WordPress websites often require more than just basic text and image placement to create a professional and engaging look. But no matter how valuable the information, visitors may struggle to digest it if it’s jammed into a single block. Now, if you include a column to organize content into digestible sections, your viewers will find it easy to slide from one element to the next.
While WordPress provides basic column options, more complex layouts often require additional tools. Think of column plugins as the silent architects behind stunning web pages who work their magic to blend text, images, and interactive elements flawlessly. They facilitate the addition of depth and balance to any page by arranging text, images, videos, and interactive elements side by side that standard layouts simply can’t match.
The best column plugins in the market will engage you to a level of control where you’ll see managing everything as a creative dance rather than a chore. Finding the right tool to achieve that kind of control isn’t always easy, though. That’s why we’ve generated a list of the best WordPress column plugins available to the market to make your search a little simpler. Let’s dive in.
Plugins |
Active Installation |
Standard Features |
Download |
---|---|---|---|
Admin Columns |
100,000+ |
|
|
Elementor |
10+ million |
|
|
Shortcodes Ultimate |
500,000+ |
|
|
Tableberg |
500+ |
|
|
Essential Grid |
45,000+ |
|
|
PostX |
40,000+ |
|
|
Equal Height Columns |
10,000+ |
|
Admin Columns
We start with Admin Columns, a plugin that allows you to customize the WordPress admin dashboard by managing and organizing columns for posts, pages, users, and other content types. With this plugin, you can picture a dashboard that adapts to your needs and helps you display different content types to match your workflow perfectly.
Admin Columns doesn’t just offer basic column customization; it extends far beyond that with over 200 available column types. It allows you to display exactly what you need, from custom fields and taxonomies to user roles and WooCommerce product details. The drag-and-drop interface simplifies the process of adding, removing, or rearranging columns to match your workflow. You can sort and filter content directly from the overview screens and even use inline editing to make quick adjustments without having to navigate to each individual item.
Beyond quick edits, Admin Columns introduces smart filtering to narrow down search results based on any criteria, a sorting feature to keep your content organized, and bulk editing to let you apply changes to multiple items at once. On top of these features, you’ll also enjoy creating a set of columns for specific tasks or contexts, the availability of custom fields, and the readiness for importing and exporting your column setup. So, if you are someone who is anxious about managing complex content from a personalized content management hub and also looking for ways to make your task fast and flawless, this plugin might be your solution.
Top Features
- 200+ column types for various content.
- Drag-and-drop editing for easy customization.
- Inline editing for quick updates.
- Smart filtering to refine search results.
- Bulk editing for multiple changes.
- Sorting to organize columns.
- Custom column sets for different tasks.
- CSV export for data handling.
- Integration with Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, ACF, and more.
Price
Admin Columns comes in free and Pro versions, with the Pro starting price set at $79 for one site.
Elementor
We move to Elementor, a leading website builder that lets you design and customize column layouts on WordPress with precision. Using its drag-and-drop editor, you can effortlessly build structured, pixel-perfect columns that elevate your site’s appearance, and the 10+ million active installations might speak for it.
Elementor isn’t just about placing content in columns. It offers advanced options like multi-column layouts with adjustable width and height controls, nested columns for creating complex designs within a single section, and content alignment settings that allow you to fine-tune positioning. You can add animations, background overlays, and CSS effects to bring visual dynamism to your columns. And if you’re looking for more refined control, the Theme Builder extends the column-building capabilities to entire site structures, which will enable you to design headers, footers, and custom layouts using column-based frameworks.
Beyond the standard layouts, Elementor provides the flexibility needed to create intricate column designs, making it an ideal solution for users who seek professional-grade control over their column designs. Its comprehensive template library helps you jumpstart projects with pre-designed layouts, while Pro features like motion effects, custom CSS, and additional widgets unlock even greater creative possibilities. So, whether you’re planning to build simple grids or complex site structures, Elementor provides the flexibility and tools needed to bring your column-based visions to life with ease.
