Admin Columns vs Dashboard Notes
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Admin Columns v7.1.7 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details | Dashboard Notes v1.0.3 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 500+ |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 | March 10, 2026 |
| Editions | Admin Columns · Admin Columns Pro ($) | Dashboard Notes |
| Pros | Add, remove and reorder admin list columns without code; Works for posts, pages, users, comments and media; Shows ACF and taxonomy values as columns in the free version | Notes are plain classic widgets, so any text or HTML widget works; Per-note colour, logo and page targeting; Visibility can be limited by user role |
| Cons | Advanced ACF field columns require Admin Columns Pro; Add-on pages and banners push the paid version; Only changes admin list screens, nothing on the front end | Requires the Classic Widgets plugin; Does not work with the block-based widgets editor |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 1 |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Add, remove and reorder columns on admin list tables, Settings page for column behaviour, Advanced ACF field types (Pro only) ($), Add-ons page that lists Pro upgrades | Show notes to selected user roles, Show notes only on chosen admin URLs, Coloured note styles, Optional logo per note, Notes managed as widgets in a dedicated sidebar |
| Integrations | ||
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | — |
| Plugins | Advanced Custom Fields, WPML | — |
| Requires WordPress | 6.2 | 3.0 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | — |
| Tested up to | 7.1.3 | 6.9.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |