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 Simple Code Block alternatives
All ace plugins →FAQ
Simple Code Block: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 5, 2026
Is Simple Code Block free?
Yes. Simple Code Block is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Simple Code Block safe to use in 2026?
Simple Code Block shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 4.9/5 and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 38/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Simple Code Block?
Simple Code Block is active on 200+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 9,062 times since it launched in August 2018. It was downloaded 117 times in the last 30 days.
Does Simple Code Block work with WordPress 7.1?
Simple Code Block is officially tested up to WordPress 5.3.25, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Simple Code Block need?
Simple Code Block requires PHP 5.2.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Simple Code Block last updated?
The latest version, 1.2.2, was released on January 8, 2020 (7 years ago).
Who makes Simple Code Block?
Simple Code Block is developed and maintained by pablocianes.
What are the best alternatives to Simple Code Block?
The most popular alternatives to Simple Code Block are ACE Certificazione Energeti… (10+ installs), ImmobilCIO (10+ installs) and Acelerator (<10 installs).
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