Smart Slider 3 vs WP Flexslider
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 WP Flexslider at #8,329. Over the last 7 days Smart Slider 3 held its place and WP Flexslider climbed 1 place. Smart Slider 3 has the largest install base, roughly 1333× the next: 800K+ active installs against 600+ for WP Flexslider. Downloads this week: Smart Slider 3 28,066 and WP Flexslider 35. Ratings: Smart Slider 3 4.9★ from 1,125 and WP Flexslider 4.2★ from 5 reviews.
| Metric | Smart Slider 3 | WP Flexslider |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #78 ▬ | #8,329 ▲ 1 |
| Active installs | 800K+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 28,066 | 35 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (1,125) | 4.2★ (5) |
| Last updated | Aug 19, 2026 | May 6, 2019 |
| Current version | 3.5.1.39 | 1.0.9 |
| Best rank on record | #78 | #8,234 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2015 | Sep 2016 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 10 | 0 |
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, Smart Slider 3 or WP Flexslider?
By active installs, Smart Slider 3: 800K+ sites run it against 600+ for WP Flexslider, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Smart Slider 3 or WP Flexslider?
Smart Slider 3, at #78 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with WP Flexslider at #8,329. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Smart Slider 3 or WP Flexslider 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.