WP Link Preview vs Custom Card Link: Which Plugin Fits a Modern WordPress Site?

WP Link Preview and Custom Card Link both create link previews with a title, description, and image. Their current maintenance status and intended editing environments, however, are substantially different.

This article separates the decision for a new installation from the decision for a site that already uses WP Link Preview.

Disclosure: The author of this article develops Custom Card Link. This comparison identifies Custom Card Link's limitations and the remaining advantages of WP Link Preview as well as its maintenance concerns.

Short answer

WP Link Preview is not a reasonable choice for a new WordPress installation. WordPress.org warns that it has not been tested with the latest three major WordPress releases. It was last updated eight years ago and has only been tested up to WordPress 4.9.29.

Custom Card Link targets current WordPress installations, but requires WordPress 6.9 or later, PHP 8.0 or later, and Gutenberg. It is also relatively new and has a much smaller adoption history than WP Link Preview.

If an existing site already uses WP Link Preview, do not remove it without first locating its shortcodes and checking what remains visible after deactivation.

Comparison scope

This article is based on the information published on WordPress.org as of September 13, 2026. The versions checked were WP Link Preview 1.4.1 and Custom Card Link 1.1.5.

This is not a hands-on performance or compatibility test. It does not claim that WP Link Preview is currently broken or vulnerable. The recommendation is based on its publicly documented maintenance status and features.

Main differences

Maintenance status is the decisive difference

WordPress.org displays a warning that WP Link Preview has not been tested with the latest three major WordPress releases. Its last update was eight years ago, and its declared compatibility testing stops at WordPress 4.9.29.

This does not prove that the plugin is broken or insecure. It does mean that a new installation cannot reasonably rely on current compatibility testing, future fixes, or ongoing maintenance.

Custom Card Link requires WordPress 6.9 or later and PHP 8.0 or later. By limiting its compatibility range to newer environments, it can target the current Gutenberg editor. Its short public history is still a weakness when long-term adoption evidence is important.

Editing workflow

WP Link Preview adds a button to the post and page editor that generates a preview for a URL. It also supports a shortcode in the form [wplinkpreview url="..."]. Its changelog lists batch URL input as another feature.

Custom Card Link is a Gutenberg-only block. You enter a URL and choose a card or list layout through the block settings. It does not provide a Classic Editor shortcode or batch URL input.

For an established Classic Editor or shortcode workflow, WP Link Preview still has a functional advantage. That advantage is not sufficient to justify adopting an unmaintained plugin on a new site.

Metadata retrieval and storage

WP Link Preview retrieves a title, description, and image for a URL and generates a Facebook-style preview. Its current WordPress.org description does not document a cache or refresh strategy.

Custom Card Link treats internal and external URLs differently. For internal links, it uses the title, excerpt, and featured image from the WordPress post. For external links, it retrieves OGP and other page metadata, caches the result, and refreshes expired data asynchronously instead of fetching the external page on every normal front-end request.

These implementation differences do not prove a performance difference. Retrieval results depend on the external site, access restrictions, markup, and the WordPress environment.

Design controls

The WP Link Preview description states that it generates a Facebook-style preview containing a title, description, and image. Its current WordPress.org page does not describe layout choices or detailed design settings in the administration screen.

Custom Card Link provides card and list layouts and settings for spacing, shadows, hover movement, and animation. It does not provide a template builder; customization remains within its predefined structure.

If your site already uses WP Link Preview

If the plugin is currently working, the WordPress.org warning alone is not a reason to remove it immediately from production. First perform the following checks:

1. Search post content for every wplinkpreview shortcode.
2. Update a staging environment to the site's current WordPress and PHP versions.
3. Test both new preview generation and existing front-end output.
4. Deactivate the plugin and check whether raw shortcodes appear in articles.
5. Estimate how many articles must be changed before choosing a replacement.

Custom Card Link does not automatically convert WP Link Preview content. Shortcodes and Gutenberg blocks use different storage formats, so migration requires article updates.

When Custom Card Link is not suitable

• The site runs WordPress 6.8 or earlier or PHP 7.
• The Classic Editor must remain part of the workflow.
• Link previews must be generated through shortcodes.
• Multiple URLs must be entered in one batch.
• A long public history and large installation base are mandatory.

Even in these cases, the conclusion is not to install WP Link Preview on a new site. Compare other currently maintained plugins that support the required editing workflow.

Conclusion

WP Link Preview provides an editor button, shortcodes, and batch URL input and remains active on more than 500 sites. Its development, however, has been inactive for eight years, and official testing stops at WordPress 4.9.29.

Custom Card Link targets Gutenberg on WordPress 6.9 or later and PHP 8.0 or later. It does not support shortcodes or batch input, and its adoption history is still limited.

For a new installation, WP Link Preview should be excluded because of its maintenance status. For an existing installation, locate the shortcodes, inspect the deactivated state, and plan a controlled migration before replacing it.