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Free Plugin by Andi Dittrich v4.7.0

Enlighter

All-in-one Syntax Highlighting solution. Full Gutenberg and Classic Editor integration. Graphical theme customizer. Based on EnlighterJS.

Enlighter

The facts

Rating
4.8★ from 65
Active installs
10k+
Price
Free
Last updated
13 Apr 2026
Added
May 2013
Requires WP
6.8
Tested up to
WP 6.9.7
Requires PHP
7.4
Downloads
360,251

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Enlighter is a free WordPress plugin designed for syntax highlighting, utilising the EnlighterJS library to enhance the appearance of code snippets. It integrates fully with both the Gutenberg and Classic Editors, allowing you to easily add highlighted code blocks to your posts or pages. Users can customise themes without needing CSS knowledge and can create tabbed code groups for displaying multiple languages together.

This plugin is suitable for developers, bloggers, or anyone who needs to present code snippets clearly and attractively on their WordPress site. It supports various programming languages and offers advanced configuration options for users looking for more control over their code presentation.

Best for: This plugin suits developers and content creators who need to display code snippets on their WordPress sites.

What it does well

  • ✓Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
  • ✓Full integration with Gutenberg and Classic Editors
  • ✓Supports multiple programming languages and tabbed code groups
  • ✓Customisable themes without CSS knowledge
  • ✓GDPR compliant with no external resources

Where it falls short

  • •No specific pricing details provided
  • •Limited information on advanced features

Verdict

Enlighter offers a straightforward solution for syntax highlighting in WordPress, making it a practical choice for users looking to enhance their code presentation.

From the developer

Andi Dittrich's own description of Enlighter, lightly tidied.

Enlighter is a free, easy-to-use, syntax highlighting tool for WordPress. Highlighting is powered by the EnlighterJS javascript library to provide a beautiful code-appearance.

Using it can be as simple as adding a new Enlighter Sourcecode block (Gutenberg) and insert the code which you want to highlight: Enlighter takes care of the rest!

An easy to use Theme-Customizer is included to modify the build-in themes without any css knowlegde!
It also supports the automatic creation of tab-panes to display code-groups together (useful for multi-language examples – e.g. html+css+js)

Plugin Features

  • Full Gutenberg Editor Integration
  • Full Classic Editor Integration (TinyMCE)
  • Support for all common used languages
  • Powerful generic highlighting engine for unknown/unsupported languages
  • Theme Customizer
  • Inline Syntax Highlighting
  • Advanced configuration options are available within the options page.
  • Supports code-groups (displays multiple code-blocks within a tab-pane)
  • Extensible language and theme engines – add your own one.
  • Simple CSS based themes
  • Integrated CSS file caching (suitable for high traffic sites)
  • Full GDPR compliant – no external resources are required, no data will be aggregated

Gutenberg Editor Integration

  • Full Editor Integration via “Enlighter Sourcecode” block
  • Inline Syntax Highlighting
  • Automatic transformations for classic editor posts (codeblocks converted to Enlighter Sourcecode block)
  • Transform legacy codeblocks to Enlighter Gutenberg Blocks (manual transformation)
  • Docs and Usage
  • Editor plugin repository

Classic Editor (TinyMCE) Integration

Markdown

  • Markdown fenced code blocks
  • Inline Syntax Highlighting via backtick code (including language specific addon)
  • Docs and Usage

Compatibility/Migration

  • Crayon compatibility mode (use EnlighterJS highlighting for legacy Crayon pre codeblocks)
  • CodeColorer compatibility mode (use EnlighterJS highlighting for legacy CodeColorer shortcodes)
  • Jetpack markdown compatibility mode (generic or raw highlighting)
  • Gutenberg standard codeblock compatibility mode (no language attributes)

Extensions

  • bbPress shortcode + markdown code blocks support
  • Dynamic Content via jQuery Ajax.load
  • Dynamic Content via Jetpack.InfiniteScroll

Read the full description on the official page →

Tagged as

platform Gutenberg & Block Editor
feature Shortcodes
audience Beginners
quality Ease of Use
topic Classic Editor Syntax Highlighter Syntax Highlighting Highlighter Syntax Code Support Docs