MetaSlider vs Smart Slider 3 Pro
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | MetaSlider v3.113.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.6/5 Visit Details | Smart Slider 3 Pro v3.5.1.21 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Paid Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 500,000+ | — |
| Last updated | September 30, 2026 | — |
| Editions | MetaSlider Slideshow · MetaSlider Slideshow Pro ($) | Smart Slider 3 Pro ($) |
| Pros | Image and local video slides from the media library at no cost; Shortcode, widget and block placement; Pro add-on adds video services, layer and post-feed slides | Visual slider editor with block, shortcode and widget; Video and social-feed slide generators; Licensed updates through the WordPress updater |
| Cons | Video services, layers and post feeds are paid only; Premium themes and scheduling need the Pro add-on; Free version shows upgrade screens in the admin | Needs a paid licence activated against the vendor API; Several slide sources call third-party APIs; Admin shows activation and upgrade notices |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | — |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Image slides with captions, links and SEO fields, Local video slides from the media library, Shortcodes for placing a slideshow, Slideshow widget, Slider and slide content types, Upgrade-to-Pro media tabs for video, layer, feed and WooCommerce slides, YouTube, Vimeo and TikTok video slides ($), Layer slides and external URL slides ($), Slide scheduling by date, time and weekday ($), Premium themes and custom theme builder ($) | YouTube and Vimeo video slides ($), Slides generated from Instagram ($), Slides generated from Flickr ($), Licence activation against the vendor API ($), Updates delivered through the WordPress updater ($), Premium slider templates limited to Pro ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Social | — | YouTube ($), Vimeo ($), Instagram ($), Flickr ($) |
| Plugins | Elementor, Polylang, MetaSlider Slideshow Pro ($) | — |
| Requires WordPress | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | — |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| External services | — | www.flickr.com, api.flickr.com, up.flickr.com, api.vimeo.com, graph.instagram.com, api.instagram.com |
| Blocks | — | 1 |
| Shortcodes | 3 | 2 |