Serious Slider vs NextGEN Gallery (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Slider Plugins top 10: Serious Slider at #8 and NextGEN Gallery at #3. NextGEN Gallery leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Serious Slider
Serious Slider is a free highly efficient SEO friendly fully translatable accessibility ready image slider for WordPress. Seriously!
NextGEN Gallery
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery
The most popular gallery plugin that lets you create galleries and albums in seconds.
Who leads on what
NextGEN Gallery leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
NextGEN Gallery ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Slider Plugins.
NextGEN Gallery has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Serious Slider has 8, NextGEN Gallery has 4,339. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
NextGEN Gallery has more reviews behind its score: 4,339 against 8.
NextGEN Gallery was updated more recently, on September 3, 2026; Serious Slider on August 10, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Serious Slider
Serious Slider does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
NextGEN Gallery
Pick NextGEN Gallery if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Serious Slider vs NextGEN Gallery side by side
| Serious Slider | NextGEN Gallery | |
|---|---|---|
| Slider Plugins ranking | #8 | #3 |
| Rating | 3.4 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 8 | 4,339 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 300,000+ |
| Total downloads | 555,917 | 46,160,262 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 10, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 |
| First published | May 11, 2016 | Apr 23, 2007 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Serious Slider ratings
NextGEN Gallery ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Serious Slider nor NextGEN Gallery can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Slider Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Serious Slider vs NextGEN Gallery: common questions
Is Serious Slider better than NextGEN Gallery?
NextGEN Gallery leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. NextGEN Gallery ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Slider Plugins.
Which has more users, Serious Slider or NextGEN Gallery?
NextGEN Gallery ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Slider Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Serious Slider or NextGEN Gallery?
NextGEN Gallery has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are Serious Slider and NextGEN Gallery free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Serious Slider may also sell a paid version or add-ons. NextGEN Gallery may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Serious Slider and NextGEN Gallery
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.