NextGEN Gallery vs Smart Slider 3 (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: NextGEN Gallery at #3 and Smart Slider 3 at #1. Smart Slider 3 leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
NextGEN Gallery
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery
The most popular gallery plugin that lets you create galleries and albums in seconds.
Smart Slider 3
Responsive slider plugin to create sliders in visual editor easily. Build beautiful image slider, layer slider, video slider, post slider, and more.
Who leads on what
Smart Slider 3 leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Smart Slider 3 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #3 in Slider Plugins.
Smart Slider 3 has more users: 800,000+ active installs against 300,000+.
Smart Slider 3 is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 1,123 reviews, against 4.3 from 4,339 reviews.
NextGEN Gallery has more reviews behind its score: 4,339 against 1,123.
NextGEN Gallery was updated more recently, on September 3, 2026; Smart Slider 3 on August 19, 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.
NextGEN Gallery
Pick NextGEN Gallery if you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Smart Slider 3
Pick Smart Slider 3 if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or the review score matters most to you.
NextGEN Gallery vs Smart Slider 3 side by side
| NextGEN Gallery | Smart Slider 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Slider Plugins ranking | #3 | #1 |
| Rating | 4.3 | 4.9 |
| Reviews | 4,339 | 1,123 |
| Active installs | 300,000+ | 800,000+ |
| Total downloads | 46,160,262 | 24,506,044 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Sep 3, 2026 | Aug 19, 2026 |
| First published | Apr 23, 2007 | Nov 12, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
NextGEN Gallery ratings
Smart Slider 3 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 NextGEN Gallery nor Smart Slider 3 can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Slider Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
NextGEN Gallery vs Smart Slider 3: common questions
Is NextGEN Gallery better than Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3 leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Smart Slider 3 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #3 in Slider Plugins.
Which has more users, NextGEN Gallery or Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3 ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #3 in Slider Plugins.
Which is rated higher, NextGEN Gallery or Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3 has more users: 800,000+ active installs against 300,000+.
Are NextGEN Gallery and Smart Slider 3 free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. NextGEN Gallery may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Smart Slider 3 is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to NextGEN Gallery and Smart Slider 3
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.