Carousel Slider vs Smart Slider 3
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Smart Slider 3 leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #78, ahead of Carousel Slider at #961. Smart Slider 3 has the largest install base, roughly 27× the next: 800K+ active installs against 30K+ for Carousel Slider. Downloads this week: Smart Slider 3 25,414 and Carousel Slider 1,625. Ratings: Carousel Slider 4.3★ from 160 and Smart Slider 3 4.9★ from 1,123 reviews.
| Metric | Carousel Slider | Smart Slider 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #961 ▬ | #78 ▬ |
| Active installs | 30K+ | 800K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,625 | 25,414 |
| Rating | 4.3★ (160) | 4.9★ (1,123) |
| Last updated | Aug 21, 2026 | Aug 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.2.18 | 3.5.1.39 |
| Best rank on record | #954 | #78 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2014 | Nov 2015 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 8 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Carousel Slider or Smart Slider 3?
By active installs, Smart Slider 3: 800K+ sites run it against 30K+ for Carousel Slider, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Carousel Slider or Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3, at #78 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Carousel Slider at #961. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Carousel Slider or Smart Slider 3 alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.