Admin Columns vs WP Admin/Dashboard Search Spotlight
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 | WP Admin/Dashboard Search Spotlight v1.1.2 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.3/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 900+ |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 | May 15, 2025 |
| Editions | Admin Columns · Admin Columns Pro ($) | WP Spotlight Search |
| Pros | Add, remove and reorder admin list columns without code; Works for posts, pages, users, comments and media; Shows ACF and taxonomy values as columns in the free version | Quick search of admin menus and content from the admin bar; Keyboard shortcut to open the search; Choose which content types are searchable |
| Cons | Advanced ACF field columns require Admin Columns Pro; Add-on pages and banners push the paid version; Only changes admin list screens, nothing on the front end | Builds the search list on each admin page load; Only useful for administrators working in wp-admin |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 1 |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Add, remove and reorder columns on admin list tables, Settings page for column behaviour, Advanced ACF field types (Pro only) ($), Add-ons page that lists Pro upgrades | Search box in the admin bar, Searches admin menus and content types, Keyboard shortcut to open the search, Settings page to choose searchable items |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | — | PayPal donation form |
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | Advanced Custom Fields, WPML | — |
| Requires WordPress | 6.2 | 3.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | — |
| Tested up to | 7.1.3 | 6.8.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | — | www.paypal.com |