Smart Slider

Updated on: 19th Oct 2021
Smart Slider 3 is a WordPress slider plugin developed by Nextend that allows you to create sliders, blocks, or web pages. This plugin features a drag-and-drop visual editor, dynamic content from various sources, and over 180 templates. It is a popular and well-liked plugin — out of over 900 reviews on WordPress.org, it has an average of 4.9 stars. If you are a beginner or need to create a slider quickly, this plugin can be beneficial; it provides templates and a slide library that can boost your efficiency.

What sets Smart Slider apart

    Free plan limitations

    If you don’t need advanced features to make your slider (or just want to try it out before committing to a purchase), Smart Slider 3 does offer a free version. This plan is one of the more generous ones available for download.

    The free version will allow you to create mobile responsiveSEO-optimized sliders on as many sites as you would like. We will go into more detail about the specific features in the following section. Overall, the free plan comes with everything you need to create a fully functional slider. However, you will need to purchase a standard or premium license to use most of Smart Slider’s templates, animations, and effects.

    Alternatives

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    Slider Revolution

    Slider Revolution

    https://www.sliderrevolution.com/

    Slider Revolution is another WordPress plugin that allows you to create sliders and other visual content for your website.

    Like Smart Slider 3, it features mobile responsive sliders, dynamic content, and slider templates, all accessible through a visual editor.

    Slider Revolution does not offer a free version, though, and it is more expensive than Smart Slider 3 at a $79 one-time fee or a $29 yearly payment for its cheapest plan. This plugin stands out by offering extensive in-depth options for customizing your sliders.

    These might make it hard to learn at first, but they give you complete control over your design in a way that many other slider plugins don’t.

    0
    LayerSlider

    LayerSlider

    https://layerslider.com/

    LayerSlider is another popular WordPress plugin — over 3,100 reviews average out to 4.75 out of 5 stars.

    Unfortunately, this plugin does not offer a free version. The personal package costs $25 for one website, while professional versions range from $66 for three websites to $750 for 50 sites.

    Like Smart Slider 3, LayerSlider offers dynamic WordPress content, a wide variety of templates, and YouTube and Vimeo slides. This slider plugin also features several components specifically dedicated to customizing popups. However, it is packed with options and less beginner-friendly than Smart Slider.

    0
    MetaSlider

    MetaSlider

    https://www.metaslider.com/

    MetaSlider boasts that its free version is the most popular WordPress slider plugin on the market.

    However, the free version of this plugin has fewer features than the free version of Smart Slider 3. Therefore, it is more lightweight, but its functionality is more limited; it mainly allows you to create image-based sliders.

    MetaSlider does offer four types of sliders in its free version, though, including a carousel. The pro versions of this plugin are all-inclusive, and you can purchase a license by paying $39 to $149 a year.

    Each package will provide you with layers, animations, YouTube and Vimeo slides, WordPress post content, a theme editor, and thumbnail navigation.

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    Features

    The free version of Smart Slider 3 comes with two types of sliders: simple and block. It also includes 14 slider templates and six layer types. These six layers are:

    1. Image
    2. Heading
    3. Text
    4. Button
    5. Vimeo
    6. YouTube

    The free plan also gives you access to background animationscustomizable controls, and a slide library with hundreds of premade slides. All sliders you create using this plan are mobile responsive and optimized for SEO. In addition, you can incorporate dynamic WordPress content into your sliders, showcasing your newest posts or highlighting specific ones.

    Paid

    Smart Slider 3’s standard and premium packages are all-inclusive; the only differences between them are the number of sites where you can create sliders and whether or not you get priority support. These versions include two additional slider types: carousel and showcase. They also provide 26 different layers, over 180 slider templates, and eight animations and effects.

    Pricing

    Smart Slider 3 has three different licenses:

    • Free
    • Standard- $49
    • Premium- $99 to $249 

    You can purchase a standard or premium license for a one-time payment. The standard package allows you to build sliders on a single website, while the premium plan lets you choose from three sites ($99), five sites ($149), and ten sites ($249). The premium plan also provides you with priority personal support.

    Conclusion

    Smart Slider 3 is a WordPress plugin that allows you to build sliders for your website. Because it provides a variety of templates and premade slides, it is straightforward and efficient to use. The free plan also offers features that other free slider plugins don’t, such as layers and dynamic content.

    The downside to Smart Slider’s user-friendly interface is that you might need to look elsewhere if you are trying to design a much more complex slider or hero section. This plugin may not be able to offer all the options and add-ons you need. If you want to build a good-looking slider quickly and easily, though, give the free version of Smart Slider 3 a try and see if it suits your needs.

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