WPThumbs
Themes Plugins By purpose By industry Best-of lists Fix it guides
Free Plugin by Nextendweb v3.5.1.39

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.

Smart Slider 3

The facts

Rating
4.9★ from 1,123
Active installs
800k+
Price
Free
Last updated
19 Aug 2026
Added
Nov 2015
Requires WP
5.0
Tested up to
WP 7.0.4
Requires PHP
7.0
Downloads
24,463,275

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Smart Slider 3 is a WordPress plugin designed for creating responsive sliders without the need for coding skills. It features a live slide editor that allows you to build and customize sliders using layers such as images, text, and videos. The plugin is compatible with various page builders and offers a selection of templates to help you get started quickly.

This plugin is suitable for users looking to enhance their website with visually appealing sliders, whether for showcasing images, videos, or posts. It is particularly useful for those who want a straightforward way to create sliders that are optimised for different devices and screen sizes.

Best for: Website owners and developers looking to create custom sliders easily.

What it does well

  • Fully responsive and mobile-ready sliders
  • Intuitive live slide editor
  • Compatible with multiple page builders
  • Offers a variety of templates to start from
  • SEO optimised

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on specific features and performance
  • No pricing details for premium features provided

Verdict

Smart Slider 3 provides a user-friendly approach to slider creation, making it accessible for those without technical skills. It offers a solid set of features for building responsive and visually appealing sliders.

From the developer

Nextendweb's own description of Smart Slider 3, lightly tidied.

Homepage | Features | Templates | Videos | Docs | Support

Smart Slider 3 is the most powerful and intuitive WordPress plugin to create sliders which was never possible before. Fully responsive, SEO optimized and works with any WordPress theme. Create beautiful sliders and tell stories without any code.

Live slide editor

A beautiful interface makes creating slides fast and efficient. The complete freedom to build what you want, the way you want. Edit your slides as you used to in page builders. Drop layers after each other and structure them with rows and columns.

Unique Layouts with Layers

Enhance your slider with the layers and make your site even more unique and grandiose. Every heading, text, image, button and video can be edited easily with the customization options. Change all the details that really matter in typography and style.

Responsive, Mobile-Ready Sliders

Switch your slider to a different device mode and optimize your content for the resolution. Your site can be enjoyed in any environment, be it a mobile, tablet or desktop.

Beautiful Sliders to Start

No tech skills are needed, just pick a slider template. It works like magic! Choose from a variety of beautiful templates or start with a blank Slider. The simple way to build every kind: image, layer, video and post slider.

Most powerful features

  • Default position – Edit your slides as you used to in page builders.
  • Absolute position – Drag and drop your layers anywhere on the slide with absolute layers.
  • Slide LibrarySlide Library provides several pre-made slides to kickstart your work.
  • Totally integrated with WordPress – Media manager, shortcode, widget, post permalinks, post editor.
  • Page Builder support – Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, Page Builder by SiteOrigin, Visual Composer, WPBakery Page Builder, Gutenberg and many more…
  • Totally responsive and touch friendly – Sliders can be enjoyed on any device, be it a mobile, tablet or desktop.
  • Dynamic Slides – Available source: WordPress posts
  • Customizable controls – Arrows, Bullets, Autoplay, Bar, Thumbnails, Shadows
  • Slide backgrounds – 9 Super smooth background animations
  • Layers – Build unique designs with 6 varied layers: Image, Heading, Text, Button, Vimeo, YouTube
  • Font and Style manager system – Change easily all the details that really matter in typography and style.
  • Template sliders15 sliders to start

Features:

  • Import and Export sliders
  • Intuitive slide creation: choose images, select WordPress Posts or add YouTube and Vimeo videos
  • Static overlay
  • Touch swipe, scroll, keyboard navigation
  • Full-width and boxed responsive layouts
  • Slide-switching animations: Horizontal, Vertical, Fade
  • Slide background animations
  • Autoplay timing options
  • Slider controls: Arrow, Bullet, Autoplay, Bar, Thumbnail and Shadow
  • SEO optimized
  • Layers: Image, Heading, Text, Button, Vimeo, YouTube
  • Layer snap in visual slide editor
  • Adaptive layer font sizing
  • Hide layers on specific devices
  • Slide thumbnail image
  • WordPress Multi Site compatible
  • Custom responsive breakpoints

Testimonials

“I can heartily recommend the free version. It already provides more functionality than any other slider plugin – even many premium ones.” – Daniel Pataki – WPMU DEV

“Having tried more than a few WordPress slider plugins, both free and paid, I can honestly say that this is one of the best that I’ve ever tested…” – Daryn Collier – WPKube

“Since Smart Slider is free to use, I do not have to really stress how good a plugin it is because you can download it yourself and see for yourself.” – Kevin Muldoon

“This plugin can be used for much more than a simple slider – being able to create whole sections of your website.” – Oliver Dale – WPLift

“Taking all this into consideration we can safely say that Smart Slider 3 is one of the top WordPress slider plugins.” – Mark Zahra – WP Mayor

Read the full description on the official page →

Tagged as

Alternatives

Other plugins for sliders and carousels.

Premium Addons for Elementor

Elementor Carousel, Mega Menu, Posts List/Slider, WooCommerce Widgets, Display Conditions, AI Abilities, Prema...

Free 600k+ installs 4.9★ (1,677)
Royal Addons for Elementor

Elementor templates, Header footer builder, Elementor Post Grid, Woocommerce Grid builder, Slider, Forms, Gall...

Free 600k+ installs 4.8★ (611)
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle

Essential elements for modern websites. Add buttons, sliders, heroes, maps, images, carousels, features, icons...

Free 400k+ installs 4.9★ (134)
Depicter

Build Stunning Slider and Popup. Exit intent Popup, Image slider carousel, video slider carousel, post slider...

Free 80k+ installs 4.6★ (234)
Content Views

Easy to show posts, pages, custom posts in customizable grid, list, slider, accordion... Available as Widgets...

Free 100k+ installs 4.8★ (333)