Ever seen a website that has a moving or what appears to be a sliding image? This is called a slider. If you’ve been wondering how to get this design element for your website, here’s some of the best WordPress Slider plugins in the community.
What is a WordPress Slider plugin?
In the WordPress community, a “Slider” is a type of design element that pieces several images, text, and sometimes even video together. Each image or video rotates to another image or video, like a carousel. The slider’s design functionality is often for just show, but when cleverly used with call to actions, it can convert your visitors into doing what you need them to do on your website.
A WordPress slider plugin in general, is designed and developed so the end-user can maintain the style, images, text, and links for each “slide”. In some WordPress slider plugins, you can adjust the settings to tell how long each slide will show.
What makes a good WordPress Slider plugin?
Web designers have a love and hate relationship with sliders. Most of it is due to how the slider is used and whether it was necessary to use on a website. However, the biggest part why web designers decide to use a WordPress slider plugin or not, is due to the features that they offer. So, what makes a good WordPress slider plugin?
Here are just a few features that are ideal for a good WordPress slider plugin:
Responsive design
Allows for images and video
Allows inclusion for text and links
Multiple choices for different kinds of styling
Fast loading
Easy to use from the admin area
Web accessible
Responsive design
There’s over 6.64 billion smartphone users across the globe, so your slider should have either the built in responsive design capabilities, or allow for you to make sure the design is responsive.
Allows for images and video
While videos might be a bit more bulky, a good WordPress slider plugin can accommodate both image and video.
Allows inclusion for text and links
Your slider plugin should allow you to add text and even links to each slide. Sure, you can go without, but why not use each slide as a way to get your visitors to visit other areas of your website, or perform an action that you’d like them to do?
Multiple choices for different kinds of styling
There are different types of designs for sliders. A WordPress slider plugin that offers different styling options or design templates is ideal for any website creator.
Fast loading
Out of the box, your WordPress slider plugin should be fast loading. As you add more slides, you’re going to see your website’s frontend get slower. Just make sure when you add each image, that you’re optimizing each.
Easy to use from the admin area
The best WordPress slider plugins will be easy to navigate and understand. If there are settings you don’t understand, the plugin should have documentation to help guide you through customizing your slider.
Web accessible
When choosing a WordPress slider plugin, make sure that it has some web accessibility options, so anyone, regardless of disability, can view your slider without problems.
10 Best WordPress Slider Plugins
Below are some of the best WordPress slider plugins. Please note some are free, some are solely premium, and others offer options to pay to upgrade for more features.
Carousel, Slider, Gallery by WP Carousel
Layer Slider
Meta Slider
Slider Revolution
Slider- Ultimate Responsive Image Slider
Smart Slider
Soliloquy
Wonder Slider
WP Logo Showcase Responsive Slider and Carousel
WP Responsive Recent Post Slider














