MetaSlider Slideshow 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.
At a glance
Smart Slider 3 leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #78, ahead of MetaSlider Slideshow at #120. Over the last 7 days Smart Slider 3 held its place and MetaSlider Slideshow slipped 1 place. Smart Slider 3 has the largest install base, roughly 1.6× the next: 800K+ active installs against 500K+ for MetaSlider Slideshow. Downloads this week: MetaSlider Slideshow 29,177 and Smart Slider 3 27,176. Ratings: MetaSlider Slideshow 4.6★ from 739 and Smart Slider 3 4.9★ from 1,123 reviews.
| Metric | MetaSlider Slideshow | Smart Slider 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #120 ▼ 1 | #78 ▬ |
| Active installs | 500K+ | 800K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 29,177 | 27,176 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (739) | 4.9★ (1,123) |
| Last updated | Sep 8, 2026 | Aug 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.112.0 | 3.5.1.39 |
| Best rank on record | #119 | #78 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2013 | Nov 2015 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 8 | 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, MetaSlider Slideshow or Smart Slider 3?
By active installs, Smart Slider 3: 800K+ sites run it against 500K+ for MetaSlider Slideshow, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, MetaSlider Slideshow or Smart Slider 3?
Smart Slider 3, at #78 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with MetaSlider Slideshow at #120. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are MetaSlider Slideshow or Smart Slider 3 alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are slider plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
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.