Head-to-head · September 2026
Photo Gallery, Sliders, P… vs Smart Slider 3
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… comes out ahead, winning 6 of 9 head-to-head checks against Smart Slider 3.
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Th…
NextGEN Gallery has been the industry’s standard WordPress gallery plugin since 2007 and continues to receive…
| Metric | Photo Gallery, Sliders, P… | Smart Slider 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 300K+ | 800K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 457.9K | 137.9K |
| Download trend | -23.9% | -64.4% |
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.9/5 |
| Reviews | 4,340 | 1,124 |
| Health score | 93/100 | 89/100 |
| Last updated | 1 week ago | 1 month ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.1.2 | WP 7.0.6 |
| Support resolved | 91% | 100% |
| Requires PHP | 7.4+ | 7.0+ |
| First released | Apr 2007 | Nov 2015 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Photo Gallery, Sliders,…Smart Slider 3
Choose Photo Gallery, Sliders, P… if…
You care most about downloads (30 days), download trend and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 300K+ active sites
- Actively developed — last update 1 week ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Responsive support — 91% of recent threads resolved
Choose Smart Slider 3 if…
You care most about active installs, rating and support resolved.
- Proven at scale on 800K+ active sites
- Loved by users — 4.9/5 from 1,124 reviews
FAQ
Photo Gallery, Sliders, P… vs Smart Slider 3: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 26, 2026
Which is better, Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… or Smart Slider 3?
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… comes out ahead, winning 6 of 9 head-to-head checks against Smart Slider 3. Choose Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… if you care most about downloads (30 days), download trend and reviews. Choose Smart Slider 3 if you care most about active installs, rating and support resolved.
Is Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… more popular than Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3 is the more popular of the two with 800K+ active installs, compared with 300K+ for Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro….
Can I use Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… and Smart Slider 3 together?
Both plugins cover gallery 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 Photo Gallery, Sliders, Pro… and Smart Slider 3 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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