WordPress Gallery Plugins Comparison

A Short Intro To Choosing A Gallery Plugin

While WordPress comes with its own set of basic photo gallery features anyone looking for a more advanced solution should consider one of the plugins compared above. Each of them helps you create beautiful galleries containing any number of photos, images or even videos. While all contenders offer basic gallery management features and are responsive in order to display well on mobile devices there is still much that sets them apart: To differentiate themselves from the competition many gallery plugins have added new display modes, integration with social networks or other bells and whistles.

With this comparison you can check the features offered by different gallery plugins and then see which price you would need to pay for each. I have ordered features in the following categories:

• General Gallery Features: The basics for building galleries are covered here. Since they are the fundamentals you can find them in most of the competing products.
• Gallery Display Options: Premium gallery plugins come with many creative ways to display the photos on your blog. If you are looking for a specific display mode be sure to check it here.
• Integrations, Sharing and Misc: If you want your photos to offer social sharing or need integration with a certain service you can filter the plugins for it with this category.

Other Factors To Consider In Your Choice

There are of course many other factors you should consider in your choice of a gallery plugin which are not part of this comparison because they are either highly subjective or hard to track. For example:

• Is the plugin easy to use? To answer this question download a demo or free version (if available) to get a closer feel for how the plugin works.
• How good is the plugin interface? Try watching some Youtube videos of each WordPress gallery plugin in action to get an idea what the admin area looks like.
• Is the support fast and helpful? Consider just getting in touch and asking some questions before your purchase to see what kind of answer you get.
• Is the plugin updated regularly? Check if they post about new version releases on their website. For products with a free version in the WP plugin directory you can browse the changelog there.

Links

Still not sure which gallery plugin to get? Here are a few links to more great comparisons done by other bloggers:

• Chris Lema has published an in-depth comparison of Envira and NextGen gallery.
• This post on Tripwire Magazine lists 40 different gallery plugins for WordPress, including many more free choices you might like.

Finally I want to stress that this gallery plugin comparison only compares prices and features as reported by the developers. It can not tell you whether those features actually work or in which WordPress gallery plugin they work better. I recommend you use my comparison as a starting point in your search for the best image gallery plugin and then try some of the top choices yourself!

How To Use This Gallery Plugin Comparison

Using this comparison is very easy, certainly easier than actually choosing one of the WordPress gallery plugins! In the form at the top of the page enter which features you will definitely need from the gallery plugin of your choice by checking the boxes next to each feature. Because many gallery plugins increase in price depending on your number of sites you should also select on how many blogs you intend to use the plugin with the dropdown box.

After clicking the “Compare Now” button the top WordPress gallery plugins based on your requirements are shown on the right side. By default the results are ordered by how well they match the features you have searched for. You can change that with the “Order results by” dropdown, e.g. to display the cheapest WP gallery plugins in front.

What the results mean: Each compared product is shown in a blue box that contains the following information:

• Features: This comparison tracks a number of features that are commonly found in the best gallery plugins. The number next to each alternative shows you how many out of all those features you can find in this particular product. Features are listed as reported by the developers.
• Missing Features: This will only show up if a WordPress gallery plugin does not offer all the features you need (defined by your selection in the comparison search form). All products are displayed regardless of how many features they are missing with the best matches listed higher.
• Price: The price as calculated for your number of blogs and required features. The goal is to show you the exact cost you can expect when deciding to purchase one of the alternatives in order to help you find the cheapest gallery plugin possible.
  All prices are as listed on the developers websites. Bulk or automatic discounts are factored in if available. There can be minor variations due to rounding errors. If you find a product has changed their prices please report it so I can keep the list updated.
• Reviews: This section lists the average rating of the plugin given by WPscoop users. If available the average rating from the WordPress.org plugin directory or the CodeCanyon marketplace is also listed.
• Download / Order Link: Many of the products compared here offer you a way to test their service for free. Some offer a basic plugin for free, others a demo on their website or a refund period. You will find the details next to each plugin. If possible I recommend you try and test any WordPress gallery plugin yourself before buying.

My Heads Up Comparisons

Facing the hard choice between two specific WordPress gallery plugins? I have created 1 vs. 1 comparison pages for most of the gallery plugins listed here to help you find the better alternative! Check them out:

• Envira Gallery vs FooGallery Comparison
• Envira Gallery vs MaxGalleria Comparison
• Envira Gallery vs SharePrints Comparison
• NextGen Gallery vs Envira Gallery Comparison
• NextGen Gallery vs FooGallery Comparison
• NextGen Gallery vs MaxGalleria Comparison
• NextGen Gallery vs SharePrints Comparison
• SharePrints vs MaxGalleria Comparison