Head-to-head · October 2026
Background Slideshow vs Featured Item Slider
Featured Item Slider comes out ahead, winning 4 of 6 head-to-head checks against Background Slideshow.
Background Slideshow
Background Slideshow uses jQuery to slide through unlimited full-size background images. Images are being…
Featured Item Slider
Featured item slider shows up to 5 Posts or Pages in a very nice and powerful Javascript Slideshow. On the…
| Metric | Background Slideshow | Featured Item Slider |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 20+ | 30+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 54 | 65 |
| Download trend | +45.9% | +47.7% |
| Rating | 1.5/5 | 2/5 |
| Reviews | 4 | 1 |
| Health score | 29/100 | 22/100 |
| Last updated | 15 years ago | 15 years ago |
| Tested up to | — | WP 3.3.2 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | Any |
| First released | Nov 2011 | Feb 2012 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Background SlideshowFeatured Item Slider
Choose Background Slideshow if…
You care most about reviews and health score.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Low rating so far — 1.5/5 from only 4 reviews
- No update in 14 years
Choose Featured Item Slider if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Small user base (30+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.3 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: content slideshow slideshow
FAQ
Background Slideshow vs Featured Item Slider: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Which is better, Background Slideshow or Featured Item Slider?
Featured Item Slider comes out ahead, winning 4 of 6 head-to-head checks against Background Slideshow. Choose Background Slideshow if you care most about reviews and health score. Choose Featured Item Slider if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
Is Background Slideshow more popular than Featured Item Slider?
Featured Item Slider is the more popular of the two with 30+ active installs, compared with 20+ for Background Slideshow.
Can I use Background Slideshow and Featured Item Slider together?
Both plugins cover content slideshow and slideshow, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are Background Slideshow and Featured Item Slider free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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