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Modern Footnotes

By prismtechstudios

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Modern Footnotes Review - In-Depth Analysis

Modern Footnotes allows you to add inline footnotes to your posts. They appear as tooltips on desktop and expand below text on mobile. Easily use shortcodes to customize footnotes.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.9/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 32+ reviews)

Active Installations

6,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

4.33 / 10 (Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Modern Footnotes is designed to enhance your posts with inline footnotes. It is optimized for both desktop and mobile viewing, inspired by the styles of popular platforms.

To use a footnote, simply click the footnote icon in the WordPress editor or use the shortcode: [mfn]this will be a footnote[/mfn]. The plugin automatically assigns sequential numbers to each footnote.

On desktop, footnotes are displayed as tooltips when the user clicks on the corresponding number. On mobile devices, they expand as a section below the text for easy reading.

Additionally, you can use the [mfn_list] shortcode to display a list of all footnotes used in your article. There are also options to customize the behavior and styles of footnotes through shortcode attributes.

Comparing to Alternatives

Modern Footnotes is a popular footnote plugin with several alternatives available that offer similar functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Supports block editor and existing shortcodes for easy transition.
Lightweight and simple to use.
Responsive developer support.
Works well on both desktop and mobile.
Includes a shortcode to print footnote lists anywhere.

Weaknesses

Lacks functionality to link notes with the list when clicking.
No feature to navigate back to text after reading a footnote.
Some users report incomplete features compared to expectations.
Limited advanced footnote navigation options.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 and most reviews being positive, users appreciate the plugin's simplicity and effectiveness, though a small minority express concerns about missing features.

Positive highlights

"Works perfectly replaced defunct plug-in" - Earl_D
"Great plugin, very lightweight and provides the exact functionality I was looking for." - rfwrites
"Simple and useful" - lorelore
"Works perfectly on desktop and mobile." - rene-michaels
"Easy to use with useful shortcode for custom templates." - efrap

Common complaints

Missing functionality to link footnotes with the list when clicking and to return to text after reading a note.

Weaknesses

Incomplete feature set compared to some user expectations.
No response from support forum regarding feature requests.
Limited navigation features within footnotes.
Potentially too simple for advanced footnote needs.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a lightweight, simple footnote plugin with block editor support and easy shortcode integration will find Modern Footnotes ideal.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced footnote navigation features, such as clickable links between notes and text or return navigation, may find this plugin lacking.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core footnote functionality with shortcode support and block editor compatibility, sufficient for most basic needs.

Final Verdict

Modern Footnotes is a well-rated, lightweight plugin that effectively replaces older footnote plugins and supports modern WordPress editors. Its simplicity and developer responsiveness make it a strong choice for users with basic footnote needs.

However, the plugin lacks some advanced navigation features that some users expect, and it has had past security vulnerabilities that have since been fixed. Users requiring more comprehensive footnote functionality or enhanced security assurances might consider alternatives.