In a recent post we discussed best WordPress slider plugins. And there were a lot of awesome options for you to choose from! But this time around we’re going to focus on the best free WordPress slider plugins only.
“Why?” – you ask. The free plugins you find on WordPress.org go through rigorous testing and must comply with the latest WordPress conventions in order to be published. While you may get a slider plugin with not so many options, those limitations mean that there are less moving parts. The plugin is often more stable, secure, faster to configure and easier on your page load (and great for new WordPress users).
It’s always best to use a WordPress theme that’s made fully compatible with the slider plugins it comes bundled with. I always suggest you try our Total WordPress theme, which has been thoroughly tested with two of the most used sliders today.
If you don’t want to switch themes, but still want a carousel on your website then you’ll find the list beneficial. The plugins listed here satisfy two most important conditions. They are:
- Regularly updated
- Provide good support via WordPress.org forums
It seems that there’s still a high demand for sliders, which is awesome, and if used properly they can improve user experience and sometimes even conversion rates. New and exciting free WordPress slider plugins are frequently released and we’ll do our best to keep up.
Now let’s review some of the best free slider plugins and find out whether they bring some new features that can freshen up your WordPress website.
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1. Smart Slider 3
Smart Slider 3 is a sequel to the older and proven Smart Slider 2 WordPress plugin. It claims to be a brand new and intuitive WordPress plugin that lets you create sliders in a way never seen before with any free slider plugin. This includes a live editor, free templates, mobile ready sliders, seo optimization and more.
This plugin gives you the ability to create YouTube and Vimeo slides and even use your WordPress posts and create slides from those, so I went on to try if myself. I like that there’s a lot of video tutorials on how to create certain visual effects and a good “getting started” guide. It means you’ll have good support should you opt for this slider.
And for more features you can upgrade to Smart Slider 3 pro – which offers lightbox support, dynamic slides, an animation builder and just more features in general (more layers, premium templates, more slider types, advanced controls etc).
2. Depicter
Create stunning sliders for your website with Depicter. This plugin is loaded with features and, incredibly,
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This article was written by Kyla and originally published on WPExplorer.