Top Features
- Drag-and-drop editor for building multi-column layouts easily.
- Adjustable width and height for customizing column dimensions.
- Responsive controls with custom breakpoints for tailored mobile and desktop views.
- Nested columns to create complex designs.
- Template Library for ready-made column layouts.
- Content alignment settings for precise positioning.
- Advanced styling options like background overlays and CSS effects.
- Animations and motion effects to bring columns to life.
Price
Elementor has both free and Pro versions, with the Pro version starting at $59 per year for one site.
Shortcodes Ultimate
We continue with Shortcodes Ultimate, a powerful option to upgrade your WordPress site with a wide array of useful shortcodes, including tools for building column layouts. With over 50 customizable shortcodes, the plugin will bring flexibility to your fingertip and the ability to quickly add elements like tabs, accordions, sliders, and lightboxes.
Shortcodes Ultimate doesn’t just offer basic column building; it extends far beyond that by providing shortcodes for creating multi-column layouts. You can set different column widths, use custom CSS to add borders and background colors, and even nest columns for more complex designs. With full support for responsive layouts, you can ensure your columns look great on all devices. Additionally, the custom formatting mode helps you maintain precise control over the layout, eliminating extra gaps and alignment issues.
Instead of sticking to conventional layouts, Shortcodes Ultimate encourages experimentation to tempt you to break free from rigid structures and create visually compelling compositions. Whether you’re building a simple content grid or layering complex multi-column arrangements, this plugin adapts to your vision, making design customization both straightforward and enjoyable.
Top Features
- 50+ shortcodes for various design elements.
- Column shortcodes [su_row] and [su_column] for structured layouts.
- Customizable column widths to fit any layout.
- Responsive design support for mobile-friendly columns.
- Custom CSS editor for advanced styling.
- Live preview for shortcode insertion.
- Background and border options for enhanced column styling.
- Block editor compatibility.
Price
Shortcodes Ultimate offers a free version, while the Pro version starts at $39 per year.
Tableberg
When you think of organizing content in WordPress, columns, and tables share a common goal: arranging information in a clear, digestible format. Tableberg expands on this by adding a structured grid approach that turns simple column layouts into detailed tables with interactive elements, customizable headers, and advanced styling options.
Tableberg gives you the freedom to step outside the grid with advanced customization options. You can ditch the static table format and embrace flexibility to break away from rigid structures. Tableberg offers an array of sub-blocks, such as Paragraph, Image, Button, and List, to bring your tables to life. Whether you’re looking for ways to set alternating row colors, merge cells for custom spans, or add interactive elements like star ratings or ribbons, Tableberg is your ideal solution.
Tableberg takes table creation a step further with the advanced tools it offers to organize and style data for a polished presentation. You can customize headers, footers, and cell designs to match your site’s style and use features like search, sort, and sticky headers to keep your data well organized. With all these capabilities, it’s easy to say Tableberg ensures your data doesn’t just sit in a grid; they are displayed with purpose and style.
Top Features
- Direct table creation in the Block Editor.
- Sub-blocks for text, images, buttons, and lists.
- Responsive design ensures optimal display on any device.
- Header and footer customization for personalized table sections.
- Color-coded row options for visual hierarchy.
- Cell merging to create unique layouts.
- Adjustable dimensions for column widths and row heights.
- Interactive features like star ratings, ribbons, icons, styled lists, and more.
- Search and Sort features.
Price
Tableberg offers both free and Pro versions, with the Pro version starting at $49.
Essential Grid
Essential Grid transforms how you showcase media content on WordPress by providing a versatile and dynamic approach to creating grids and columns. With the ability to build stunning image, video, and audio galleries, it supports content sources such as posts, pages, custom posts, WooCommerce products, and social media streams like Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo.
