Smart Slider 3

by Nextendweb

View on WordPress.org

89 Quality Score

Active Installs

26/30

With 800,000 active installs, Smart Slider 3 is one of the most widely used slider plugins in the WordPress ecosystem.

Update Freshness

25/25

The plugin was updated in July 2026, signalling an actively maintained codebase that keeps pace with WordPress releases.

User Rating

15/15

A 98 out of 100 score from 1,123 reviewers indicates overwhelmingly positive user feedback, though the sample size is smaller than some competitors with millions of ratings.

Support Health

8/15

Only 5 support threads with an 80% resolution rate suggests either very few issues arise or that most users never need to post, which is a positive sign either way.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Tested up to WordPress 7.0 and requiring PHP 7.0 or higher, the plugin meets current standards and should work on modern hosting environments.

Scores higher than 98% of indexed plugins

About

Responsive slider plugin to create sliders in visual editor easily. Build beautiful image slider, layer slider, video slider, post slider, and more.

Active Installs 800k+

Rating ★★★★½ 4.9/5

Last Updated 2026-08-19 11:47am GMT

Requires WordPress 5.0+

Tested Up To 7.0.4

Requires PHP 7.0+

Security History

12 known vulnerabilities, all patched

2 High 10 Medium

Most recent: August 27, 2026

View details ▸

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.38 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'slider' Block Attribute Medium

August 27, 2026 Patched in ["3.5.1.39"] CVE-2026-15798

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.37 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Sensitive Information Exposure via WP_Query Parameter Injection via 'keyword' Parameter Medium

July 13, 2026 Patched in ["3.5.1.38"] CVE-2026-12385

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.36 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Path Traversal to Arbitrary File Read via 'src'/'srcset' Attribute in HTML Export Medium

June 5, 2026 Patched in ["3.5.1.37"] CVE-2026-9197

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.33 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Slider Data Read and Image Record Manipulation Medium

April 7, 2026 Patched in ["3.5.1.34"] CVE-2026-4065

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.33 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Read via actionExportAll Medium

March 26, 2026 Patched in ["3.5.1.34"] CVE-2026-3098

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.28 - Authenticated (Administrator+) SQL Injection via `sliderid` Parameter Medium

July 29, 2025 Patched in ["3.5.1.29"] CVE-2025-6348

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.22 - Missing Authorization to Limited File Upload Medium

April 12, 2024 Patched in ["3.5.1.23"] CVE-2024-3027

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.13 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting Medium

February 28, 2023 Patched in ["3.5.1.14"] CVE-2023-0660

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.9 - Authenticated (Contributor+) PHP Object Injection High

November 23, 2022 Patched in ["3.5.1.11"] CVE-2022-45845

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.9 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting Medium

November 23, 2022 Patched in ["3.5.1.11"] CVE-2022-45843

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.1.9 - PHP Object Injection High

October 10, 2022 Patched in ["3.5.1.11"] CVE-2022-3357

Smart Slider 3 <= 3.5.0.8 - Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting Medium

June 7, 2021 Patched in ["3.5.0.9"] CVE-2021-24382

What It Does

Smart Slider 3 is a WordPress plugin that lets you build image sliders, carousels, video sliders, and post feeds using a visual editor instead of custom code. You can compose slides from layers, images, text, and videos, then embed them anywhere on your site via shortcode or block. It also ships with pre-built templates to speed up the design process.

Who It's For

This plugin is a good fit for small business owners, marketers, and content creators who want polished, animated sliders without hiring a developer. It works well on marketing pages, portfolios, and ecommerce sites where visual storytelling matters. Users who already rely on NextGEN or FooGallery for galleries will find it complements rather than replaces those tools.

Who Should Skip It

If you only need a simple image carousel or a basic gallery, Smart Slider 3 is heavier than necessary and a lightweight plugin like MetaSlider will do the job. Sites focused purely on photo galleries or masonry layouts should look at FooGallery or NextGEN Gallery instead.

The Bottom Line

Smart Slider 3 earns a strong 88.64 out of 100 overall quality score, backed by 800,000 installs and a 98% user rating. The visual editor and template library make it approachable for non-developers, while active maintenance and WordPress 7.0 compatibility keep it future-proof. It is the right choice for users who want richer animated sliders than MetaSlider but do not need a full gallery suite.

Related Plugins

Photo Gallery by FooGallery 89/100

Choose FooGallery if your primary need is a responsive photo gallery or masonry layout rather than animated marketing sliders.

SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 87/100

Pick SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle if you already use the SiteOrigin page builder and want a lightweight slider widget bundled in.

Robo Gallery 87/100

Robo Gallery is worth considering if you want a free, simpler photo grid with fewer features and less overhead.

MetaSlider 87/100

MetaSlider is a better pick if you want a minimal, fast slider plugin with over 500,000 installs and a longer track record.

NextGEN Gallery 86/100

NextGEN Gallery is the right alternative if you run a photography-heavy site needing proofing, albums, and advanced gallery management.

Compare Smart Slider 3

Smart Slider 3 vs Slider, Gallery, and Carousel by MetaSlider – Image Slider, Video Slider 94/100

Smart Slider 3 vs SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 87/100