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SyntaxHighlighter Evolved

By Alex Mills

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

SyntaxHighlighter Evolved Review - In-Depth Analysis

Easily post syntax-highlighted code to your site without modifying the code. Supports the new block editor in WordPress 5.0.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.06/10

User Rating

4.3/5 (based on 86+ reviews)

Active Installations

20,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

SyntaxHighlighter Evolved allows you to easily post syntax-highlighted code to your site without losing its formatting or making any manual changes. It uses the SyntaxHighlighter JavaScript package by Alex Gorbatchev.

For a live demo, see this plugin's homepage. For a list of supported languages, see the WordPress.com support document.

Development of this plugin is on GitHub. Translation of the plugin into different languages is available on the translation page.

As seen on WordPress.com.

Comparing to Alternatives

SyntaxHighlighter Evolved is a popular plugin for displaying code snippets with syntax highlighting on WordPress sites. Compared to other code highlighters, it offers a straightforward setup and supports multiple languages.

Top alternatives

SyntaxHighlighter Evolved

Strengths

Supports multiple programming languages.
Easy to use with shortcode integration.
Renders code snippets cleanly and clearly.
Open source and regularly updated.

Weaknesses

Limited color variation for different code types.
No official support for some niche languages like Unity shaders.
Lacks advanced customization options.
No pro version with extended features.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights both the strengths and limitations of SyntaxHighlighter Evolved based on real-world usage.

Positive highlights

'Really awesome, so useful and great!' - dreamsoft
'Thank you for this plugin. It works perfect for pure C and C#.' - Andrey Sirota
'Good plugin. But need better color variation for each source code type' - wordruman
'Thank you' - Alex

Common complaints

Errors when copying code from the frontend causing parse errors - janothemes
Does not work properly in visual editor and comments out PHP lines - versuri

Weaknesses

Adds extra spaces causing syntax errors when copying code.
Limited support for certain languages like Unity scripts and shaders.
Visual editor compatibility issues.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers and bloggers who need a simple, free solution to display clean, readable code snippets in multiple programming languages on their WordPress sites.

Not ideal for

Users requiring advanced customization, support for niche languages like Unity shaders, or seamless copying of code without formatting issues may find this plugin limiting.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes syntax highlighting for many popular programming languages, shortcode support, and basic customization options suitable for most users.

Final Verdict

SyntaxHighlighter Evolved is a reliable and easy-to-use plugin for displaying code snippets with syntax highlighting on WordPress sites. It covers many common languages and is suitable for users seeking a free and straightforward solution.

However, it has limitations such as lack of advanced customization, issues with copying code from the frontend, and incomplete support for some languages. Users with specialized needs might need to consider alternatives.