WordPress Slider Plugins Comparison

A Short Intro To Choosing A Slider Plugin

Image sliders are a feature that is very commonly seen in webdesign and on WordPress blogs nowadays. They can be used to showcase photos or make your important content stand out. Many of the slider plugins compared here can do much more even – including displaying videos or dynamically generate slider content.

You will find that all of the slider plugins in this comparison share the same basic feature set: All have responsive designs, lazy-load images to improve site speed and come with a visual slider editor that boasts many presets and possible effects for image transitions. To differentiate themselves from the pack many slider plugins have added integrations with popular image sites and gallery plugins, allowing you to easily import images to use in your sliders. Another difference: Performance! Some sliders do simply load faster than others. This is an aspect that is not part of this comparison, but follow the link below to Chris Lema’s performance comparison to learn more about the differences.

It is also worth to note that a lot of people have the opinion (and often data to back it up!) that sliders are bad in general and will hurt both your conversions and SEO rankings. I won’t go into that here but you can take a look at this post by Yoast to learn about the arguments and find links to several studies.

Other Factors To Consider In Your Choice

There are of course many other factors you should consider in your choice of a image slider 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 slider 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

Want to continue your research to find the best slider plugin? See below for some links to more good comparisons created by other WordPress bloggers. Have a link you think I should add here? Let me know in the comments!

• Chris Lema has measured the performance of 6 premium slider plugins.

Finally I want to stress that this image slider 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 slider plugin they work better. I recommend you use my comparison as a starting point in your search for the best WP slider plugin and then try some of the top choices yourself!

How To Use This Slider Plugin Comparison

Using this comparison is very easy, certainly easier than actually choosing one of the slider plugins! In the form at the top of the page enter which features you will definitely need from the image slider plugin of your choice by checking the boxes next to each feature. Because many WordPress slider 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 slider 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 image slider 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 WordPress slider 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 slider 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 image slider 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 slider plugin yourself before buying.

My Heads Up Comparisons

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

• LayerSlider vs RoyalSlider Comparison
• LayerSlider vs Slider PRO Comparison
• RoyalSlider vs Slider PRO Comparison
• SlideDeck vs LayerSlider Comparison
• SlideDeck vs RoyalSlider Comparison
• SlideDeck vs Slider PRO Comparison
• SlideDeck vs Slider Revolution Comparison
• Slider Revolution vs LayerSlider Comparison
• Slider Revolution vs RoyalSlider Comparison
• Slider Revolution vs Slider PRO Comparison
• Soliloquy vs LayerSlider Comparison
• Soliloquy vs RoyalSlider Comparison
• Soliloquy vs SlideDeck Comparison
• Soliloquy vs Slider PRO Comparison
• Soliloquy vs Slider Revolution Comparison