Essential Grid goes beyond basic gallery creation with its powerful customization features. The plugin’s Visual Skin Editor allows you to build custom skins and modify existing ones, while the extensive template library offers over 50 ready-to-go grids and skins to get started quickly. With advanced controls for adjusting rows, columns, spacing, and animations, you can craft grids that not only look great but function seamlessly, with sorting, filtering, and navigation options for a more interactive experience.
Whether you’re showcasing a portfolio, organizing content, or creating media galleries, Essential Grid turns static columns into dynamic, interactive presentations. With customizable transitions, animations, and navigation options, Essential Grid will allow you to build an engaging experience for your audience.
Top Features
- Custom grid creation for images, videos, and audio.
- 50+ pre-built grids and skins.
- Multiple content sources.
- Visual Skin Editor.
- Responsive layouts.
- Navigation, filtering, and sorting options for better usability.
- Adjustable rows, columns, and spacing.
- Import/export grids and columns.
Price
Essential Grid is available as a Pro version, which you can buy at $114 from Codecanyon.
PostX
We turn to PostX, a powerful WordPress plugin for building dynamic news, magazine, and blog sites. It extends the flexibility of column layouts by offering advanced post grids, lists, and sliders, letting you display content with an engaging visual flow.
PostX isn’t just about layout options; it enables you to design a full site experience with tools like the Dynamic Site Builder, where you can create custom templates for essential pages. Its blocks and patterns, including Post Grid, Post Slider, and Post Carousel, give you the flexibility to organize your content with style. The plugin goes further with advanced features such as the Query Builder for sorting posts, Ajax-powered filters and pagination, and front-end submission capabilities, making it ideal for interactive content-heavy sites.
PostX goes beyond conventional post grids by integrating features that streamline content management and enhance user experience. Its built-in SEO integration, support for custom fonts, and compatibility with popular page builders like Elementor and Divi ensure that your website not only looks good but performs at its best.
Top Features
- Dynamic post layouts with grids, lists, and sliders.
- Starter sites for quick and easy setup.
- Dynamic Site Builder for custom page templates.
- 40+ blocks and 250+ patterns for diverse content presentation.
- Ajax filters and pagination for a seamless browsing experience.
- Advanced Query Builder for sorting and displaying content.
- Front-end submission support for guest authors.
Price
PostX is available in both free and Pro versions, with the Pro version starting at $44 per year.
Equal Height Columns
We end our list with Equal Height Columns, a simple yet powerful solution for ensuring consistent column heights in your WordPress layouts. It allows you to easily target specific elements and equalize their heights, making content look neat and aligned across your site.
Equal Height Columns offers precise control over column layouts by letting you specify CSS or jQuery selectors to target multiple elements while setting breakpoints to ensure height adjustments happen only at certain screen sizes. It automatically adjusts column heights when screens are resized or orientation changes, ensuring your content stays aligned without manual intervention.
The plugin extends its usefulness by supporting multi-row setups for complex layouts, where you can define column rules for each row. The plugin’s small footprint and easy-to-use admin interface make it a go-to solution for web designers looking to add that final touch of professionalism to their content.
Top Features
- Equalizes the height of targeted elements across the site.
- Supports unlimited elements and element groups.
- Breakpoint controls to apply equal height at specific screen sizes.
- Real-time updates when resizing or changing device orientation.
- Custom event listeners for manual height recalculations.
- Multi-row configuration for complex layouts.
- Works across modern browsers, including mobile support.
- Lightweight 8kB jQuery file for fast performance.
Price
Equal Height Columns is completely free to use.
Conclusion
Columns are more than just content dividers; they add structure, balance, and visual interest to your WordPress site. The plugins featured in this list go beyond what basic column settings offer, providing advanced tools for custom layouts, interactive grids, and smooth data presentation. Whether you need flexibility for creating responsive designs, tools to manage complex content structures or features that improve user experience with adaptive columns, each plugin brings distinctive capabilities to the table. Choose the one that aligns with your needs and fully realize the potential of columns on your website.